Bixby Bridge, a photo from California, West

Photographer's Note

Driving south from San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway, known also as Highway 1, we intended to enjoy the dramatic fragment of the coast known as Big Sur and have some rest on beautiful sandy beaches behind it. It so happened that we brought with us a typical Irish weather to California and it was cold/windy/rainy/foggy most of the time. But in addition to that there was some road damage and we could not just drive south along the coast. Instead to reach the hotels which we have prepaid in the south we needed to drive back along the Big Sur and then get to the hotel along the Hwy 101. We have lost some time but I knew for sure I want to get at least to the Bixby Bridge before turning back.

This photo presents the Bixby Bridge from the north-eastern end. It is a stitch of 8 photos as the wide angle lens did not give wide enough view to show more of the context. It is not an HDR although the clouds seem a little enhanced. The effect is due to the ND gradient which I applied in PS. It is a stitch so I could not really apply the filter in reality.

Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Bridge, is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge in Big Sur, California. The bridge is located 120 miles (190 km) south of San Francisco and 13 miles (21 km) south of Carmel in Monterey County along California Highway One.
Bixby Creek Bridge is important historically because it introduced automobile travel to Big Sur, connecting the remote coastal towns to each other.
The bridge is 714 feet (218 m) long, 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, over 280 feet (85 m) high and has a main span of 320 feet (98 m). Its two heavy buttresses are unnecessary to support the structure, and later arch bridges such as the Frederick W. Panhorst Bridge omitted them from the design. It is “one of the most photographed features on the West Coast” because of its location along the scenic Central Coast of California, and has frequently been used in automobile commercials. The construction of the bridge began on August 24, 1931 and was completed on October 15, 1932. Before the bridge was opened on November 27, 1932, coastal travelers endured rough wagon roads over precipitous ridges and valleys. The 30-mile (48 km) journey from Monterey to the Big Sur River valley could take three days round trip.

fds, lousat, macondo, svefay, timecapturer, jhm, josepmarin, Graal, Sonata11, ptiza, vasilpro, SnapRJW, jafadabret, Kofman, danos, i9l2y1m8a8t3, macjake, Angshu, Hansaphotos, ikeharel, COSTANTINO, aliabazari ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

fds (9963) 2011-06-12 0:35

very impressive bringe between the mountain
very beautiful image with the sea

lousat (139220) 2011-06-12 0:38

Hi Mariusz,another beautiful choice of point of view and a magnificent work in PP,maybe you could pump up a little the colors,i like a lot the bridge shadow on the mountain.Thanks for share,have a nice Sunday,Luciano.

Tweety (4546) 2011-06-12 0:43

Bonjour Mariusz,
Une bien belle image de ce pont avec une lumière très agréable. Le point de vue est très bien choisi, j'apprécie également les ombres et le ciel. Peut-être manque-t-il un peu de contraste, à voir.
Bon dimanche.
Chris

SWEETFREEDOM (24623) 2011-06-12 0:46

Hi Mariusz,
woh a stitch of 8 photos!
good p.o.v. and light. excellent work in p.p.
regards
Alessandro

HimalAnda (10671) 2011-06-12 0:50

Hello Mariusz,

This is an interesting POV and a nice picture. I like the golden light on the bridge.

Stéphane

macondo (20449) 2011-06-12 1:29

Greetings, Mariusz.
A very impressive photo, quite breathtaking thanks to your superb viewpoint and really excellent stitching job. It's sharp from front to back and handles the light very well. I particularly like the shadow of the bridge on the slope. Interesting note, and I really appreciate the technical details about the ND gradient etc.
Regards,
Andrew

siudzi (34141) 2011-06-12 2:18

Witaj Mariusz,
Wow!!! Coz mozna wiecej powiedziec, kiedy przed oczami masz taki fantastyczny widok! Jestem pod wrazeniem! Swietna praca:)
Milego dnia! Gosia

jemaflor (147076) 2011-06-12 3:27

Hi Mariusz,
Interesting composition and view of course, good choice for the pov, impressive bridge in this seaside landscape, great effect with le light on the bridge, well captured.

svefay (810) 2011-06-12 3:29

hello,
nice image of the bridge and good view, usefull note about the highway, TFS...

