An Avid Lensman

By SarumStroller

Romance, old stone bridges and moonlight

Am having to rattle through these slightly backdated entries as I need to catch up for and by Thursday, for the Derelict Challenge.

Saturday, very silly hour. Having finally got access to cash, filled the fridge (and my belly) plus - and even more importantly - got myself back into Blip and was basking in all that warmth of your love that you all sent me....

Yes, the cold night beckoned me.

Harnham Old bridge, a wonderful old stone crossing point, one of two (I think) main crossing points of the mighty Avon way back in the early medieval times. It was in use until the massive ugly double dual carriageway ring-road bridge that me and my tripod are standing on, in the 1960's.

I've wanted to snap this bridge for a while at night, but only now that the leaves have gone can you really see it. And as these trees grow (in private gardens, so unlikely to be pruned heavily) in future this narrow view will just get narrower.

LARGE

Harnham Old bridge is still in use but being only wide enough for a horse and cart, is controlled by traffic lights and only local traffic uses it now. I still hope to get it with light trails from cars going over it. But at this crazy hour, not even the local cats are using it...

The moonlight isn't full but is quite splodgy due to its slight movement during the 30 secs exposure. I did get a reflected moon shot but the angle of view from the even wider lens made the bridge miniscule and there was a horrible ugly shadow of the side of the bridge I'm on (streetlights behind me) cast on the water.

Despite the immense placid beauty of this scene in front of the camera, early morning juggernauts are hurtling their way to delivering and being a weekend, more than a few blue-flashing emergency vehicles zooming behind me.

Unlike the slightly more enhanced golden autumnal beech trees of yesterday, this colour really as was. The subtlety of the sky and the faint glow of Harnham behind. Often the street lamp glow can be overpowering but here, I feel it looks rather luminous and rather wonderful.

Lens is Sigma EX 24-70mm f2.8 - a lovely heavy fast lens that really is top notch. Look at the natural sharpness in all those twigs. I should use it more but its focal length range is only any good for full-frame, which I haven't been using much these days as the camera is falling apart. But it works fine (still) bolted to a tripod and so I'm sure I'll use this lens even more. I really don't want to sell it to pay the rent!

Thanks to ALL for comments, Favourites and stars on said Autumnal Blip, which has just got itself up into the Spotlights.

Bed now, folks, see you all in the morning!

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