Do I like this photo?

I'm not sure exactly what it is about this image. Why do I keep coming back to it? Why am I still changing it? Is it even flawed? Yes, it is, but I can't seem to put my finger on the problem in order to fix it.

Obviously, when I took this photo back in 2010 during my trip to Amarante, Portugal, I saw something worth capturing. Something besides the town's interestingly-shaped cakes (careful). There was a lovely wall. The water was still and reflective. Nearby was the hustle of the city market and the solemnity of the town church, yet here was a solitary man doing some quiet fishing down by the river – the simple pastime of a normal man.

And I keep getting sucked into that stone stairway on the right side that I can't make sense of, even five years later. How are those steps part of the wall? Why does their orientation look backwards? Why does the reflection look more correct? Shouldn't reflections look wrong?

I saw this photo upside-down today, (this is a handy trick for evaluating one's own work with fresh eyes) and noticed something new: the converging lines on the right side of the photo caused by the stairs, shoreline, and tree. I added a little contrast to the area to make it more noticeable and liked how that looked, but it gave the photo a secondary focus away from the man.

And maybe that's the biggest issue with this photograph – there is no proper focal point. Not that you have to follow every photographer's rule each and every time, but you need a good reason to stray away from normal. So, rules be darned; I'm choosing to compound my eye-confusion by showing selective color only in the fisherman's reflection. Umm, does that make it better?

Or am I just reflecting my own disorientation? Am I fishing for answers in an upside-down world?!?
Heh.

I'll just keep blaming those crazy stairs.

What is it about bridges?

There is something rustic and romantic about old bridges. I don't need to wax overly poetic about such things, as I did in my last post, but i'll just say they make wonderful calendar covers. I'll fight the urge to put another one on next year's edition.

New Hampshire has a lot of covered bridges, too. Not as many as Pennsylvania. One thing New Hampshire does have, though, is the last remaining covered railroad bridge in America. It's known as Sulphite Bridge and can be found in Franklin. Built in the last years of the 19th century and used until 1973, it was damaged by arson in 1980. It's also known as the "Upside-Down Covered Bridge," since the main deck of the bridge was not used for transportation. Instead, the trusses were covered for protection and a railroad track was built on the roof!

Winnipesaukee River Trail Association

The bridge crosses the Winnipesaukee river where a thriving paper mill stood decades ago. Thanks to a successful rail trail conversion, the bridge and remnants of the mill can now be found near Trestle View Park, along the beautiful Winnipesaukee River Trail.

Because of the dense vegetation along the river, photo opportunities are a bit hard to come by. That is, unless you're a tiny bit crazy, and are willing to risk life and limb (or a wet shoe) by climbing down embankments to whack some bushes and balance on slippery rocks.

And, I couldn't think of anything more fun to do on a gorgeous afternoon.