The Forth Bridges just after sunrise

[Donald]

Up and out on the road nice and early this morning.

These are the two bridges that cross the River Forth at Queensferry. The city of Edinburgh is just 8 miles from the bridges, off to the right hand side. Furthest away is the 19th century rail bridge. Another of my images of it is here. Then nearer to us is the road bridge, opened in the mid-1960s. Prior to the bridge being built there was a car ferry where the bridge now is.

This is a scene that will change dramatically over the next 4 years. Nearer to where I am standing, a 2nd road bridge will be opened in 2016. All the approach road construction is currently underway.

The land on the left is part of what was the Royal Navy's Rosyth Dockyard. It is now the home for Britain's defunct nuclear subs (or as we say here - That's where they're being left to rust away).

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcomed.



40D, Sigma 120-400 F4.5-5.6 APO DG OS @159mm. ISO 100. 1/90@f11. 2-Stop GND.
2sec delay c/w Mirror Lock-up. Cable release

[PBelarge]

Donald
This is an interesting image. I may be wrong, but it seems that the upper dark clouds caught your interest, along with the other clouds. Creating a neat lighting scene with the bridge well lit and the dark clouds. The juxtaposition of each bridge helps bring the interest level up as well. I am curious as to why/how you picked this vantage point for the angle of the shoot?
I am also interested in your thoughts of possibly darkening/contrast to the clouds would work?

[Donald]

Pierre - Thank you for commenting.

This is an interesting image. I may be wrong, but it seems that the upper dark clouds caught your interest, along with the other clouds. Creating a neat lighting scene with the bridge well lit and the dark clouds.

You are quite correct. It was the light and the different clouds in the sky that primarily attracted me to the shot

The juxtaposition of each bridge helps bring the interest level up as well. I am curious as to why/how you picked this vantage point for the angle of the shoot?

There are not many locations, other than actually being on a boat on the water, where you can get the two bridges together like this. There are many images taken up close to one or other bridge where one can be seen behind the other. My own image linked above is an example of this.

Normally such a shot would not be an option from the location in which I was. I did not travel there specifically for this shot. But the light worked (well, I think it worked) and made the shot possible.

I should note that the shot I did travel for is, so far, not working as I had hoped.

I am also interested in your thoughts of possibly darkening/contrast to the clouds would work?

During post-processing I did play with significantly darkening up the upper clouds so that did, in fact, disappear completely to black. It made for an interesting image, but not the image I had envisaged when I captured the shot. So, I have remained with my original visualisation of the final image.

Similarly, it would be possible to increase the contrast. However, that would then not be the image that I saw and would not be, for me, an appropriate interpretation of the scene as it appeared to me. I hope/feel that the image contains a sense, or mood, of a very quiet and calm early morning.

[Daisy Mae]

Beautiful lines and angles...lovely dark lead in from Rosyth. A great bit of mist going on out there.

Only thing am unsure of is the dark sort of bleed in the upper third and much prefer the shot once I have scrolled down past it.... but what the heck do I know!

(Well done for making Rosyth look attractive,,,that's medal worth in itself!)

[PBelarge]

I had a funny feeling the access was somewhat limited. With your eye for detail and composition, and your ability to see what you are actually trying to capture, I guessed you were limited.