Bridges play an important part in the everyday life of a community and help shape the community itself. They provide a physical link uniting smaller communities, creating a larger more vibrant and diverse society. Large bridges are often at the forefront of technological developments, and the variations of the topography the bridge spans produces unique and spectacular structures, and a number of iconic bridges help to construct the character of their cities; for example, the Golden Gate in San Francisco, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, London’s Tower Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Old bridges are interesting because they encapsulate the cutting-edge technology and architectural fashion of the eras of their construction. The old stone bridge in the accompanying illustration dates back to 1823 and is the oldest bridge in Australia still in use.
The bridge is series of sandstone arches reflecting the local stone and industrial capabilities of the fledgling outpost of European settlement. Now the bridge forms the centerpiece the historic theme of the tourist-oriented village.
Building a bridge over a wide river or a deep gorge is usually major undertaking by a society; they are significant landmarks with many associated stories.
Using the bridge in photos of spectacular landscapes adds a focal point to the natural wonders. Tying to capture the size of a large river with a wide-angle lens provides an empty foreground lacking detail or interest, pushing the far riverbank into the background. Composing photographic images to include any bridges in the image helps provide a foreground interest and gives an indication of the scale of scene.
Our love of bridges extends beyond those built out of necessity. Many landscape gardeners combine bridges with water features in their designs for purely decorative purposes. This is another good photo opportunity in a city’s public gardens where the bridge and its surrounding s are designed to be visually pleasing. The plants surrounding the bridge, in and out of the water, convey some of the character and climate of the area. They may change with the season, offering a chance for a unique view of a much-photographed scene.
The popularity of bridges as subjects provides the difficulty of finding as fresh view rather than repeating the view thousands of others have already captured. On a vacation trip, time in a city may be limited and the seasonal and weather conditions have to be accepted.
The most important thing is to find the standard or cliché view of the bridge and look for alternatives. Often, travelers will choose the easiest and most obvious spot and snap away with their digital cameras. For example, the Richmond Bridge photo received an award in a photographic competition despite it being a much-captured image. The secrets were walking away from the normal spot in the car park to the other side of the river.
The weather and light were less than ideal with dull grey cloud cover. A graduated color filter added some life to the top of image and blended with the weathered look of the stone. The creative use of filters helps overcome uninteresting weather and light when, because you are travelling, opportunities are limited.
 |
 |
 |
 |
