Weekly Competition #189 - Bridges Competition

I've really enjoyed looking at all your bridge photos but it's been difficult to seperate the top few pictures in selecting the overall winner. It was very close. You must accept that the choice is purely my personal one and that I don't believe there is a 'best' picture in any competition,only the one the judge likes the most.
So the final few top placings are:
1, MarkLJ
2, DigitalCG
3, AxelLuther.
HC: Frogherder; JudithAnn; Nipper and Gunner.

Barrie Forbes – A Little Red Bridge.

I keep thinking of French impressionism when I look at this delightful picture. Everything is harmonious, the composition spot on. The water lilies and the lovely reflection break up the area of water perfectly and the whole picture is framed by the beautiful greenery. The red metal bridge could have spoiled the peaceful effect, but it doesn’t, it fits well in the scene. Some might say it needs a figure on the bridge but I like it the way it is, perfectly peaceful and serene.

MarkLJ – Down Under

I’ve seen the Forth bridges photographed many ways, most of them hugely impressive. But I can’t ever recall seeing one with such wonderful colour and lighting. If this is HDR then it gets my vote whereas I’m often unimpressed with the overdone effect some photographers achieve with this process. I like the way you’ve used the foreground rocks and seaweed to balance the picture and the creamy smooth treatment of the water.

Alexfilipov - Zen Tree Bridge

This is a peaceful picture with lovely muted colours, just as I’m sure the photographer set out to achieve. Unfortunately the image is too soft for my taste, although I suspect softness and delicacy were the affects you were trying for.

Bill-And - Warm summers night in Rome

The warm colours of the historic buildings set against the blackness of the night stamp the seal of quality on this very attractive photograph. Perhaps this is the best time of day to take photos such as this, under the cover of darkness to blanket out untidy detail such as tourists, parked cars, ice cream stalls etc. Nice one.

GlynM – Cowshot Bridge

I find the masonry on canal and railway bridges from this period with the dark red early 19th century bricks very attractive. This tranquil scene is super. Would the appearance of a canal boat or a lone fisherman on the banks of the lock enhanced it even more?

Gunner – Petronas Towers ‘skybridge’

You’ve chosen a perfect angle to capture the dynamic lines of this exciting piece of modern architecture. The wide angle lens exaggerates the converging verticals
very satisfyingly to produce an eye catching image. The steely blue of the towers contrasts well with the wonderful blue of the sky.

AxelLuther – Severins Bridge

Taken late in the day with the light fading this super picture picks up the artificial lights illuminating the bridge and still retains the twilight glow of the evening sky. This is a very attractive picture and is another one of several images in this competition that prove man made structures can make very appealing photographs in the hands of skilled photographers.


DigitalCG – Manchester Engineering

This is yet another quality urban environment shot. If find the tangle of bridges very appealing with many interesting elements to explore in the image. The colour is wonderful, and I particularly like the sky with its reflection in the water. I wonder if you used a polarizer filter here?


Long forgotten by JohnTD
This is a very attractive old bridge in North Wales with the rich foliage framing it nicely. I like the hint of movement in the water with just enough blur to animate the scene. I appreciate it was difficult to get your position right, what with steep bank sides and thick undergrowth but I think that branch in the foreground is a little distracting.

Steve Chasey – Pulteney Bridge and Weir

This very famous bridge framed by the historic buildings always makes an appealing scene and this picture is no different. I see you were out in the early morning to capture the fresh light but I wonder if the bridge would have looked better after the sun moved round to illuminate it. Here the bridge is in the shade and it’s the riverside buildings that are lit.

Dr Mhuni – Bridge of strays

You risked your life on that narrow bridge with the tuc-tuc bearing down on you Andrew. The vehicle is in the classic intersection of the thirds position so despite staring death in the face you still had time to compose before jumping out of the way. Pity the dogs weren’t slightly closer to you so as to occupy a larger part of the frame. The white vehicle between the dogs and the tuc-tuc is a little distracting. I would have cloned it. Although I’ve never been to Sri Lanka I have been to Thailand so can so I can relate to this enjoyable scene.

Steve Presto – Bridge on Harris

Here is another photographer who likes to be up early to grab the quality light. This photo sums of the remoteness and sweeping vistas of the far North West of Scotland and its islands. The colour is beautiful and I’m torn between a thinking a crop from the top of the sky would have been more effective or leave it exactly as it is to include that beautiful coloured cloud at the top of the frame.

Dr Jeff - The old iron bridge

I’ve stood in exactly the same spot and taken this bridge – the world’s first iron bridge. You’ve caught it very well with lovely light and detail on the stone abutment and in the girders. The scene has a wonderful bonus in that lone swan making its way upstream on the River Severn.

TomW Misty Bridge

The black and white treatment and the low key exposure make a fine silhouette but fail to disguise the fact that the foreground branches are screening the bridge rather than framing it. A crop of about 1/3 from the top of the image would eliminate a lot of dead space above the bridge. The lower 2/3rds of the photo are very attractive without the top section. I like the tiny silhouetted figure crossing the bridge.

