St. George Island Bridge

Beneath the towering structure of the St. George Island bridge, from the Apalachicola side, the view was mesmerizing. The bridge soared above, its massive undercarriage twisting into the distance, creating a geometric marvel. Street lights aligned like sentinels, fading into the horizon. To my left, the sky presented a dark-to-light gradient, where wispy clouds danced like wild cotton candy. At my feet, the water gently lapped the shore, the rhythmic motion of the small tidal waves soothed by the intermittent appearance of seagrass, adding texture to the serene scene.

During the shoot, I focused intently on composition, utilizing exposure bracketing—a technique I’ve trusted since my commercial photography days with 4×5 chrome film. To me, digital photography mirrors shooting with transparency film, making it essential to carefully monitor highlights. Waiting for the perfect moment to capture the scene, I noticed another photographer nearby, framing his shot, and wondered about his perspective as well.

Amidst the bustling activity under the bridge—filled with people, cars, fishermen, and boats—I captured my ideal shot. I chose to process the image in black and white to highlight the stark elegance of the bridge, enhancing the contrasts and shadows. This choice underscored the seamless blend of natural beauty and human engineering in a moment of serenity and admiration.

Accompanying me was a photographer friend from the Georgia mountains. He and his wife, visiting friends in nearby Carabelle, joined me for a day of exploration and scouting photographic subjects. I typically shoot solo unless I’m with a student or, as in this case, a friend eager to experience the locales I frequent.

I captured this image using a Hasselblad XCD 28/4 P lens rented from LensRentals to test its performance as a compact, wide-angle lens. It met my needs optically and exceeded my expectations for weight and size, prompting me to acquire the 28P lens from the Hasselblad website six weeks later—an accomplishment given its prolonged high demand.

Since 2021, I have been using the 907x 50c with the 45P lens exclusively, a practice that has refined my skills and been kind to my budget. As I build my Hasselblad three-lens kit, emphasizing lightness and compactness, the 45P and newly acquired 28P meet my needs perfectly. I await the addition of a longer focal length in the P series to complete my trio, which is all I require for my Hasselblad 907x kit. However, please don’t get me started on my Alpa or large format kits!