Covered Bridges of Perry County Pa. U.S.A.

*Bokehboy* · 08-05-2009, 05:13 PM

These are some of the first shots of covered bridges around my home in Perry County Pennsylvania. Weather conditions were hot, hazy and overcast. Lighting is late afternoon to late evening, almost dark. Lens was a SMC Pentax 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL Used a U.V. filter but perhaps a Skylight or Polarized would be better?
I am finding out just how difficult these bridges can be to shoot mainly due to their coloration and their elevation above the high water marks of the streams. I am trying to keep the details of the sky from being blown out though as I mentioned this was a solid overcast day. I may shoot again with my Vivitar F2.8 135mm and Pentax-A SMC 1:2 50mm Prime
I will also be shooting them in the fall and winter. I appreciate any critique and tips.

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

Some of them there is no way to get an uncluttered shot. I am going to have to ask the land owners for permission to be on their property. The last shot is a good example, Saville Bridge, the background clutter some of these have.

These have had very minimal PP done to them. They are basically a RAW file.

*panoguy* · 08-05-2009, 06:30 PM

Nice series, Eric. Glad you got out!

#10 is the clear winner (Mt. Pleasant Bridge), mainly because of the little hint of fading sunlight along the inside, and the (uncluttered) composition. A little post-processing to bring out the colors or emphasize the wood would be great.

As far as the haze, there isn't much you can do with filters for that (even "haze" filters) but you seem to be pretty close to your subjects, so it really is only a background issue and might even help. Overcast is okay lighting as well, if you pump up the reds later on.

And I know it's not always there, but having a good foreground (even OOF) element like some leaves framing the shot or a sign for the bridge, or even a stretch of road from a very low (hunched over?) perspective can emphasize these structures. Choice of lens can help too (wide?)

That said, I've never shot covered bridges, and I'm kinda jealous as you seem to have a plethora of subjects!

-Mark

**Damn Brit** · 08-05-2009, 06:36 PM

Nice set of documentary footage Eric. I think the ones where you can see all the way through and the ones from the side work best.
I'm sure at least a couple of them would look great with a B&W conversion.
Are any of them illuminated at night? That could look quite cool.

*Bokehboy* · 08-05-2009, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by panoguy

Nice series, Eric. Glad you got out!

#10 is the clear winner (Mt. Pleasant Bridge), mainly because of the little hint of fading sunlight along the inside, and the (uncluttered) composition. A little post-processing to bring out the colors or emphasize the wood would be great.

As far as the haze, there isn't much you can do with filters for that (even "haze" filters) but you seem to be pretty close to your subjects, so it really is only a background issue and might even help. Overcast is okay lighting as well, if you pump up the reds later on.

And I know it's not always there, but having a good foreground (even OOF) element like some leaves framing the shot or a sign for the bridge, or even a stretch of road from a very low (hunched over?) perspective can emphasize these structures. Choice of lens can help too (wide?)

That said, I've never shot covered bridges, and I'm kinda jealous as you seem to have a plethora of subjects!

-Mark

Thanks mark. Mt. Pleasant, Clay's and Saville bridges did get a little break in the overcast. I also like the play of light and shadow on the Mt. Pleasant shot. Really adds texture and depth to the shot.

We have 15 covered bridges in our county. Ties us for 4th most in the state. We live very close to Harrisburg, Hershey and Gettysburg is nearby. Come on down anytime. Be glad to show you around.

*Bokehboy* · 08-05-2009, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

Nice set of documentary footage Eric. I think the ones where you can see all the way through and the ones from the side work best.
I'm sure at least a couple of them would look great with a B&W conversion.
Are any of them illuminated at night? That could look quite cool.

Thanks Gary. I did not see any light fixtures in any of them but I will find out for certain as I did not look very closely. Night time illumination of them would be really cool! I agree about being able to see through them and the side shots. Adds lots of depth to the shot. Black and white will be cool and should be outstanding if I shoot them again with snow on the ground. Feel free to play with them if you want to.

