Bridge the gaps... capturing the view of how people cross the gaps in life.

Big Mac from Mackinaw City, MI

Bridge the gaps...

One of my favorite subjects to photograph are bridges.  I find them interesting in so many ways, and can be captures in so many ways.  You can shoot from on them, below them, down stream from them, in parts, in whole, or as art.  It's all up to you, and your imagination.  The important thing is getting the camera out and taking the shot.

Walking under Big Mac span

Between St Ignace & Mackinaw City, MI 

Elizabeth Park bridge

Trenton, MI

Greenwood Rd Bridge over the Rifle River

Skidway Lake, MI

With bridges there are many ways to look at the structure.  You can be below, on , down stream, or from a distance.  The direction and angle, and setting, as seen above, can be a dramatic make or break for a shot going from just a nice picture to something very special. 

Moffit Bridge w/ old digital

Along Maple Ridge Rd in Aranac Co. MI

Big Mac & Mackinaw City Lighthouse

Mackinaw City, MI Labor Day 2011

New bridge from under the old bridge over the Au Sable River

Huron National Forest between Hale & Tawas MI

 

When taking bridge pictures the big thing is obeying the first 5 rules I gave you, but you should also keep your shooting options open to play around.  A not so interesting rust coloured rail bridge can look totally different and so much more interesting in black & white.  it makes a big difference.  Just see the difference from the Elizabeth Park bridges from fall colours & black & white.  Night lights can also be a major difference maker to the views you can capture, too.

 

The Railroad Bridge over the Huron River

Between South Rockwood and Rockwood, MI

 

Elizabeth Park entrance bridge in Black & White

Trenton, MI

Big Mac (The Mackinaw Bridge) at night from Bridge View Park

St Ignace, MI

 

 

So, in conclusion, go out this Labor Day weekend...here in the USA...and shoot away.  Walk Big mac, and take those shots of all its splendor from a view that's only available once a year.  take a walk in the park or down stream, or where ever you want.  Just don't be afraid to capture you own view of the beauty that comes in how we cross troubled waters, or move ourselves to a new place in life.

 

Go & shoot in peace.

 

The Boy Scout Bridge over the Rifle River

Near Skidway lake, MI

 

Moffit Bridge over the Rifle River

Maple Ridge Rd in Aranac Co. MI

 

Wood Canoe & Big Mac

Mackinaw City, MI

 

The old Bridge (now used for walking) over the Ausable River

Huron National Forest between Hale & Tawas MI

 

Morning view of the Moffit Bridge from Camp Fire Trail

Aranac Co. MI

 

The RailRoad Bridge over the Hron River

Between Rockwood and South Rockwood MI

Pathway bridge in Oakwood Metro Park

Van Buran Twsp, MI

B&W from the Bridge Walk

Over the Straits of Mackinaw, MI

 

 



Fireworks reminder...Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON on Monday...

Detroit Freedom Festival Fireworks... June 25th this year

From Windsor, ON

Its that time of year again...at least here in the USA, and Canada.  Its Fireworks  time...ok, NOT in Wyandotte, MI anymore...why I moved...

Cobo Hall reflecting Freedom

Detroit, MI

The Late-great Wyandotte, MI Fireworks  ;-(

Blue

Wyandotte, MI

Its easy...re-read my past postings over this and night-time photography.  You really only need to need just a few things...

Oak St illuminations...

Wyandotte, MI

From Bishop Park

Wyandotte, MI

1- Fireworks. and knowing where they will be fired off, and the distance off enough from that spot to capture the full "bang" as desired.

Detroit, MI

Pre-Canada Day & July 4th Freedom Festival

Full Frame

2- Tripod.  If your using a point and shoot with a fireworks setting of going "pro" with your (d)slr, a tripod is essential for stability.  If your using a any camera,  DO NOT let it auto set your ISO, if you can.  Manually set it to 200.  This will give you best "darkness" for a background for your shots, while letting the movement of the show to come out, and give that great "flower" effect.

Detroit People Mover & the 'works.

Detroit, MI

The last year in Bishop Park

Wyandotte, MI 6/2011 ;-(

3- Time.  Here is the formula I use, and I ALWAYS maximize my f-stop setting... my camera of choice is f-22... then I set my speed on the camera...this is for (d)slrs...30 seconds for 1 fire-spot, 20 seconds for 2 fire-spots, and 10 seconds for 3 or more...anything more than 3 will be so spread out you'll need the time to properly catch it all.  Just also remember to press the shutter button with the visible firing of the mortar...not the sound...light is much faster.

