Mark VanDyke Photography
Charleston's Newest Functional & Iconic Landmark
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Cooper River Bridge
Charleston County, Lowcountry South Carolina
Accessed via U.S. Highway Seventeen (17)
Date taken: March 18, 2013
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, named for the South Carolina senator who initiated fund-raising efforts for its construction, is an eight-lane, cable-stayed suspension bridge connecting downtown Charleston with nearby Mount Pleasant via U.S. 17 over the Cooper River. The main span is 1,546 feet long (the 3rd longest cable-stay in the Western hemisphere), with 128 individual cables connected to two 575-foot high diamond shaped towers. Built to withstand nature and man respectively, the New Cooper River Bridge was designed with 1-acre rock islands around each diamond-shaped tower to prevent shipping accidents, structural features to withstand wind gusts up to three-hundred miles-an-hour, as well as up to a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. Not just a transportation project, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge also includes a 12-foot wide pedestrian and bicycle path named "Wonder's Way," after Garrett Wonders, a Charleston resident who was training for the 2004 Olympics before being killed in a bicycle/vehicle accident. And because I'm a construction guy, the bridge has been widely known as one (if not the most) impressive project in the state's history. Construction proceeded in a design-build project delivery method and a joint venture, resulting in completion nearly one year early and under budget. The bridge officially opened on July 16, 2005.
Friend and professional photographer Dave Allen was gracious enough to show me Charleston two years ago on a fast and furious day trip that ended with a sunset at the bridge. At the time I had neither the skill nor the gear to capture a picture that did the bridge any justice. So, nearly two years later, I'm behind the game a bit but I finally snagged myself a pic while on a trip to Charleston with my mother! As usual for me, I went a touch wider in the composition, including the last covered structure of the fishing pier at Mount Pleasant's Memorial Waterfront Park. And while I was originally concerned that the party-boat moving painfully slow through the scene would destroy the picture, the light streak that resulted became an element that I really liked in the final comp. A big thanks to Dave Allen for the roots of this shot and to my mother who accompanied me on this evening to capture the image.
Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 lens
Charleston's Newest Functional & Iconic Landmark
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Cooper River Bridge
Charleston County, Lowcountry South Carolina
Accessed via U.S. Highway Seventeen (17)
Date taken: March 18, 2013
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, named for the South Carolina senator who initiated fund-raising efforts for its construction, is an eight-lane, cable-stayed suspension bridge connecting downtown Charleston with nearby Mount Pleasant via U.S. 17 over the Cooper River. The main span is 1,546 feet long (the 3rd longest cable-stay in the Western hemisphere), with 128 individual cables connected to two 575-foot high diamond shaped towers. Built to withstand nature and man respectively, the New Cooper River Bridge was designed with 1-acre rock islands around each diamond-shaped tower to prevent shipping accidents, structural features to withstand wind gusts up to three-hundred miles-an-hour, as well as up to a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. Not just a transportation project, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge also includes a 12-foot wide pedestrian and bicycle path named "Wonder's Way," after Garrett Wonders, a Charleston resident who was training for the 2004 Olympics before being killed in a bicycle/vehicle accident. And because I'm a construction guy, the bridge has been widely known as one (if not the most) impressive project in the state's history. Construction proceeded in a design-build project delivery method and a joint venture, resulting in completion nearly one year early and under budget. The bridge officially opened on July 16, 2005.
Friend and professional photographer Dave Allen was gracious enough to show me Charleston two years ago on a fast and furious day trip that ended with a sunset at the bridge. At the time I had neither the skill nor the gear to capture a picture that did the bridge any justice. So, nearly two years later, I'm behind the game a bit but I finally snagged myself a pic while on a trip to Charleston with my mother! As usual for me, I went a touch wider in the composition, including the last covered structure of the fishing pier at Mount Pleasant's Memorial Waterfront Park. And while I was originally concerned that the party-boat moving painfully slow through the scene would destroy the picture, the light streak that resulted became an element that I really liked in the final comp. A big thanks to Dave Allen for the roots of this shot and to my mother who accompanied me on this evening to capture the image.
Gear: Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 lens