Geordie01 No one around

The symmetry of this photo is one of its most appealing features, that and the fact that this busy Metro station bridge is completely devoid of any human presence. I like the way the white walls have been lit without burning out while the dark areas have not blocked up.

Nipper – Trent

You get three distinct elements here for the price of one. The bridge is the main attraction and it’s recorded well in the fading light of dusk. But you also get a gorgeous sky and an action shot of a fast moving train. It could be argued that the foreground grasses are a bit too intrusive but I feel they provide excellent interest in the bottom left of the picture, sharply rendered using the wide angle lens at f16.

Dr Orloff - Footbridge

There are some really attractive rust and wood textures in this fine photo. Added to this the scene is very peaceful in a shady wooded area. This all adds up to a very appealing picture with the little bridge and its rickety fence ideally placed in the frame just off centre.

Kosh – peaceful river

The title says it all, the historic bridge and the river are an idyllic view. The historic houses add background interest and the swan is placed in the classic intersection of the thirds in the bottom right of the frame. What’s not to like about this attractive image?

Chinese Bridge - Sandinista

It’s not in China but in the English Midlands county of Staffordshire, but the picture could well be in one of those classical oriental gardens. The centrally placed bridge might have appeared intrusive in such a sylvan setting but the subdued lighting has kept this tasteful and restful.

VonBatKat - Bridging the solution

I bet you hung around for ages waiting for someone to fall in but in the end you had to settle for a straight shot of people walking cover this makeshift bridge. The high viewpoint allows you to capture the scene to advantage.



JudithAnn – The bridge to nowhere

The mist does indeed make it look like a bridge to nowhere – and what a view. December in Canada (I assume this is Canada) must be very cold and this scene looks cold. Its good to view it in a warm computer room at home. The wonderful structure of the bridge is well captured; it could have been almost lost in the mist. The ice along the river bank and the beautiful winter sky contribute to make this a hugely enjoyable image. Middle distance interest is provided by the house on the extreme left.

Zlj2417 - Bridge

This is a busy scene and shows more of the people and the street than the bridge itself. You say ‘not focus on the bridge itself’ and you are correct there, the only part of the picture that tells you it’s a bridge is the parapet. It’s a pity the foreground is dominated by the out of focus base of a street lamp and the woman on the right has been chopped off right on the edge of the frame. I reckon I know this scene, is it Elvet Bridge in Durham?

John Riley – Bridge over the Bridgewater Canal

The blacks in this attractive scene are very well rendered with the trees forming pleasant silhouettes against the fading light of the sky. At first I thought the lights were in danger of burning out but the more I looked at the picture I began to realise they have been very well controlled. They just looked bright in contrast to the dark areas of the image. The bridge itself looks very good but the real enjoyment in this scene for me is the not the bridge itself but the reflection of it in the water.

Aiki – Bridge over the frozen waters

Its cold enough in Talinn to walk over the river when it freezes, but in England when our rivers freeze it would be dangerous because the ice would be too thin. You’ve caught this winter scene very well and I particularly like the contrast between the clean snow and ice on the river and the grubby piles of snow at the roadside, caused by traffic. It looks like a long cold walk over that bridge Aiki.

Darlene – London Bridge

It seems much warmer where you were Darlene but I don’t recognise the style of that bridge as being one from London. However a bridge it most certainly is and what an amazing action packed area this seems to be. You’ve crammed a huge amount of detail into that one shot. And what a remarkable blue sky that is.

Frogherder Bridge to nowhere

Another bridge to nowhere, and this shot couldn’t be more different from the previous bridge to nowhere with its sweeping vista. This time it’s a much more intimate scene, a lovely pastoral view, or as Frogherder calls it, a local footbridge. I think its absolutely delightful beautifully composed and exposed and at the same time full of interesting detail.



Conexus – A bridge too far?
An unusual take on this often photographed building. I really like the angle this has been taken from and the subdued colours involved. Often the Bullring is photographed with its highly saturated colour scheme. The cables forming supporting struts for the footbridge fill the dead space of the white sky very well.

The footbridge - GaryJohn
This is a well photographed shot of this lovely old bridge with all the fine detail recorded.
Despite being shot from close to the subject there is interesting background detail as well, including some of the nearby trees and an attractive sky. The distant tree on the sky line in the left of the picture is a masterful touch which enhances the composition.

June – From Richmond to Twickenham

There’s some good detail in the steel construction of this bridge that I find very attractive, including the pin sharp rivet heads, the builders plate and the faint but discernable graffiti on the extreme left. The angle you took this from is interesting and I’m pleased you positioned yourself to include buildings on the far riverbank, viewed under the bridge arch.

Stopher - Packhorse bridge

This historic bridge is a real delight to look at. I love the green mosses on the ancient stone which blend it into the surrounding landscape and the sharply defined cobble stones on the footway of the bridge. It’s very well photographed.