People Mover # 2

Detroit, MI

Wyandotte...again

That's it for the illuminations...

Oh, if your wanting to catch that great shot of the family with sparklers, and smaller displays, use the "night" mode on the camera...works great, because the light levels and duration can very dramatically.

No Fishing...With fireworks...anymore in Wyandotte, MI

2006

Flower Power...

Its now May, so its flower time...

The Trillium Cross

Aranac Co. Michigan

The magic and Majesty of flowers has fascinated artist and man in general since the garden of Eden.  It was easy back when painting was  the only way to capture the true beauty of the flowers you could just paint out the flaws, or in some cases design your own flowers.  Now with cameras we can do so much more.

My aunt's flowers at her Saginaw Bay farm.

Bay Co. MI

The art of shooting flowers is very individualistic like much of art.  There are many ways to shoot flowers...groups, single blooms, in settings and too many others to truly elaborate on here.  I plan on hitting on the foundations of all of them...Singles, groupings and settings.  Ok theses are pretty much the basis of 95% of all pictures...so pay attention. 

A single bloom at the Rush & Son Greenhouse (w/cell phone)

Romulus, MI

A wild configuration of Trillium's at Heaven on Earth

Rifle River Valley in Aranac Co. Michigan

Tree blooms along Oak St

 Wyandotte, MI

There are a few basic ways to shoot flowers.  Single bloom, small groups and in-mass.

A Wyandotte MI corn flower

Another Trillium at Heaven on Earth

Rifle River Valley  Aranac Co MI

Another Wyandotte MI Bloom

In Memorial 10/2001

Vietnam Memorial Washington, DC

Cell Phone Sunflower

Monroe Co. MI

A Pine Cone and tree along Oak St

Wyandotte, MI

The single bloom pictures tend to be very popular.  The key to a single bloom is the arrangement of the bloom in the picture compared to the background and the location in the picture.  You usually want to center the flower in the frame, but when the back ground has interest too, then you may want to play it off to another part of the frame.  When you do this, please remember the basics of composition...the rules of 3's and triangulation...see previous blogs about this.  I also try not to be fooled by the "close-up" flower mode on the settings of your camera.  I prefer the portrait mode, if Iam choosing.  The reason is that with most flowers have a good amount of depth to the bloom, and need the extra depth of field that comes with the portrait mode compared to the close up. 

Another thing I like to do is shoot into a dark(er) back ground, but I DO NOT use a flash when I do this.  I want the flower to be the star of the show, so I make sure I have enough light to see the flower clearly, at a 1/60 or so setting with the camera.  This gives me the deep, near black back ground without it exposing the background that a flash would expose...and can still a "texture" to the background.

fence flowers

Woodhaven, MI

pair of trillium's

Aranac Co. MI

flower shop flowers

Kent, OH

Fence end

Wyandotte, MI

Fence Gate

Sutton's Bay, MI

When shooting small groups of flowers I like to involve the background into the shot.  By adding the background into the picture you bring more interest to the picture, and can bring the location of the shot into the "story" of the picture.  So don't be afraid to use the flowers to create the interest in the background, or using the background to enhance the Flowers. 

Cindie's garden

Trenton, MI

Blossoms along Oak St.

Wyandotte, MI

Hanging basket at the Rush & Son Greenhouse (w/cell phone)

Romulus, MI

The Bellagio Ceiling

Las Vegas,  NV  6/2001

Thanksgiving grasses

Lake Erie Metro Park  Gibraltar, MI

Field of wild flowers

Ogemawa, Co. MI

Mass groupings of lowers I like to set up into the frame in one of 3 ways. 

The first way of the 3 is as a key part of a composition, but not the entirety, like the picture of the post ending.  The flowers were/are used to both center the photo and at the same time give a depth of field.  The flowers are used like the sea in a picture of a lighthouse or a boat.

The second is as a full frame grouping that fills the frame.  This, unlike the small grouping full frame...flower shop picture...is that its the mass and not just 1 or 2 blooms that are intended to be the focus of the photo.  The mass is the subject, not the the individual(s).

The last of the three is using a mass of blooms as just part of the subject in the picture.  Using the mass of  flowers to balance out the entire picture...an anchor to the composition.

Cobo Hall electric bloom (w/cell Phone)

Detroit, MI

The3rd stage Trillium

Aranac Co. MI (Mid May 2011)

Square flowers

Woodhaven, MI 

cell phone