BAD -- Zakem Bridge

[nma]

Another example from my Boston After Dark Series -- The Zakem Bridge.

Critique appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

[Stephen Girimont]

Not being familiar with this bridge, I googled it to try to understand what I was looking at. You appear to have captured an overpass that runs in the foreground of the bridge (from where you were) more so than the bridge itself.

Is it possible to get a higher perspective at this location? The curve of the road in the foreground might make an interesting leading element to draw the viewer's eye to the bridge, especially with both the overpass and the road underneath serving as leading lines, but you've shot it from too low an angle to accomplish that.

[brandtb]

Not as successful as the last one you posted...not sure if this in the end is workable. That said, in this I would have to make an argument for why the left half of the frame is so important or integral...other than just being "part of what's there" (context may or may not be helpful depending). The right half is full of so many powerful elements...and when combined with left and that big clump of trees which your eye is drawn to...there is a disjunct. You could bring a graduated filter with a stop and half drop in exposure (or so) from left of frame to center as an option. Also, you might look at the image with the entire left half cropped off...and also after doing that...in black and white. The geometries of the bridge cable stays  and curving road are so substantive...and b/w might accentuate that even more. As an extreme example/possible inspiration, you might look at Kenneth Josephson's image "Chicago, 1961" of the curving rail yard tracks at night - powerful image reduced to geometry and light. I think your take generally on this area which I know well...is really great...you are getting some aspects/textures beyond what is usually captured..."the glitzy obvious". Good luck. /Brandt

[nma]

Not being familiar with this bridge, I googled it to try to understand what I was looking at. You appear to have captured an overpass that runs in the foreground of the bridge (from where you were) more so than the bridge itself.

Is it possible to get a higher perspective at this location? The curve of the road in the foreground might make an interesting leading element to draw the viewer's eye to the bridge, especially with both the overpass and the road underneath serving as leading lines, but you've shot it from too low an angle to accomplish that.

Thanks for a very helpful critique. The points are well taken and thought provoking. Of course, physical limitations in vantage points are a practical problem as well as a stimulis to improve the compositions.

[nma]

Not as successful as the last one you posted...not sure if this in the end is workable. That said, in this I would have to make an argument for why the left half of the frame is so important or integral...other than just being "part of what's there" (context may or may not be helpful depending). The right half is full of so many powerful elements...and when combined with left and that big clump of trees which your eye is drawn to...there is a disjunct. You could bring a graduated filter with a stop and half drop in exposure (or so) from left of frame to center as an option. Also, you might look at the image with the entire left half cropped off...and also after doing that...in black and white. The geometries of the bridge cable stays  and curving road are so substantive...and b/w might accentuate that even more. As an extreme example/possible inspiration, you might look at Kenneth Josephson's image "Chicago, 1961" of the curving rail yard tracks at night - powerful image reduced to geometry and light. I think your take generally on this area which I know well...is really great...you are getting some aspects/textures beyond what is usually captured..."the glitzy obvious". Good luck. /Brandt

Thanks for this detailed and thoughtful critique.  I much appreciate the time and effort. It may take some time but I hope to put some or all of the suggestions to use.

[marcgoldring]

I know the Zakim Bridge and took some shots of it while it was being built. It's hard to find the right position, given the array of visually confusing objects all around it. Being airborne helps! I think I would try cropping the left side - lightening it would help but I just find there's too much going on. If you were careful, you could bring attention to the striking bridge towers without losing the curving roadway. Or you could start over from a higher location!

That said, this is a really hard shot to get given the scale of the bridge and the limited vantage points.

Marco