Kelp Adrift
Kelp viewed from the Johnson Street bridge. I was out with the wide-angle lens to document more of the slow dismantling of the rail bridge. The light was strong, even harsh and many of my photos are difficult to make something of.
I will post some of them at another time (see this link for other posts in the bridge series). But I write this on a Friday evening, its been a long week, and I don’t have the energy to put much together. This photo is even a bit out of focus because I had shot a bit of the bridge with this kelp featured to one side but further away. I don’t think the focus ruins the shot; it would be better if it were sharper. But I still like it and am not too embarrassed to put it out for the world to see.
Is it any wonder that people feel fondly about this bridge when you can spot an arrangement of soft and hard curves like this when crossing on its sidewalk? It’s subtle things like this, often barely glimpsed on the way past, that work their way into the corners of one’s mind where they coalesce with others into a strong emotional attachment.
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Map Link here (can be slow to load, but honestly, it’s worth the wait as it will give you other bridge and downtown links to this blog through the map. And yes, I am biased)
Canon EOS 5Dii, Nikkor-N Auto 24mm/f-2.8 lens, ISO100, f-stop not recorded but I tried to shoot pretty much everything to do with the bridge that day at f-8, 1/160th.
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burnt embers 
That’s a very nice poetic image. I’m always surprised how natural the balances are in floating debris. Rarely do things look out of place when natural forces bring them together.
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Thanks Doug – I have noticed in your blog that you often feature floating debris, or frozen formerly floating debris. You are right about the way that things gather and take form on the surface of water – they really are balanced.
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Lovely, all those things the sea brings. Great image.
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Thanks Ryan!
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I would find it hard to resist a subject like this. There is the illusion of movement and grace to the kelp that is really beautiful. Good catch.
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Thnaks Ken. And it works so much better in natural colours than in any conversion that I tried.
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And I should add, that I missed this heading in one direction along the bridge. On the way back a man and woman were staring over the edge near here, so I stopped to look too. They weren’t looking at the kelp, but for once I was glad to follow the eyes of a stranger.
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I love how the water and the kelp share similar swirls and shapes. It’s a fascinating image.
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Thanks – I think that one has led to the other – the larger ripples moving the kelp into these shapes, but probably some reflection of ripples back off the kelp as well.
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Reblogged this on c0nceptual art.
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Hi, I honestly appreciate your enthusiasm about this picture, But, I very strongly prefer (as it says in my about page) that you ask before you reblog my posts.
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the ripples on the surface of the water are what make this pic
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I agree – from the looks of it the shape of the kelp is arranged by those ripples.
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great capture
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Thanks!
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