Climbing “Below the Bridge” to Capture This Photograph Was Worth It

Mark / Black & White / / 0 Comments / Like this

In the St.Louis region we do not get snow with any frequency or consistency. Unlike living up north, it is a special occurrence when it happens and I usually try to find a way to photographically take advantage of the opportunity. In one of those special mornings, I went out driving around the Illinois side of the St.Louis area exploring for places to shoot. In the area of Lebanon, Illinois I passed over a highway bridge located close to a railroad bridge. I pulled over and made my way under the highway bridge, and through a significant amount of mud, I line up this photograph just right. By the time I got back to my car, I was covered in mud from slipping and sliding and drudging through it all.

In the early morning after a fresh snowfall, the snow remains on each individual branch but only for a short time. Soon after it melts quickly and completely changes the overall image of the landscape. The contrast of the branches in black & white with the white snow gives an added depth to the branches into the proceeding distance. The stillness of the creek water also gives a sheer glass appearance. This is one of my most popular photographs and is easily my wife’s favorite as well. I love this photograph because it is a constant reminder that struggling to a location to get that one photograph you can only envision in your mind can so be worth it, because once you’ve got it, its yours and moments like that never last long.

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