The Bridge of Sighs, Cambridge Photo

Photographer’s Note

Bridge of Sighs, St John's College, 1831

Probably Cambridge's best known bridge, designed by Henry Hutchinson and based on the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, although the only similarity is that they are covered.

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Critiques | Translate

Silvio1953 (41761) 2009-08-24 12:54

Ciao Bridget, lovely romantic composition with splendid bridge, wonderful insert of little boat, very well done, ciao Silvio

tyro (2666) 2009-08-24 15:55

Hello, Bridget.

I like this one a lot. Were you punting when you took this? The only time I've "driven" a punt (if that's what you do) was in Oxford many, many years ago. Not the fastest or, indeed, the safest form of transport, I suspect!

The first thing I notices (and the first thing most people look at when they are being critical) is the horizon. It looks as though you might just be suffering from the same disease that I have - I can never hold a camera straight and just about every picture I take has to be rotated one or two degrees clockwise to correct it!

I've done a wee workshop for you (again, I hope you don't mind). This took just one degree of clockwise rotation to level the water. The biggest difficulty I had was with the very over-exposed patch of water in the foreground. Unfortunately, there's nothing much you can do about that because all detail there has been lost. I did a little fiddle about with contrast and colour saturation - it's all in the workshop I've done.

Other than that, this is a very fine picture, Bridget. Keep them coming and do some "critiquing" yourself too!

Kind Regards,

John.

[workshop] [compare] +

macondo (13111) 2009-08-26 3:37

Hello Bridget, and a belated welcome to TE.
I like the photo and its peaceful atmosphere, particularly the sunlit foliage hanging down and the slight halo around the fellow with the pole. I think John, who is a terrific photographer, has done a good, subtle job with the WS in correcting the tilt and adding a little impact to the light and shadows. Compositionally, I'd probably have included a little less water at the bottom and a fraction more sky. You could also crop a little off the bottom, reducing the impact of the over-exposed water. Anyway, it's a nice shot with the arch of the bridge showing more arches behind and creating a strong sense of depth.
Regards,
Andrew

Bergenphotos (554) 2009-08-26 9:40

Hi, Bridget!
Nice romantic atmosphere from a great POV. Nice framing with the leaves, and the water going into the background. The colors are nice, but could probably have been a bit stronger. Allthough it's nice with the leaves, there is no "system" in the upper parts of the photo. The water could maybe have a better depth, but all in all a nice shot.

batalay (20940) 2009-08-27 11:30

Hello Bridget,

This is one of the finest shots I've seen of the River Cam, with St. John's College Bridge straddling it. I cannot believe 150 viewers have looked at this image, and only four before me have given it much attention. There is a sense of serenity, the punt is beautifully framed in the arch of the bridge. As soon as I can open a little space among my favorites, I will import it into that collection.

I was a visiting professor at Oxford, but as a theoretical physicist, my heart was in Cambridge. Although this bridge was built over a hundred years after Newton died in 1727, this was the college of P.A.M. Dirac, one of the finest scientists of the 20th century, and indeed of all time. He synthesized quantum mechanics. I am writing a new book now, "The Miracle Year: How Newton Changed the World." In any event, thanks for sharing this magnificent shot with us.

Warm regards,

Bulent