Golden Gate Bridge

[tgtaylor]

This weekend is the 75th anniversary of the opening of one the worlds most iconic bridges - the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francsico. To mark this event the California Historical Society is offering the 140 page catalogue of its current exhibition A Wild Flight of the Imagination: The Story of the Golden Gate Bridge as a free eBook download on ITunes: http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/exhibitions/

I've been out photographing the bridge in silver, color, and as an alternative print. Here is a scan of a Van Dyke print I made last week:



However as I was setting up the dew point was being reached on the far side of the bridge and blurred the image there. I shot it anyway and a couple of minutes later the whole place fogged over. I reshot it over the weekend and that negative is hanging to dry. The structure on the far left is Fort Point, a Civil War period military fort.

Thomas

[Vaughn]

I was part of a workshop that photographed the bridge last Saturday. The results will be in a show at PhotoCentral in Hayward, opening possibly June 9th. Along with the new prints will be newly printed glass plate negatives taken during the construction -- should be a very great show! I do not know if I will be able to make any carbon prints for the show -- perhaps just platinum/palladium. I will be returning soon to make a few images with the 11x14 (not a quick drive from Humboldt County!)

I did make a couple of exposures with the 11x14 from about the same spot as your image -- using Ilford positive paper (that someone else is processing).

I set up the 8x10 on top of Fort Point in a very strong wind -- I made one exposure but made no others up there because I thought the vibration from the wind was just too much...but the neg looks very sharp (for contact printing, anyway...LOL!)

Vaughn

[tgtaylor]

I went back on Sunday with the idea of reshooting the bridge and a 2d shot with the USS Iowa and accompaning flotilla passing under the bridge. I got the first shot but rough seas outside the gate posponed the Iowa's depature until this weekend or early next week. I'm hoping for a Van Dyke of the bridge with the USS Iowa and a 2d negative for a silver print but it's going to be difficult finding a convenient parking space this weekend.

Thomas

[Vaughn]

Difficult is an understatement! Good luck capturing the Iowa!

[tgtaylor]

It's certainly one of the most photographed structures in the world and it would be interesting to see the various photographic interpretations.

Thomas

[John Kasaian]

I went back on Sunday with the idea of reshooting the bridge and a 2d shot with the USS Iowa and accompaning flotilla passing under the bridge. I got the first shot but rough seas outside the gate posponed the Iowa's depature until this weekend or early next week. I'm hoping for a Van Dyke of the bridge with the USS Iowa and a 2d negative for a silver print but it's going to be difficult finding a convenient parking space this weekend.

Thomas

Wow! That'll be an impressive sight!

[tgtaylor]

It sure will be! Sunday was perfect: no fog, no wind - perfect for a Sunday barbecue at the gate which many were doing. Perfect too for the photography that I had in mind and with a parking space less than 50 yards away. But the weather outside the gate was too rough for the Iowa and its departure was cancelled at the last minute leaving me and the Potomac, Jeremiah O'Brien, and other ships gathered and cruising the bay awaiting the Iowa waiting: http://pacificbattleship.com/page/updates But I'm monitoring the status and keeping my fingers crossed.

Thomas

[dwross]

Vaughn,

I just missed you! I was at the Bridge on Monday morning (5/14). I got these shots with homemade film. I'd love to see everyone else's images. It's amazing that one can still feel inspired by something that is so photographed. But, heck, I guess some things are iconic for a reason. It's a marvelous structure.

Denise

ps Question for anyone who is more forum literate than I am. How does one display photos full size instead of as thumbnails?

[Brian Vuillemenot]

Here's a few of my pics of the GG bridge. Happy birthday, big fella!

[Vaughn]

Denise -- your images are full size. One just clicks on the thumbnail and it gets bigger. Click on it again, and one can enlarge it to cover the screen with the whole image (with a Mac, anyway.)

The other way is to link an image from a website.