GREGG (7888) 2011-06-12 3:31

Witaj Mariusz,
śliczne miejsce, dobra kompozycja, światło i techniczna strona pracy. Tutaj wszystko jak należy :) :)
Pozdrawiam Grzegorz

chawax (20764) 2011-06-12 3:52

Hi Mariusz,
I understand why I had quite a good weather in Ireland last weeks : you brought irish weather with you in California ! Many thanks for that ;) You present us an impressive view on this bridge. It must be fantastic to drive on this road ! The POV is excellent, the bushes in the foreground add some depth. The light is very beautiful, I love in particular the warm light on the bridge and its shadow on the mountain behind. Excellent sharpness too and great stitch work.
Regards,
Olivier

timecapturer (49288) 2011-06-12 4:09

Hello Mariusz
a wonderfully dramatic shot of this famous bridge. Beautifully composed and so sharp. Love all the fg detail and your control of the light is perfect. A delight to see and a magnificent presentation.

I wish you an enjoyable Sunday - Brian

jhm (211736) 2011-06-12 4:14

Witaj Mariusz,

Thank you very much for your interesting notes.
Splendid how we see the shadow of the bridge to the left.
Technical perfect taken, excellent composition, lovely presentation too.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice Sunday,
John.

sacimar (38173) 2011-06-12 4:16

Hello Mariusz,

good composition, I like tones and colors of the image, at the first moment I thought it was an HDR, the perspective is excellent as well as the final result,

Best regards,

Sergio

josepmarin (59385) 2011-06-12 4:19

Hi Mariusz,
Simply espactacular!
The stitch of 8 photos is perfect, the perspective of this impressive bridge is very deep and dynamic, and the light and the shades play a good aesthetical role in the composition.
An excellent photographic result, that you are obtained to show us the wonderful beauty of this landscape that still preserves its wild purity in a very sharp image.
Well done, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep

bartekp (4746) 2011-06-12 4:58

Cześć Mariusz,

Przyjemny dla oka ten HDR. Miejse na foto plener wspaniałe.

Pozdrawiam

Bartek

Sergiom (117241) 2011-06-12 5:02

Bonjour Mariusz

Une photo que j'aurais aimé prendre. Le point de vue est impeccable et le cadrage est excellent.C,est un très bel endroit.

Amicalement

Serge

dta (98848) 2011-06-12 6:02

Hello MAriusz ,
Like the quite strong PP , here , that works very well to present us this outstanding bridge . The POV and the composition are perfect .
Regards

lgir (7363) 2011-06-12 6:13

Hello Mariusz,

beautiful POV with beautiful depth and color very nice.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Laurent

sa30z (130) 2011-06-12 6:34

Hi Mariusz,

Perfect POV and beautiful colour.

Regards
Satish

npecanhuk (79329) 2011-06-12 6:58

Hi Mariusz!
I didn`t have the chance to drive on that road and I had plans to go back to SFO next september, but I don`t think it`ll be possible anymore! But I`ll go some day!
Your picture is very attractive and beautiful, with excellent colors, chosen pov, exposure and composition!
TFS - congrats!
Cheers,
Neyvan

Graal (103040) 2011-06-12 9:00

Czesc,
kolejne interesujace miejsce w Kalifornii. Fajne spojrzenie na most przy oceanie, ciekawa konstrukcja. W pierwszej chwili myslalem, ze to HDR ale to pomylka. Dobrze wykorzystales narzedzia PS, ladne swiatlo i kolory.
Milego dnia.
Aleksander

pajaran (115831) 2011-06-12 9:38

Dobro vece.
Vrlo interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lepo mesto u prirodi sa mostom, pogledom na more i nebo sa interesantnim oblacima, dobar prikaz lepim bojama i fotografijom.
Dobra ostrina snimka i kontrast kojim ste naglasili konstrukciju mosta.
Dobar rad i kompozicija.
Prijatno vece.
Paja.

Google.

