Mackinac Bridge - Michigan, USA

[Randy Stout]

This image was taken in 2014, but never processed until today.  Thought it lent itself to a black and white conversion. 

D800e, 80-400mm MkII,   230 mm f/8  1/2500s  Gitzo

Post:  Silver effects pro b&w conversion.

This bridge spans between the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan.  The wind often howls through the straits, and on this day, I was able to wait for the cloud formations to blow through to give some texture and depth to the sky. 

Certainly appreciate any input, esp. thoughts on cropping.

Cheers

Randy

[armando_m]

well, what do you want to emphasize ?
I like the ondulating line of the bridge
and the tall towers

I do not mind about the water
nor about the left side before the cables begin

I think it is a good b&w conversion

[Ron Scubadiver]

I like the shot, it has the drama of the place, and I have been there.

[Nasos Kosmas]

For some reason maybe the silver effect reminds me an old film capture, it's nice

[Frank Fremerey]

Very good documentary shot of an interesting human artifact.

[Randy Stout]

Thanks everyone.

Armando, an excellent question about what I want to emphasize.  I was after the length, distant shore, soaring towers, and scale.  Thought the tiny appearing cars helped with the latter.  I took many other shots, some closer to the long axis of the bridge, but then the towers overlapped, which I didn't like as much.

I am in that area several times a summer, and will try some additional takes. 

I did process it to reflect the bright day, which it was, the stone work was almost glowing.

Any cropping thoughts?  I have a bit more on the right side, of the distant shore.

Cheers

Randy

[Akira]

Randy, I don't think you would need to crop the image any further.  The space on the right works nicely for the effect of the end of the bridge fading into the distant landscape nicely.

I rather may want to raise the contrast a wee-bit to enhance the beautiful curvature of the bridge Armando pointed out.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

After having looked at this image several times, and tried to digest the impression it makes, I am as confused as in the beginning. This to me signals an approach with a flair of being  'indecisive' or 'hedging all bets'. As a viewer, I am left without a focal (sic) point. Is the bridge itself as a structure the main point of interest, or it is the way it (literally) bridges a sound, or is it to show the scale and grandeur of a man-made structure? All of these approaches are of course equally valid, but not all at the same time in a single photo. Another way of putting this is to state there are 'photos within the photo'. I can clearly see the multiple possibilities of the scenery, but then this is not my picture and it is questionable to impose any specific interpretation on an artist.

My best recommendation is to try again, after clarifying the intent and purpose of what you wish to communicate to a wider audience. Perhaps the  better approach is making a series with the bridge as a main theme?

[Randy Stout]

Thanks for the additional comments!
 Bjorn, I do have some other images from that day, and will "revisit" them to see if I can narrow my 'focus' a bit! 
It is such a magnificent structure, I think I wanted to be all inclusive, showing a variety of its characteristics in one image, but perhaps that came at the cost of a diffuse 'message'

All the input is much appreciated!

Randy

[Woodley Willie]

To me the photo is a slightly unbalanced mixture of the sublime and the mundane.  I think the suspension part of the bridge is sublime, and the trestle section is mundane.  How would one recompose this...no idea.  The part of the photo I like, I really like as I have a fondness for bridges, and have been on a crew that has built several small ones.

[Randy Stout]

Presented for your assessment is a recrop, to remove the 'mundane' and highlight the sublime, using Bill's terminology.

Let me know if you feel this focuses the image a bit more!

Cheers

Randy

[Hugh_3170]

This crop improves the image for my tastes, but I would knock a good 15 to 20% off the right/far away side of the image, as I find that it is distracting from the central topic - the bridge.

[Randy Stout]

Hugh:

Thanks for your input.  I left the room on the right to allow a visual continuation of the lines from the lower bridge structure and the virtual line from the tops of the towers towards that corner.  Perhaps unsuccessfully!

Cheers

Randy

[HCS]

To further focus the image, have you tried a vertical crop?

[Thomas G]

I have a feeling that the viewpoint is a compromise and the architecture of the bridge is not working out per se.
The structure on the left is too meaty compared to the curved and leaner main bridge.

There fore I would only crop to improve the documentary character and show the ambivalent architectural aspect.
Thinking of repeating the take I'd move the photographer position to the left until I'd get crossing lines and midlines in improved relation.
That'l improve on the far an of the bridge as well.

May I?
1 -
Loading this crop into 'crop & straighten' in LR and playing with the crop guides overlay (press 'o' and 'shift o') will easily unveil the geometric ideas used.
(certain guides will point to different visual elements)

2 -
In my eyes picking up the shadow casted by the bridge helps improving again. Just guide the shadow to the down left corner.
Result: less front space, less emptyness on the right and fahr background right.

Both versions have been rotated left by about 0.6°.