15 April 2013
Lens:

Chesapeake City Bridge, iPhone 4s, April 2013; © Sally W. Donatello and Lens and Pens by Sally, 2013
Pens:
Last month Gracie (http://graciebinoya.com), Polly (http://watchingthephotoreels.com) and I began an iPhoneography Monday Challenge. If you’d like to join the fun, please click here for details. This week’s theme is black-and-white, which has become more and more part of my aesthetic palette.
I’ve written several times about the monochrome–that image that freezes time in black and white. While the reality of what we see is full-bodied natural colors and technicolor, the monochrome brings a presence that can literally move the heart and soul in surprising waves.
I am particularly intrigued by architectural design. To engineer the construction of a bridge is a human feat of grandeur. Because architectural features often stir my sensibilities and synapses, a bridge connects me more than from one side to the other. It allows me to ponder human ingenuity.
Bridges are well suited to black and white. With the right lighting nuances of design can be emphasized. Or structural features recorded. Or expanse can be stopped in time. Or girth can be panned. Many bridges have such simplicity that smaller parts are as exacting as the whole.
Where I live on the East Coast a number of bridges move across wide canals and bays. They are meaningful achievements, and a handful cross the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
In the Lens section is a shot taken on a clear-skied morning heading south through Maryland. The Chesapeake City Bridge was built in 1949, and is a sweetly-topped expansion. It also crosses the C and D Canal, and could not be more sleek and quietly simple. But there is also a charm that can be stilled.
I’m so enamored with these human creations that I’ve been working on a Bridge Series. Obviously, bridges are better suited to be photographed with my Nikon DSLR, which is usually what I use for these behemoths. I must confess that I charged my battery, and then neglected to put it back in the camera.
So the above image is an experiment with the iPhone’s ability to take such structures. It’s also an experiment to honor the bridge in the monochrome.
Check this entries for today’s challenge:
http://watchingthephotoreels.com/2013/04/15/a-black-and-white-feast/
http://ohmsweetohmdotme.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-white/#comments
http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphonography-monday-black-and-white-2/
http://graciebinoya.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-white
http://simplylifestuff.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-challenge-bw/
http://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-challenge-black-and-white-photography
http://acrossthebored.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-and-white
http://rfljenksy.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-white
http://charmingchris.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-challenge
http://savvydesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/black-white
http://angelinem.wordpress.com
http://nwframeofmind.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-and-white/
http://movethechair.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/in-black-and-white
Note: As always I welcome comments about this post or any part of my blog. For additional posts about my leanings toward black-and-white, click here and here. To see photographs from a stroll across San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, click here. The following is a reminder of the weekly schedule and themes for upcoming challenges.
1st Monday: Nature
2nd Monday: Macro
3rd Monday: Black-and-White
4th and 5th Mondays: Challenger’s Choice (Pick One: Abstraction, Architecture, Food Photography, Night Photography, Portraiture, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel).
Pingback: Railroads and Bridges | Life Inspired Photography ~ Blog
Thanks for the Pingback.
Just joined. I have been looking for IPhoneography, iPodography challenges. Happy to hook on. I am 90% on my iPod, shooting, editing, posting, editing. There are a couple of glitches on the WordPress App that I have to use my computer to correct.
I want to begin my first post with this entry: Waiting for the Weekly iPhoneograph: B&W
http://blogagaini.wordpress.com/2013/04/20/mothers/
Welcome, I’m so pleased to have you in the challenge, and welcome to the blogging community.
Pingback: Railroads and Bridges | Jessie Jeanine
Thank you so much for the Pingback.
There is something irresistibly beautiful and mysterious about black and white images. Today, you have me hooked again. Love it!
I am a devotee of the monochrome. One of the reasons is that it draws you into the nuances of the subject. Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love your post about bridges.
Rosemarie, thanks, they are fascinating human creations.
Thanks so much for the opportunity. http://angelinem.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-and-white-3/
It’s fun to build an iPhoneography community.
Pingback: iPhoneography Monday; Black and White | AngelineM's Blog
Angeline, thanks for the Pingback.
Bridges are fascinating. I am looking forward to your bridge series.
Thanks, bridges are mesmerizing human innovations.
This is my first time participating in your iPhone challenge and my first black and white photo. Help is welcome. 🙂 I love your bridge shot and look forward to seeing more.
http://nwframeofmind.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-and-white/
Welcome, I’m pleased that you join us.
Pingback: iPhoneography Monday: Black and White | Northwest Frame of Mind
Thanks for the Pingback.
thank you for the Black & white Challenge Sally! Not my usual terrain and enjoyed the needed publishing to get my pictures in duotone 🙂 Here’s my link: http://wp.me/p3galV-vW
Happy iPhoneography Monday.
Pingback: iPhoneography Challenge: black and white photography | Zimmerbitch: age is just a (biggish) number
Happy Black-and-White Monday.
Looking forward to more of your bridges – please have a look at
http://acrossthebored.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-and-white/
Thank you, will be posting them over next few weeks.
Pingback: iPhoneography Monday: Black and White | Across the Bored
Happy iPhoneography Monday.
Very nice contrast, Sally! Happy Monday!
Thank you, enjoy the week.
Lovely shot. I love when black and white is the theme! http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphonography-monday-black-and-white-2/
Thanks, I agree. I am a huge devotee to the monochrome.
Pingback: iPhonography Monday: Black and White | A year in the Life
Happy iPhoneography Monday.
I am a first timer to this challenge and here is my photo for this week’s challenge:
http://simplylifestuff.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-challenge-bw/
Welcome, hope that you enjoyed this week’s theme.
Pingback: iPhoneography Monday: Black & White | Frames & Focus
Happy Black-and-White iPhoneography Monday.
Here is my entry for this week’s challenge:
http://ohmsweetohmdotme.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/iphoneography-monday-black-white/
Happy iPhoneography Monday.
P.S. I cannot wait to see all your bridges 🙂 I started a series of highway bridges but I need to expand my travels so I have more subjects 🙂
I put the link to the Golden Gate Bridge in the Note section. I’ll post some others soon. Thanks.
Architectural design intrigues me too!! I took an art history course on architecture and I still think about it every time I view a piece of architecture. Beautiful B&W photo!! Great words and work 🙂
Polly, thanks, I continue to enjoy this challenge that pushes me to see the world with technology by my side.