joelmcnaryjr

Bridges

Bridges on a winter morning, Phoenixville, PA

Bridges on a winter morning, Phoenixville, PA
Read less

Canon EOS REBEL T4i

settings

Aperture f/29.0 ISO 100 Shutter 4/10

upload_date

Jan, 2014

Views

1234

Likes

+18

Awards

Action Award

Zenith Award

Creative Winter Award

Curator's Selection

Legendary Award

Thumbs Up

Superb Composition

+19

Top Choice

+15

Outstanding Creativity

+12

Absolute Masterpiece

Exceptional Contrast

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 10 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

voted

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

Graves in Morris Cemetery in Phoenixville, PA, in December 2012. The sidewalk in front of the cemetery runs about 6 feet below the ground level of th

A taste of fall, as seen from a kite flying above south-eastern Pennsylvania, October 2012

The classic yo-yo trick in the dark with a light-up yo-yo

A Coquerel's sifaka sits apart from others in its exhibit looking contemplative. Coquerel's sifaka are an endangered species of lemur native to Madag

Casemate 11 at Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia, PA

My son awake too early on a camping trip; he would much rather be sleeping.

Bar Harbor, Maine, in the morning sunrise.

A sailboat near shore as a late evening fog rolls in.

Dancers enjoy themselves at the Hogmanay Ball in Philadelphia, PA. The dance, which begins at 8:00 pm New Year's Eve and ends about 3:00 am New Year'

Walking back to camp in the early morning fog.

A 30-foot tall Phoenix burns during the annual Firebird Festival in Phoenixville, PA, in 2012. Each December, residents of the town build a large wood

Sunset in Valley Forge park with dark clouds to the south produced an interesting effect. (No post-processing filters used, although it was lightened

Bar Harbor, Maine, in the summer sunrise in August, 2014.

Guests enjoying the Bavarian Wave Rider ar Kennywood amusement park, June 2014

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken in my home town of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. I got up early on January morning after a fresh snowfall and walked downtown to bridges over the creek that cuts through town.

Time

This was taken early in the morning, about twenty minutes after sunrise. I had been taking pictures from other angles and worked my way over to the low bridge (not seen in the photo, but the one I am standing on to take this shot) in time to catch the early morning sun on the high bridge.

Lighting

I tend to find that the best time for magic light is about twenty minutes after sunrise. The light from the sun is a warm gold at this time, but it doesn't fall on the landscape equally, leading to naturally occurring highlights. This shot illustrates that; the light from the sun casts the further, higher bridge in a warm glow, but that light hasn't yet crept its way down to the lower footbridge, leaving that bridge and the creek itself with still a bit of a bluish cast to it.

Equipment

This was shot from a tripod with a Canon T4i, 18-135mm lens. It was a .4 second exposure at f/29 using an ISO rating of 100, and at a 35mm focal length. I used no other equipment for this shot.

Inspiration

This is one of the rare moments when I actually got the shot I envisioned in my head. The snow had fallen the day before, and I knew that the storm clouds were going to be gone by morning. I wanted to get the early morning sunlight on the snow and set out before sunrise to get myself in position. I worked some other views as the sun was coming up, but I knew where I wanted to be at twenty minutes after sunrise, so I made sure to be there and got this shot. I would prefer a little more snow on the branches surrounding the footbridge, as the bare branches make the scene a little too busy for my liking, but overall the shot is what I was going for.

Editing

I straightened the image and cropped it a little bit, but no significant alteration was made to the color or contrast. I do as much work as I can in the camera, but seem to have a slight tip in how I hold one (even on a tripod), leading me to adjust most of my images by 1 or 2 degrees.

In my camera bag

I focus more on lenses than boxes, so my camera box is a simple Canon T4i. I have an 18-135 mm f/3.6-5.6 as my primary, all-purpose lens. I also carry a selection of prime lenses: 50 mm f/1.4, 85 mm f/1.8, and 24 mm f/2.8. I keep a couple of speedlights in the bag as well as a mish-mash of accessories: radio triggers, cable releases, filters, etc. About half the time I also have my (economy) big glass with me: a Tamron 150-600 mm f/5-6.3. My photog vest and rain covers are always close at hand, and I make sure to have a gray card for unusual lighting conditions. My tripod straps to the outside of my bag, so I am rarely without anything I need short of studio backdrops and lighting.

Feedback

Make sure your alarm clock does not have snooze functionality and invest in Starbucks stock. Early mornings are key to shots like this, but don't be too disappointed if the light right at sunrise isn't quite as golden as you think it should be -- the warm, golden light will show. Study your maps and sunrise charts to make sure you are in the right place for your shot (apps like The Photographer's Ephemeris are great for this). Do not ignore the proper clothing for the job! In the winter, this means hats, boots, gloves, and earmuffs -- you will be outside for a significant amount of time, and you want to make sure you are comfortable and not freezing your fingers off. I found that the head tubes are great -- they can be a scarf or a complete head covering, are lightweight, and will fit under a hat.

See more amazing photos, follow joelmcnaryjr

joelmcnaryjr

joelmcnaryjr

Bridges

Bridges on a winter morning, Phoenixville, PA

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow joelmcnaryjr

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.