The Bridge Cable

[FrankMi]

I usually try to avoid any text in my images as they tend to keep the eye off the subject and on the text but is this case, the text is a significant part of the subject. So, I'll test the waters and see if I can break the rule just this once.

What think ye? Slap the pinkies and go back to obediently following the rule? Or smurk and feel like I got away with something (for a change)?

[rayallen]

Hi Frank,

It's a bad rule that can't be broken. Anyway, I have never heard that rule!!
I love the context of this image. You get to read the details about the cable, you get to see a close up view of the cable and in the B/G you get to see it in use. A very well constructed and well thought out image. The only improvement I could suggest is to show the complete circle of the cable rather than cut off the bottom of the circle. Just a small nit pick.

[Harpo]

Ray said it! I would even go further and take more pics… one focusing on the cable thingy, and another of the span. Looks like you picked a real good spot with the garden in the foreground so take advantage of it!

Where is this location? Ive been to San Fran having lived in NorCal previously, never saw this one...

[GrahamH]

I would crop it somewhat, leaving only part of the foreground cable. Plus a sky less bland.
Hope you don't mind, but a thousand words and all that.
Graham

[Bobobird]

"Rules and regulations are for the wise to use and for the fools to obey!"

Bobobird, 24 December 2011.

[Suede]

It is a very nice photograph, Frank. I like it for its clarity and informativeness. A complete package with a little story in there. Succinct, in my opinion.

[Donald]

Frank

I think you and I have been following each other around the world. I walked across that - again it was over 20 years ago. Missed that garden though. It looks super.

A very creative image that tells the complete story. And for all the thousands of images taken of that bridge, I've never seen that shot before.

[FrankMi]

Thanks for the encouragement!

For those that use Google Earth, you can see the cable section and gardens on the Northwest corner of the Golden Gate Bridge parking lot just to the right of the toll booths. It looks like a red cylinder when viewed from above.

I found it fascinating that in the lightbox, you can see individual wires in the cable when there are over 27,000 of them!

If I get back to San Francisco I would shoot this in the afternoon rather than the morning to get the shadow on the other side of the cable but then I might lose the detail in the cable wires as they might be in shadow. On the other hand, Graham's crop has addressed the shadow and added a lovely sky.

[GrahamH]

...If I get back to San Francisco I would shoot this in the afternoon rather than the morning to get the shadow on the other side of the cable but then I might lose the detail in the cable wires as they might be in shadow....

In that case, may I suggest a blip of fill flash to bring out the cable details no matter what the light/shadow.
Graham