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Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter
Tag: Monongahela River
Monongahela River Like a Mirror
I drive across bridges at least twice a day. I go to work on the arch green bridge(Birmingham Bridge) and sometimes come home on the yellow bridge(South 10th Street) but this day I crossed the Liberty Bridge.
Pittsburgh: The city of bridges. The change in light, water movement or in this case stillness, is ever changing.
The South Tenth Street is the one that was lit up for the filming of the Tom Cruise movie.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Self-Portrait
Along the Monongahela River by late afternoon light and at night on the way home from the Waterfront in Homestead. Two of my favorite views, anytime of day or night!
I had the cardboard “me” in the car already. We make people out of brown corrugated boxes. I always make myself as a model for the students, this year with gray yarn hair!
Some of you know I teach Art in the City K-8th grade. Not too many people get to make themselves out of scrap cardboard at their job. The “Flat Ruthie” (have you ever seen Flat Stanley?–I photographed him for granddaughter Anna’s school project) was driving around with me cause I was thinking it might make a fun Christmas card, myself and the skyline or something.
In 2009 I was in a self-portrait show at Silver Eye Center of Photography. I can’t tell you how many images I shot of myself in my kitchen, trying to look young and thin. Figured I could achieve both effects with myself as a cardboard puppet. No wrinkles on the smooth cardboard.
Outlook Drive View of Last Working Steel Mill- 12-4-11
You might remember(or click the blue words) the night view of the same mill from April 2010.
Tug, Barges and Carrie Furnace on the Monongahela River- Autumn Afternoon
After school I drove down the slopes to the flats and headed to Homestead to buy a special cable for an external hard drive so I could retrieve a summer photo for Erika.
I turned onto Waterfront Road towards Best Buy and saw the late afternoon light reflected and warm the rusting metal across the Mon. Pulled over and stood on top of a guard rail to capture the sinking light on the Carrie Furnace, remnants of Homestead Steel Works and then I heard the tug and saw it pushing the barges up the river. It was a mighty scene on the river and the limitations of photography or my ability to capture it thoroughly, the seeing and feeling it, became clear once again.
The Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation sponsors tours but the last one was October 15th so will have to wait until 2012.
If you want to get a real feel for the Blast Furnaces and the incredible history, interviews with employees and historical photographs I recommend watching at least video # 1 at this website. I especially liked the man reading the last names of the workers he found in some type of log at the site. He spoke of reading obituaries of workers who gave 30-40 years of hard work for the Homestead Steel Works What a compilation of footage of Carrie Furnace. Closed in 1986.
Bras Across the Bridge
Sponsored by American Eagle. After Breast Cancer Awareness Month the bras will be laundered and donated to charity. A friend spotted them and emailed me and suggested the Hot Metal Bridge display for the blog. Of course, it was the day I did NOT bring my good camera. I took a Pano on the iPhone.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Fall
Tenth Street Bridge in Fall light on Monday morning on the way to school. You can see the Liberty Bridge behind the Tenth Street Bridge. Bridges and their construction fascinate me. This morning shot from the Birmingham Bridge (I pulled over and stopped with the flashers in the bike lane and there was almost no traffic) But the reflection in the Monongahela River is what made me stop. The river mirror-like this morning, so still. October is my favorite month to shoot and I am going to make a point of leaving for work earlier so I can catch the Autumn Dawn. How great it would have been if the trees had changed colors already but they are just beginning. And V I think I see Prospect Middle School up there on the left top of Mt. Washington (33 years of fortunate students) !!! Oh my.
The Tenth Street Bridge Looks Miniature
The view from the South Side Slopes, on they way home from school last Wednesday. I’ve mentioned Pittsburgh’s topography in previous posts. The scale in this photo emphasizes the hills and valleys, the Monongahela River. Late cause it was Meet and Greet for the parents. The setting sun casts a nice light. Everything lush and green. I don’t remove wires from the photos. As is. Pretend it’s a zipline. I haven’t driven this route for a few months. It’s all new- again.
What’s Under the Rankin Bridge
Back in “real time”. Not that I didn’t enjoy the chance to dig in the archives- but Monday night I was driving by the Rankin Bridge from Swissvale and saw the setting sun on the side of the bridge. Shone like a yellow bridge (it’s actually blue) with the late golden light on it but just an ordinary shot, straight on. It did not “speak” to me. Drove another 50 feet. Stopped at the red light ahead. Saw this view. It seemed to go on forever, the repeat of the braces. Rolled down the window and was able to capture the underbelly of the “Steel cantilever spandrel-braced deck arch “. You can’t tell from this angle that the Monongahela River is seventy five feet below. Or that the bridge is 2,427 feet long! I got that good info from here.
There are a lot of bridges in Pittsburgh. Don’t see underneath them too often, though. You might remember this view from the Rankin Bridge of a barge being pushed by a tug.
If you suffer from gephyrophobia it would be difficult to live in Pittsburgh.
And a new Keep or Pitch post is up today after unannounced hiatus = Back to School adjustment recovery period-
Duchess on the Monongahela River Sequence