Dobry wieczór.
Bardzo ciekawy i dobry tekst ...
Ładne miejsce w rodzaju mostu, z widokiem na morze i niebo z chmurami, ciekawe, dobre wyświetlanie kolorów i fotografii piękna.
Dobra ostrość i kontrast obrazu, który wyraził budowy mostów.
Dobra praca i składu.
Wieczorem Pleasant.
Paja.

rodgerg (55767) 2011-06-12 9:52

Witaj Mariusz,

A stitch of 8 photos! Excellent PPwork!
Superb shot too with the prospect open to this impressive nad very well balalnced bridge. Excellent light too under this cloudy sky.
Have a nice evening,
Roger

Silvio1953 (221525) 2011-06-12 10:34

Ciao Mariusz, great POV on fantastic mbridge, lovely sea view, splendid light and wonderful natural colors, very well done my friend, ciao Silvio

stevesaba (8167) 2011-06-12 10:46

Hi Mariusz!
Very lovely, and as others have noted, a great pov! Some interesting light is really adding much to the photo as well, plus some great foreground work. A very satisfying photo indeed. Warm regards,
Steve

Sonata11 (34119) 2011-06-12 11:09

Witaj Mariusz,
piekne i interesujace miejsce. Wspanialy widok , ktory mozemy podziwiac. Sliczna pocztowka. Dzieki za udostepnienie. Wspaniala praca.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam,
Barbara

Fis2 (170693) 2011-06-12 12:26

Witaj Mariusz!
Kocham mosty, pokazujesz kolejna piekna konstrukcje.
Przyjemny kadr o dobrym swietle i kolorystyce.
Pozdrawiam
Krzysztof
P.S.
Jest ok.!

faletiz (10113) 2011-06-12 13:27

Hello Mariusz
a wonderful landscape lit by a beautiful light. Great depth, infinite space and beautiful sky. I like the shadow of the bridge that is reflected on earth. Beautiful composition.
Have a nice evening
Letizia

ptiza (727) 2011-06-12 13:32

Hello Mariusz,
This is a great and impressive picture of this famous bridge. You have chosen an excellent POV, capturing quite a bit of sky, ocean, and most of the vegetation-covered land. This perspective strengthens the dramatic effect of the painting. Very nice color, picture was taken perfectly. Thank you.
With best wishes from Russia,
Irena

magalik (6103) 2011-06-12 13:48

Hi Mariusz,

I love your PP even if on this shot the sky could be improved. Like how you always get something else with landscapes shots. Incredible all the details your shot releases.
A great shot.

Magali

ciakgiak (30) 2011-06-12 13:57

Ciao Mariusz,
il ponte è perfettamente collocato sulla scena, la luce è meravigliosa in questo caso, belle le ombre laterali lunghe ed i colori così tenui e molto ben resi.
Bella la vista del mare e quel cielo così piacevole.
Un caro abbraccio
Giorgio

Ninello52 (7576) 2011-06-12 14:45

Hello Mariusz!
Congratulations on this your beautiful image! Very intense and effective color saturation, also the beautiful low sunlight that reaches the shadow of the bridge! Great definition! Beautiful scenery!
Best Regards, Nino.

vasilpro (41801) 2011-06-13 0:24

Hello Mariusz,
Wonderful composition, interesting bridge, beautiful atmosphere, excellent POV, lovely light and colors, great photo work with the stitch of 8 shots and the usage of the ND filter in PS.
Have a nice week, Vasilis.

SnapRJW (31631) 2011-06-13 22:59

Hello Mariusz - What a perfect POV which shows this impressive span of bridge and terrain really well. Clever to stitch those eight frames, well done. A shot full of fine and interesting detail. I love the light. Kind regards Rosemary

jafadabret (56501) 2011-06-13 23:30

Bonjour Mariusz,
Ce pont n'est pas très récent mais il a encore très fière allure avec cette architecture des années trente. J'aime le paysage sauvage et la belle lumière qui le met en valeur.
Amicalement
Jacques

Waylim (25436) 2011-06-14 17:43

Hi M,
Very nice shot you even take time to hike to the inside so you can take the shot with the ocean in the background. I can't barely tell the stitching other than the different coloration. but sometimes the sky can be abit trick here with the misty atmosphere anyone. This is really a very unique POV than we normally, your effort really paid off nicely.
Way

danos (110407) 2011-06-15 0:32

Witaj Mariusz,
excellent the chosen POV to show us the Bixby bridge with the light to fall on bringing out the details and the beauty of it.I like the superb placement in the frame with the beauty of the sky and the ground to create a perfect scenery.Well done.

Have a good day,Danos

Elaine_Blath (8471) 2011-06-16 3:47

Hi Mariusz,

this is an amazing landscape! This is what I love about photos - that they show you something you wouldn´t expect in well-known places...

