Stone Arch Bridge as the Eiffel Tower of Minneapolis
The Stone Arch Bridge is a Classic for a Reason
The Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis is a favorite location for portraits. It is easy to see why – the energy, the skyline views, the roar of the Mississippi, and the architectural structure all make for excellent portrait settings.
History of Stone Arch Bridge
If you don’t live in Minneapolis, the Stone Arch Bridge was built in 1883 as a pedestrian and rail connection linking downtown to the working areas of Minneapolis. It is the only arched stone bridge along the entire Mississippi. Because it connects downtown Minneapolis to the neighborhoods across the river, it offers unobstructed skyline views from the east.
A Slightly Defensive Rant About the Stone Arch Bridge
Sometimes photographers will tell me they are tired of the Stone Arch Bridge. To that I say – are we tired of the Eiffel Tower? Of the Brooklyn Bridge? Of Ocean-side cliffs? I certainly am not tired of any of those things, and I am thrilled to celebrate the landmarks and history that bring couple’s joy.
Also, the Stone Arch Bridge was built 6 years before the Eiffel Tower.
I mention the Eiffel tower because, if you are a photographer in Paris, please take photos by the Eiffel tower often. You might recommend times of day to meet so as to avoid the throngs of people – you might have preferred locations away from the scrum of the parks. But please don’t tell people that it is tired, that it is over. Please never let it be over.
Why choose the Stone Arch Bridge for portraits
The Stone Arch Bridge is a classic for a reason, and having something iconic and magisterial included in your portraits is a fantastic way to bring in a sense of place and history.
I view the Stone Arch Bridge as the Eiffel Tower of Minneapolis – stunning, architectural, well situated, over-documented, and lovely.
For photos at the Stone Arch Bridge, there are certainly times of day (sunset!) or days that work better for lighting and people. But it is gorgeous all the time, and if you want it to be in your photos, that is what I want too.
Same location, better photos: how to get very different takes on the Stone Arch Bridge
Here are a few radically different approaches I’ve taken to portrait and wedding photography on the Stone Arch Bridge so that it is always new and exciting for my clients.
Planning to get lucky with the right time of day on the Stone Arch Bridge
The golden hour (right before sunset) is a perfect time to aim for. The sun will set over the skyline, bringing golden cloud cover in gorgeous open shade all over the bridge. Sometimes, you arrive to a location, the people are happy and gorgeous, the sun is setting over the buildings, and you just don’t over think it.
Lighting for isolating your subjects from the background
Using lighting to bring focus to your subject lets you isolate them from the background. This is particularly useful when the weather is cold and grey, or when you want some detail in the shadows as the sun sets behind them.
Flash composites on the Stone Arch Bridge
You might have already read about my approach to flash composites for weddings. Besides making things look a little super powered, they also allow me to have a more intense flash power. In turn, this allows me to shoot at a larger f stop and bring more detail to the sky and background when the sun is so intense, as in this mid-day image
Different lenses for different photos on the Stone Arch Bridge
Its amazing what using different lenses can do to the feel of an image. These two images are under very similar conditions – the first is with a 35mm lens, then second with an 85mm, both at f 1.8. I enjoy the softening of the background in the wider image, but also the way the 85 has made the buildings into an abstraction.
Panorama Portraits on the Stone Arch Bridge
A panorama is just stitching together many images to make a wider image from a narrower lens. In some ways, it replicates the relatively smaller apertures or large format cameras. It also doesn’t distort facial features the way a super wide lens would do. These are both panorama images.
Different planes of focus with tilt shift
Tilt shift lenses are designed to follow a plane of focus on a non parallel plane from your lens. Most of the time in modern photography, they are used to narrow the band of focus. You might have two heads in focus, but then the feet and hair are blurred out. But, when you are talking about subjects that are hundreds of yards from the background skyline, it means you can have them both in focus along the same plane.
Classic photo Silhouettes on the Stone Arch Bridge
Playing around with silhouettes helps to echo and interact with the structure of the skyline in the background. It can be a fun addition to portraits on the Stone Arch bridge.
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