Rangefinder Magazine
June 2005

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Self-Assignment: A Bridge for All Seasons by Peter Skinner
Extracting the Most From an Environment

We all get the urge to do self-assignments, and while they often take shape in the mind’s eye, the evolutionary process can grind to a halt unless we go the extra step and make it happen.

That can be done quite simply: Pick a subject, throw your camera gear in a bag, head out, and start shooting. Or it can be more complex: Pick the subject, research it, determine the best season, weather conditions, time of day, and vantage points—and then throw your camera gear in a bag, head out, and start shooting.

However, a self-assignment becomes more focused if you choose a single subject and set about exploiting its full pictorial potential. This is where you can really try to extract the most from an environment.

A definite advantage to selecting one subject to work with, as distinct from going exploring and shooting many subjects (which is also an excellent thing to do), is the essential requirement of visualizing and planning. Something like a bridge, building, landscape, or even a tree, is akin to a person: The better you know the subject, the more possibilities are likely to arise.

How often have you been heading somewhere and seen a something that would make a classic photograph? “I’ll come back and shoot that some time,” you say, making a mental note, which is promptly misfiled somewhere in your brain. And the classic photograph—the one you never made—might remain etched in your memory, but it doesn’t get photographed.

Invariably, we are so caught up in the business of business that making photographs for the sheer pleasure of it, or for keeping the eye in training, is not a priority. But doing those “visual push-ups,” as Jay Maisel describes them, is important—and it’s fun.

One way I’ve learned to exercise the eye is to choose a subject with a variety of elements—a complex environment perhaps—and over time try to exhaust the photographic possibilities of that environment. This is not a unique idea, far from it. New York photographer Peter B. Kaplan made the Statue of Liberty a photographic target and using a variety of innovative techniques created images of Liberty not seen before.

Of course not everyone lives in or near New York and has an icon like the Statue of Liberty to work with. But for the purpose of a self-assignment aimed at extracting the most from a subject, you don’t need a famous landmark. What you need is a subject that offers a variety of photographic possibilities —whether a building, a location, or an object with character and charm. It’s your choice. The key is to select something you enjoy working with: a subject you can admire whether looking at it through a camera lens or merely observing for future ideas.

And having a subject close to home is also a definite advantage. I chose Washington State’s Deception Pass Bridge, which connects Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands, spanning a relatively narrow channel between the two. Enormous volumes of water race through the pass as nearby Skagit Bay either fills from the Strait of Juan de Fuca or empties into it. This dramatic movement of tidal waters is the subject of probably millions of photographs taken by tourists who gaze in awe, and probably a degree of fear, at the current some 160 feet below.

The bridge poses a wonderful subject from virtually any angle and under almost any weather conditions. A “bridge for all seasons” is an apt title for this steel span, which during an average year sees every kind of weather from the calm, sunny days of summer to the blustery wind and rain, ice and snow of fall and winter. And dense fog can swirl around it at any time. Two popular times for photographers are twice a year, for a period of about two weeks, when the sun sets directly behind the bridge. Various locations inside the bay provide photographers with vantage points to shoot the setting sun silhouetting the steel structure. This is a favorite shot for local photographers, but unless you live in the area and have quick and easy access, the chances of being in the right place at the right time under ideal conditions are slim.

A major factor about this type of self-assignment is that it can vary in length and intensity. It doesn’t have to be a long-term undertaking, nor does it require around-the-clock dedication for a few days. Set the pace you feel comfortable with. Ernst Haas’ book The Creation evolved over years, and the portfolio of photographs that eventually constituted this epic work was not made with this goal in mind. It just happened.

And most of the photographs in The Creation resulted from Haas’ doing what he loved best—making photographs for himself. He didn’t set out to create the portfolio—over many years it happened. That’s evolution.

During the course of photographing the Deception Pass Bridge I looked for different possibilities. Obviously the classic sun behind the bridge shot was a must—and one I never tired of making. No two sunsets are the same and the expanse of water in the foreground also changed constantly. At times the water burned red, colored by the setting sun; on other occasions it was a burnished bronze.

Boats also enhanced—or in some cases detracted from—the scene. And the sky behind the bridge was rarely the same for two consecutive days. All these elements changed the character of what was essentially the same scene. The dominant, and constant, element was the bridge itself. At times I included traffic. Large trucks or buses were better vehicular subjects because cars tended to get lost behind the railings. Even people, though minuscule, contributed scale to some images.

From this vantage spot, probably a mile or so from the bridge, longer lenses worked best, creating more dramatic results with facets of the picture, especially the giant sun, stacked up nicely. A long lens in the 300–400mm range, perhaps on occasion teamed with a 1.4X tele-extender or even a 2X extender is ideal for most shots from my preferred location. With such long lenses rock-fast stability is essential and a sturdy tripod is a must. I used lenses ranging from 300mm down to wide angle, depending on location, perspective, and desired result.

Selective composition was essential mainly because power lines crossing Deception Pass get in the way. Occasionally power lines can add to a picture, but usually they are a nuisance. Depending on your subject, look carefully for potential distractions.

While the setting sun shot is the most obvious, and favorite, it can only be made at two times a year—as the summer sun moves north and then heads south again for winter. So I made a list of other possible scenes and continually added to this list.

Weather conditions offer an array of different looks, and the bridge can change its character from bright and sunny to cold, moody, maybe even sinister, when it’s swathed in swirling fog. I’ve seen it enveloped in fog at one end and basking in sunshine at the other. Thick fog can hide it completely, parting briefly to expose sections of the structure and then closing up again.

By knowing the bridge well—and I admit I have much to learn about it—I can plan a shooting session fairly easily. But the unexpected can happen—such as sea fog swirling in and out unexpectedly—and often those circumstances produce the best images.

My point is this: To make the most of a photographic environment, I suggest you shoot under as many different lighting conditions as possible. Be prepared to edit out many pictures, but you’ll probably also be surprised by good pictures made under mundane conditions. You might not get great shots every time, but if you don’t go and shoot, you’ll never get anything. One way to exploit the photographic potential of a subject is to vary viewpoint and focal lengths. Shoot from a long way with telephoto lenses to get that unique “long lens look,” or move in close with a wide angle. Or get in even tighter with macro lenses. Every time I look at the bridge, I think of another picture possibility. It’s just a matter of getting out there and doing it.

What film to use? That’s also your choice, depending on what you’re photographing—its color, shape and texture—and the lighting conditions. Some of my best images of my “bridge for all seasons” were on Kodak Ektachrome EPP 100, Kodachrome 64, and Fujichrome 50. Let’s face it: When the sun is setting and sky is a brilliant hue, most any film will work.

And if you’re shooting digitally, the choices are again as varied as your subject matter. Choice of film speed, white-balance settings and exposure are all a matter of aesthetic preference.

My advice: Pick your subject and go out and do those visual push-ups. Make the pictures for yourself. Eventually they might even sell, even though that’s not the prime goal. And, who knows, there’s always the possibility your self-assignment could lead to a fulfilled project like Ernst Haas’ The Creation.

Freelance writer/photographer and author Peter Skinner has more than 22 years experience in the photo industry in public relations, media liaison, corporate communications and workshop production and coordination. His magazine articles and photography have been published internationally and he has co-authored and edited numerous publications and books. He recently collaborated with the late Don Blair on The Art of Seeing Light (Amherst Media). He can be reached at: prsskinner@bigpond.com.