The Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, Oregon is something I visit and shoot frequently. It’s close enough to where I live that I can get out and back in half a day, which is nice. I don’t get a lot of windows to shoot that are longer than that. The weather in Newport is always changing and it’s an impressive structure.
The big draw for me is to spend time around the legacy of New Deal infrastructure projects that dot the Oregon coast. Yes, there once was a time when our own government invested in putting low-skill laborers to work, en’ masse. Tens of thousands of workers build thousands of schools, bridges, dams, trails, and other structures around the US. Many still stand, and many are still in heavy use today. The Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport is a great example. You can find several other New Deal infrastructure projects in Oregon, including the Cape Creek Bridge near Heceta Head Lighthouse. The Hoover Dam is the result of a New Deal project.
I wish we could find the will to invest in national infrastructure again. Things that benefit everyone. It might go a long way to reminding us what we are capable of when we work for the common good. It might bring a little pride back to people and places left behind by changes in industry and economic currents. We have so many cities and towns culturally stuck in historical industry because we never gave them something to replace their lost income and way of life. Certainly building up again would remind us that empathy is more of a strength than a weakness. But I digress…
For as many times as I’ve come out to Newport to shoot the bridge, I always seem to arrive at the same time of day. Midday, maybe 11:30. Not the best time of day for color photography. At this time of day I like working out here with digital infrared. My old FujiFilm GSW690 seems to be a good fit for midday light as well. I don’t use it a lot, but it’s super nice to work with a 120 6×9 negative. When you nail focus, exposure and processing, there’s nothing like it. I made this one while testing a GFX100RF.