Bloedel distant (3)
Pond in the Bloedel Reserve. Picture taken by Paul Brians
Anne Pell, who used to live on Bainbridge Island and founded the choral group Amabile, has formed a virtual choir of Bainbridge Island singers that is recording Paul Simon’s, “A Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” She asked if I could supply her with bridge pictures to illustrate the video, so I sent her a couple dozen shots.
Bridge in the Grand Forest
When I was taking pictures for Dave and Alice Shorett’s Thirty Walks on Bainbridge, they were especially interested in including people on the trails. Heading out for the bridge in the Grand Forest one day I encountered this woman who happily posed for me, gazing out at the scene.
The first printing of the book—which benefits the Bainbridge Island Land Trust—sold out but more are on the way. This picture appears on p. 33 of the book.
Flower Bridge
In 1928 the trolley crossing the Deerfield River in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts was shut down and local gardeners turned it into a lush garden for pedestrians to enjoy. It’s still the chief attraction of this little town.
When we visited on a September day the cosmos was in full bloom.
Pont au Change
Although other bridges in Paris were built under Napoleon Bonaparte the Pont au change was built in the mid-19th century. The wreathed “N” stands for the then-reigning Napoleon III. It replaced an earlier bridge which was occupied by goldsmiths and money-changers.
I love the dramatically baroque clouds looming over the scene, with the puffy trees lining the boulevard echoing the shape of the dome atop the nearby Tribunal de commerce.
Multnomah Falls
Oregon’s most famous waterfall is a hugely popular tourist attraction, with many visitors proceeding along the steep trail to the bridge just above the lower falls. The viewpoint is so close to the scene that you’d need a good wide-angle lens to capture the whole thing. I actually used my iPhone to make a vertical panorama that came out quite well, but I also like this detail shot showing a few visitors on the bridge while we stood among the crowds below on a fine June day in 2019.
Rossi Bridge, Petersburg
The ornate cast-iron Rossi Bridge—named after architect Carlo Rossi—was built in 1825 in the beautiful Mikhailovsky Garden in Saint Petersburg (later called “Petrograd,” “Leningrad,” and now usually referred to simply as “Petersburg”). On this October day in 2011 the trees soaring overhead were just beginning to change color, so the leafy reds complement the red coat the woman is wearing at right.
Quinault Rain Forest
Hiking with friends along the Quinault Rain Forest Trail—in the rain— we encountered this wooden bridge nicely framed by lush June foliage.
Jay Covered Bridge
Jay, NY is not technically in New England, but it contains this classic New England-style covered bridge, built in 1857, over the Ausable River. The figure seated on the rocks at far left is my wife Paula.
The bridge itself is nothing fancy but the rapids bring the scene to life.
George Washington Bridge from Tryon Park
Not long before daughter Megan moved from New York City to eastern Oregon she explored with us The Cloisters and nearby Tryon Park. Through the trees I caught this glimpse of the distant George Washington Bridge with its swooping cable nearly paralleling those of the tree branches at left.
Fairy Dell
We live right across the street from the Fairy Dell on Arrow Point, Bainbridge. This year one of the little foot bridges sprouted lovely licorice ferns.
Rowing in Central Park
People rowing under the Bow Bridge in Central Park, everyone looking in a different direction.
Pond in the Bloedel Reserve
Coming from around a giant maple in the Bloedel Reserve we encounter this little pond with its bridge in the distance and a tiny waterfall downstream. It’s April, and the rhododendrons are in full bloom.
Blakely Harbor Pond
This is the newest bridge in this collection, built in 2020 to connect the path that allows pedestrians to walk around the pond at Blakely Harbor, taken near sunset on January 11th of this year. Look closely and you’ll see a trio of walkers just beginning to cross the bridge.
Ponte Santa Trinità
Everyone knows the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, but there are other lovely bridges crossing the Arno, including the 16th century Ponte Santa Trinità. I liked the way the bridge viewed from this angle interacted with the buildings beyond.
Agate Passage
Before 1950 when the Agate Passage Bridge was built, people mostly reached our island by ferry or private vessel. (I know it’s also called “Agate Pass,” but technically passes are in mountains; narrow waterways are more properly called “passages.”)
This shot was taken from the Agate Peninsula shore on a September afternoon as the trees were just beginning to yellow.
There’s a short, steep public trail just beside the bridge on the island side leading down to the beach where you can see a fisherman standing. But be aware that some of the neighbors get mighty annoyed at outsiders exploring the area. The beach is very rocky and not very comfortable for walking on, but I thought it looked pretty from this angle.
Gallery view:
OTHER PHOTO ALBUMS BY PAUL BRIANS:
ABOUT PAUL BRIANS. Paul Brians does extensive volunteer photography for the Bainbridge Island Land Trust. He created the photo book Four Seasons on Bainbridge Island (2010), was principal photographer for Natural Bainbridge (2019)and contributed the majority of photographs in Dave and Alice Shorett’s Thirty Walks on Bainbridge (2020) published for the benefit of the Land Trust. He also took photos for some years for Bainbridge in Bloom. He has had six exhibitions of his prints on the Island and his pictures have appeared in many regional publications and on Bainbridge-related Web sites. He posts photos daily on Facebook and is an active member of the Bainbridge Island Photo Club.