Copyright ©2011-2015 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
It’s “THEME” week over on Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness 2. The Theme is Bridges.
I pulled this image out of my archives because I didn’t think I’d have enough time to shoot a bridge over the week-end and get it to Leanne on time for today’s posting. I’m glad I thought ahead!
I made this image back in 2011 when He-Man was competing in a 100 mile Bicycle Road Race (a Century). Myself and 3 friends went up with him to Turtle Bay, Redding, CA. USA to photograph the area, and waterfalls. At the end of the day we found ourselves back at Turtle Bay for sunset. This image was taken just before the sun went down.
Nikon D300s| AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm| Lexar Professional Digital Film| Tripod| Cable Release
For the Historians:
The Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay crosses the Sacramento River in the heart of Redding, California. Opened July 4, 2004, the bridge links the north and south campuses of Turtle Bay Exploration Park and serves as a new downtown entrance for Redding’s extensive Sacramento River Trail system.
The bridge celebrates human creativity and ingenuity, important themes of the 300 acre Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The steel, glass, and granite span evokes a sense of weightlessness and the translucent, non-skid decking provides for spectacular viewing at night. The bridge is also environmentally sensitive to its river setting. The tall pylon and cable stays allow the bridge to avoid the nearby salmon-spawning habitat there are no supports in the water while encouraging public appreciation for the river. Plazas are situated at both ends of the bridge for public use; the north-side plaza stretches to the water allowing patrons to sit at the river’s edge.
In addition to being a functional work of art, the Sundial Bridge is a technical marvel as well. The cable-stayed structure has an inclined, 217 foot pylon constructed of 580 tons of steel. The deck is made up of 200 tons of glass and granite and is supported by more than 4,300 feet of cable. The structure is stabilized by a steel truss, and rests on a foundation of more than 115 tons of steel and 1,900 cubic yards of concrete. The McConnell Foundation, a private, independent foundation established in Redding in 1964, funded the majority of the bridge’s $23 million cost.
World renowned Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava conceived the Sundial Bridge’s unusual design, his first free-standing bridge in the United States. Calatrava has built bridges, airports, rail terminals, stadiums, and other structures around the world. His notable designs include the new PATH transportation terminal at the World Trade Center site in New York City and several projects at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, including the main stadium where opening and closing ceremonies were held.
~Turtle Bay Exploration Park
FWIW- He-Man finished the ride earlier than we expected, so he had a yummy BBQ lunch the race organizers put on for the riders and gabbed with other riders while we finished up. We met up with him for sunset. He-Man and I stayed for hours. There was an astronomy night sky group there that night with telescopes to view the stars, and planets that He-Man enjoyed while I was down on the beach photographing “Blue Period”. That image is here.
There are bridges from all over the world being posted this week on MM2. If you have time click over to Leanne’s MM2 page to view them.
More to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Such an elegant photo. I recognized the design of the bridge immediately~his work is so distinctive. I didn’t know about this park or bridge, though. Thank you for sharing about it. Very interesting.
Thank u out so much Melissa!
Wow! That’s really cool that your recognized his work! I hope to achieve that one day…people know that it’s my photograph by it’s look. I’m sure you feel the same about your paintings.
I am seeing the patterns of your strokes, and the colors you use and I think I’m close to being able to say, “oh, that a Melissa blue fine art paint!” If I see one in the field.
For me that’s something that takes quite a bit of study! Did you study his work?
That is an interesting consideration, isn’t it? For a photographer I think it would come down to a particular point of view that would come through regardless of subject, a way of seeing, a way of showing that reveals a thought. I don’t actually aspire to that, to tell you the truth. I just dive in. Our uniqueness will inevitably come out of that, perhaps. My exposure to his architecture was when he designed a new wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum. It has that distinctive soaring structure that on the bridge creates stability. On the museum it looks like a sail, thrusting out over the lake. I believe it can open up, creating shade inside the museum. Pretty cool, huh?
Your work is really wonderful. Your skills are very strong…I don’t always get a sense that you trust yourself. Forgive me if I am over-stepping.
🙂 No worries! You’re right I am not very strong with composition, and “seeing”, and I show it, and talk about it. I’m improving, but it’s going to take a lifetime of working it to get it to be second nature. I really envy those of you that have the talent/gift of composing a scene on paper/canvas.
You are a lot stronger with composition than you think you are, my friend 🙂
Oh, thank you Melissa! I need that confidence booster!
This is an amazing shot! I bet it’s awe-inspiring in person. 💛
Thank you so much Laura! It’s quite something this bridge. Walking the glass deck is really neat.
This is a beautiful phot (and bridge). I really like bridges, so thanks for the link to other photos.
Thank you so much Dan!
Such a neat bridge! Love the history addition to the post 🙂
Thank you so much Nicole!