When you are taking risks to make a picture, you can be sure it will occupy a special place in your memory.
On a nice Sunday afternoon, I found myself in the proximity of the Beauharnois power dam . All along the shore, there are big signs with the word “Danger” all over them. That’s all I needed to convince myself to see what the “danger” is all about.
In fact, the real danger is the heavy current of the water being evacuated by the dam. There is also the level and pace of the water can change without notice.
According to experts, the water is not very suitable for swimming, this time of year.
Anyway, here I am walking toward the bridge. As I got closer, my attention was drawn by the structure underneath it; several steel pillars are forming an arc and I could smell a great photo opportunity.
** Click picture to enlarge
Nikon D90
Exposure : 1/60 (-2.5ev)
Aperture : f/19
ISO: 200
Focal lenght : 50 mm (75 en DX)
Aperture with plugin Photomatix HDR, Topaz Denoise, Nik Silver Efex pro
I went underneath the bridge and found that the best place to shoot was to stand on one of those beam. The catch, there is not a lot of space and in front there is water: 20 or so feet below.
Nikon D90
Exposure : 1/60 (-.5ev)
Aperture : f/45
ISO: 200
Focal length : 50 mm (75 en DX)
Aperture with plugin Photomatix HDR, Topaz Denoise, Nik Silver Efex pro
Anyway, I had a good feeling so there I stood on the structure, having the vertigo and shaky legs, in my head, an angel and a demon: “you should not be here…” and “what a shot this will be…”. Guess who won?
I have my D90 in one hand and use the other to grip a beam above my head. As I want to do HDR image, I have to do three shots per picture, no tripod, holding the camera with one hand, using the other one to grip a beam above.
Click, click, I do my thing when suddenly some heavy vehicle passed on the bridge. The whole structure shook violently and for a short moment, although it felt like a long one my head, I thought I would fall down in the water.
So I stopped shooting, my legs were to “wobbly” to continue.
Was it worth it? You bet!
François Meehan