*Bokehboy* · 08-05-2009, 06:54 PM

I am not real pleased with the sharpness of the images posted here but that is degradation from the upload with Photobucket. No fault of our site. They look sharp on my monitor and it's HD.

**Damn Brit** · 08-05-2009, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Bokehboy

I am not real pleased with the sharpness of the images posted here but that is degradation from the upload with Photobucket. No fault of our site. They look sharp on my monitor and it's HD.

Try resizing them before you download Eric and make sure you are using sRGB color space.

**Damn Brit** · 08-05-2009, 07:09 PM

I tried a couple quickly, the red on the more recently painted ones doesn't convert too well.

*Wildnsyko* · 08-05-2009, 08:40 PM

All in alphabetical order... nice!! Do you have a list of all the ones in PA? We went to one up in Northwestern PA. I can't remember what it was called, I have to go back and look for the pics. Got it, McConnell's Mill, back in 2005. Neat State Park area.

Now that first one is really RED! Kind of bright. Hey Gary, how can you tone down that bright of a color?

**Damn Brit** · 08-05-2009, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Wildnsyko

Now that first one is really RED! Kind of bright. Hey Gary, how can you tone down that bright of a color?

That's tough and beyond me without a lot of work I think. If you look at the first shot where it joins the wall, it almost looks like two images photoshopped together.

*Bokehboy* · 08-06-2009, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Wildnsyko

All in alphabetical order... nice!! Do you have a list of all the ones in PA? We went to one up in Northwestern PA. I can't remember what it was called, I have to go back and look for the pics. Got it, McConnell's Mill, back in 2005. Neat State Park area.

Now that first one is really RED! Kind of bright. Hey Gary, how can you tone down that bright of a color?

I was born and raised in a town called Grove City about twenty miles from McConnells Mill. Here is a link:

Pennsylvania State Parks - McConnells Mill - PA DCNR

I actually stepped the red down just a tad on those. These bridges are a very bright red! That's what made getting the correct exposure without loosing other details so tough.

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

That's tough and beyond me without a lot of work I think. If you look at the first shot where it joins the wall, it almost looks like two images photoshopped together.

Nice B&W's Gary. No photo shopping done on the bridges though I did clone out some wires in the sky behind the Adair's Bridge. Adair's Bridge was built in 1864, reinforced with steel I-Beams in 1919, is 150 feet long and is a Burr Arch Truss design. 14' 3" wide and interior height is 11' 4" tall.

Shot number 5 shows the Burr Arch Truss design from the interior of Clay's Bridge. Bridges of this truss design once spanned the more than 1 mile wide Susquehanna River. They would actually have been multiple spans on piers joined together under a continuous roof.

**Damn Brit** · 08-06-2009, 04:14 PM

What's the thinking and history behind covered bridges, any idea?

*Bokehboy* · 08-06-2009, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

What's the thinking and history behind covered bridges, any idea?

Perry County, Pa Covered Bridges Trail guide book quotes Author Eric Sloane in his book "American Barns and Covered Bridges" the following:

Why were bridges covered?
1. to keep water out of the joints where it might freeze in winter or rot in summer.

2. To keep the roadway dry because the planking was oiled-slippery when wet when it rained.

3. To strengthen the structure, making the bridge more solid.

4. To give the bridge a barn-like appearance. Farm animals do not like crossing over rushing water.

5. to keep the bridge from drying out during hot weather. The joints would loosen, creak and sag.

6. To keep snow off however, lots of ties the toll keeper had to pave the inside with snow so that sleds could go through.

I am going to get this book:

Amazon.com: American Barns and Covered Bridges (Americana) (9780486425610): Eric Sloane: Books

*Wildnsyko* · 08-06-2009, 05:52 PM

We lived in Elwood City for about 6 months before moving here. Hubby had his heart attack there and was treated at the VA hospital in Butler.