Well done, Ivana

macjake (98438) 2011-06-21 10:05

Hi Mariusz
well, i'm back!!
I'm surprised you didn't post more San Fran photos,
I think i have at least 20 i want to post!
We had a wonderful time, and the weather was amazing, hot and sunny almost every day, and no rain.
BUT....the one day we decided to shoot the Golden Gate bridge, it was tremendously foggy and cloudy, so that didn't work out very well. everything else though was A+.
As for this shot, i've wanted to drive down this hwy for so long, and its for scenes like one.
the lighting here is splendid, such beauty along the concrete, and the composition is spot on, creating the longer expanse.
the foilage in the lower fg is key too, showing the type of greenery in california.
excellent shot!
I'll post my first photo later today
cheers
craig

andywo (4725) 2011-06-21 12:03

Czesc Mariusz
Slyszalem cos o tej malowniczej drodze i widze ze jej walory widokowe sa naprawde niezwykle! Chcialbym poznac inzyniera, ktory odwazyl sie wytyczyc ten szlak nad samym brzegiem Pacyfiku i porozmawiac z nim o budowie autostrad w PL;-)
A tak na powaznie: widok zapiera dech, naprawde swietne zdjecie. Dzieki za pokazywanie takich miejsc.
Pozdrawiam
Andrzej

Angshu (56760) 2011-06-23 4:51

Hello Mariusz
Another very famous landmark bridge, which you captured very well! The FG is very interesting with the hedges of violetish hues. Light falls nicely on the other ridge & on the bridge 'legs'. Good capture here!
Best Regards
Angshu

Hansaphotos (11381) 2011-06-26 13:46

Hello Mariusz

Another fine capture of the bridge. What a great choice of POV. Very good light that creates long shadows of the bridge. A stunning view very well captured. Congratulations! TFS.

Best regards, Erling

claudeD (47754) 2011-06-26 14:24

Hello Mariusz,

Very good picture with a perfect composition and lights.The sky is amazing.I like this landscape shot very much.TFS.

WiTHREGARDS FROM LuxEMBOURG

JC

Longroute (19600) 2011-07-04 9:29

Let me comment this wonderful photo which I've missed before... California is famous for its lovely coast which by the way it's similar to that of same parts of Mediterranean.
Here the scenery is masterly composed exploiting the fine curve and shape of the bridge to complement the sight of the hills and the sea. But it's the light - in my view - the real star of the image, a light which spreads its blessing on the bridge, on the grass and on the sea. The polarized sky enhances the effect of this light creating a further contrast and enriching this glorious image.
For seascape lovers like me!!!
Well done,
Donato

sacavem (18620) 2011-07-20 14:28

Olá Mariusz,

Excellent perspective with super colours and sharpness. Well handled light, the mood is fantastic.
Excellent work my friend.

Cumprimentos,
Filipe

ecmel (1782) 2011-08-12 1:15

Hello Mariusz,
I love the deep sense of dimension and perspective. Very nice photo.
Regards,
Ecmel

kiks (12805) 2011-08-15 5:41

This POV is very impressive to show the hight of this brigde. THis must be a beautiful road to ride. I like the inclusion of the vegetation at the left side. It gives more body depth to the image.
Best regadrs
KIKS

ikeharel (113291) 2016-02-22 21:26

Good morning Mariusz,
The bridge seems to "wound" the natural trough between two hills, but was probably necessary for the road to be built. afternoon light was very favorable and brought beautiful structure shadow over the slope.
Have a nice new day,
Ike

LuisGustavoLima (5184) 2018-03-01 15:24

Oi, Mariusz!

A foto ficou bonita, a luz dourada embeleza a ponte e as nuvens realmente possuem um efeito que as deixaram bem bonitas. A nitidez da foto é boa, assim como o ponto de vista. O mar faz um fundo maravilhoso.
Ótimo :D

COSTANTINO (116421) 2018-08-14 23:17

hello dear friends and have a nice time
and a happy new day
breathtaking view to this bridge called
as BIXBY bridge from the north
eastern end in a few words
a megalicious presentation
regards
costantino

aliabazari (22127) 2022-05-24 12:23

Hello Mariusz
Beautiful view of this magnificent bridge. Clarity and exposure done well. Good combination with blue sky.