Bridge and Tunnel - Reflections on the first week of 52

Here is the description of the first theme:

If you mention “bridge” and “tunnel” in the same sentence to a Windsorite, especially throwing in the definite article ‘the’ before either word, there will be little doubt as to what you are referring to. It is written all over town – Bridge Street, the now retired lights of the Tunnel BBQ. However, now is your chance to be creative and expand your appreciation of those feats of engineering we use to span such things as streams, railways, trolls, and roads – or delve beneath streams, railways, trolls, and roads. Here is your opportunity to celebrate anything from the lowly single plank of barn board spanning a shallow ditch in the County, to the majestic two pieces of barn board strapped together and spanning an even deeper ditch (and beyond), with the lens of your camera and your love of all bridges in tunnels in our fair city / county.

I had no expectation for this week, largely because this is my first time doing this, and it being the first theme. One scenario was that every one of the 29 challengers would submit a shot of a piece of barn board across a ditch in the county with some person in a troll costume underneath. The next scenario,  there would be one person flooding the "system" with Ambassador Bridge shots. Extreme thoughts maybe, but at least it makes the blog post a little more exciting.

 Kate Klinck Photography

In reality Week One was closer to the second scenario, and yet I couldn't be more pleased with the participation. It being the most photogenic of the bridges of Essex County, the great blue behemoth that does so much to define who we are as Windsorites / Essexians (?), draws photographs like moths to a giant blue candle. There were some beautiful shots, details and creative viewpoints and weather that sunk steel and concrete into a strong mist.

 Bridge (1-52) by Lupita Amaya G.

Honourable mentions were a shot of a tunnel, lights marching into a winter scene and sky, tunneling through the snow (braving the cold), and - ahem - my own shot that captured a figure working beside a train under a bridge. I had considered this ravine previously, knowing several bridges spanned its steep depths. Those precarious sides, snow covered and treacherous, really called into question my dedication to getting the shot I had originally considered. Fortunately I was able to zoom from one bridge to the other, and capture a moment when two figures - strange to each other - were caught with the stationary train, dormant in the snow. Many of the other shots I took showed how busy the bridge was with automobile traffic, but I liked the one that appeared a bit slower, a bit more human.

 Christian Kuong

 Bridge and Tunnel by Me

I am really looking forward to the next fifty-one weeks, embracing the motivation to really devote myself to creating a decent shot every week. I also look forward to the contributions of my fellow challengers and hope it provides some inspiration for creative expression. Happy shooting!