Mark Taylor – Underneath

That’s a very eye grabbing angle and one to really enjoy. The geometrics between the bridge and the tall building are superb. I suspect that because of the huge range in light values between the sky and under the bridge arch you exposed more for the dark areas than the light. There’s good detail retained under the bridge but understandably the sky and the higher parts of the building are very light and lacking contrast.

i-Berg – Bolte Bridge Melbourne

Bolte Bridge looks a very attractive modern structure i-Berg and one I enjoyed seeing for the first time here. Your decision to shoot it at night shows the lights to good effect and eliminates all the cluttered detail that I’m sure would be visible in daylight. It’s just a pity there wasn’t more light and colour in the sky as there probably would have been if you’d been able to shoot it around dusk.

Darkskies – The old Mill

An amazing piece of historic architecture this. I like the jumble of old buildings on the left balanced by the river and trees on the right and the bridge joining the buildings is fascinating. The black and white conversion is very good but can’t help thinking that those lovely old pantiles would look great in colour.



Sandy – Wet and windy bridge

I like your sense of humour. Here you are in a lovely part of England with some great landscape possibilities, and you’re having awful weather. Your caption says you had lovely weather, the evidence of the photo is quite the opposite. There’s someone with an umbrella on the bridge, maybe that’s your wife or girlfriend dutifully posing for the pic. The bridge itself it’s a very attractive structure that looks like a packhorse bridge from centuries ago. Because of the weather the light is poor but your image has a sense of mood. The quality of the image is very good indeed. It’s a pity you couldn’t add just a little more contrast to the figure on the bridge to make her stand out more. At least your K7 is weather resistant.


Womble – Newcastle bridges

Strewth, Womble’s been poaching on our patch up here in the North East. This is an excellent rendition of the Tyne bridges at night and he’s made a decent stab at the subject. Shot on film with an ME Super its hard to tell whether this was a recent picture or one from years ago because I can’t see if it was taken before or after the Quayside area was redeveloped and the Sage built. The picture is helped by the fact trains are crossing two of the bridges adding to the collection of lights. But for me the biggest strength is that wonderful sky.

Djmal1 - Matlock Bridge

The bridge with the people crossing and the slightly rusty looking girders is very good but I’m not keen on the oversaturated background. That green looks over cooked to me and needs to be toned down. I don’t know what the local conditions were when you took this picture but a more ambitious vantage point might have created a greater sense of innovation.

Blythman – Swing Bridge turning

You don’t see photos of the Swing Bridge open very often. Presumably scanned from film this picture was taken before the Quayside area was fully re developed. Perhaps that is why you went to a slightly desaturated appearance verging on sepia Alan. I’m not very keen on the colour in this case. I would have preferred to see full fat colour or true mono.

Now thats what I call fast judging, well prepared David. Well done to all. Great shot Mark, well deserved.

Excellent and fast judging, and so few people around to appreciate how fast you have been!

Over to MarkLJ!

Worthy winner David. Congrats to all others mentioned in despatches too.

As to mine, I was sorting some slides this weekend, and thought I'd share. The original was a pretty dull record shot from a grey day, but an interesting event in itself

David you certainly know how to hit a deadline. Mark this is becoming a habit, and we can see why, well done.

Congrats Mark, and to the placegetters also. There's plenty of potential in bridges then David! Class shots all over the place. Well done.

Many thanks for the judging, David - as exemplarily prompt as ever. Congrats to Mark and the places/HCs.

Congratulations to Mark and to David for such quick judging. You guessed the image was an old one... November 1983 to be precise long before the Quayside was tarted up!

K.

Thank You Judge David! It was a very odd thing for us here in Canada, New Brunswick, to have December rain and fog. We have had our share of extreme weather the past two years. I was pleased that you enjoyed the photo

Congrats to you Mark....I await our next subject!! I too picked your photo as one of my top picks!

Congratulations Mark and thanks for judging David. I agree with your remarks and actually we did get rain and windy most day so I got some nice waterfall photos.

Sandy

Many thanks for another splendid competition plus the care and effort that has so obviously been put into the review and judging.

Congratulations to Mark for the outstanding winning image, the runners up and everyone else for a great set of images.

Glyn

Worthy winner and more than chuffed with a HC. Impressive pace of judging too!

great competition again (I love it, when the feedback is already there next morning ) - David thanks for this and for the statement of skilled photogarpher
Mark your picture is amazing - like your last winning shot - it is an orgy of light and colors (which I like a lot)..... and it again has a very special - kind of unreal atmosphere that lets the audience feel, that something speial happened the moment you made it.....

Jings - thank you very much David. Didn't really expect that one. Thank you for the other nice comments and well done to the other placed entries. The picture itself was taken just after dawn and was a blend of long exposures in Photomatix if I remember right.

Thanks for the competition David and congratulations to Mark. The top 3 shots were mine too and were all truly impressive!

Well done Mark for top quality winner and top quality judging from David, thankyou. Some stunning entries in this comp and a pleasure to view them all.

Congratulations Mark and thanks for judging David. Great shot Mark, well deserved. and the places/HCs. My picture was taken in Las Vegas , over the xmas holidays , I guess they don't know much about London ?

Thanks for your kind comments - I have "monitored" this footbridge for years as the local council continue to maintain it but don't do anything to enable a right of way from her on: