golden gate
Apr, 2013Views
277
Likes
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Exceptional Contrast
Jaw Dropping
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 20 rank month 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in San Francisco beside the Golden Gate bridge. Although I'm based in the UK, I love to travel and my camera is never far away!Time
This was taken on a cold, foggy, rainy afternoon. I remember that we'd spent all day seeing the sights with family there and the bridge was actually a bit of an afterthought.Lighting
Initially I was quite upset to not have beautiful natural sunlight and to have all the fog obscuring my view but in the end I used it to allow the bridge to fade off into the distance and create a sense of mystery and the unknown. It was nice to not have a generic picture and to have to think outside the box a bitEquipment
This was actually shot on my old bridge camera - a Fujifilm HS10 - back when I'd first started. It goes to show that it's less about the equipment you use as it is about how you use it. I'm sure that with better equipment I would have found other solutions however in this case my camera's limitations in the low light were one of the things that pushed me to create this image as it is.Inspiration
I just wanted something different. Pictures of the Golden Gate bridge are everywhere and I didn't want mine to be just like every other. I also wanted to do the best I could with the conditions available to me at the time.Editing
Other than a little straightening and a crop there is very little editing in the photo. I did boost the contrast slightly and tweaked the colour balance to get the red bridge cords to stand out better and to help with the mystery (I wanted it off white) but that is all.In my camera bag
Nowadays, I usually have my Olympus EM10 with the 60mm Macro and the 12-50mm kit lens. I do also have a 75-300mm zoom but this only comes out for wildlife and is accompanied by my tripod.Feedback
To get a similar photo, try and get into an unusual position on the bridge, right beside the suspension cables in this case, and simply look up. Use the weather to your advantage and try to use the parallel lines and the shapes that you can see wherever possible, remember, every bridge is different. A high f number can help keep it all in focus and if you can shoot RAW it will give you a lot more freedom in post processing. Also, please remember to stay safe. Many bridges have cars crossing them so don't step out on the road, climb any fences or anything like that. No photo is worth risking your safety or the safety of others.
