Combining More Than One Subject in a Picture

There are three subjects combined in this photograph: the stone bridge, a flowing stream, and some autumn colors. Any one of these three things can be photographed separately, but a picture is more effective if two or more features can be combined in one frame.

The assignment was to photograph an ancient stone arch bridge in Southwestern New Hampshire for a calendar cover. I knew the bridge from previous visits, but went out to it a couple more times for further research.

First of all it was necessary to get an angle that would show the arched drystone construction of the bridge effectively. The best view was from a low position looking up at the arch and through it, with light and color on the other side.

Second was to pick a day when there would be sufficient autumn color showing. This was the main reason for the two trips. I was hoping for a few spots of red to appear along with the yellow. Ferns are apt to turn early, but I did manage to include a few in the foreground still in their yellow-orange phase before they went completely brown.

And third would be to get the whole scene within a reasonable range of exposure. When the sun was shining the foreground was brightly lit, but the background and most of the bridge were in deep shade. To get even lighting meant shooting on a cloudy day or during early evening with no direct sun.

The solution came along in the form of a cloudy and damp day with a little misty rain falling. This helped to even out the exposure range and brighten the colors. A wide angle lens provided plenty of depth of field at a small aperture, and a slow shutter speed smoothed out the flow of the brook. The necessary tripod had to be placed in shallow water to get the right angle on the bridge.