Joe Azure: On This Day : January 5th

It was 79 years ago today that San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was born.

Spanning the Gate

January 5th, 1933 was the day that construction, on what was then the worlds longest suspension bridge, began (it is still the 2nd longest in the US). After more than a decade of lobbying to get the bridge project approved and funded, Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer on the project finally began work on what would become the worlds most famous bridge.

Gating the Fog

The bridge, with its famous International Orange color would be completed in April of 1937 - $1.3 million under the $35 million dollar budget. And in May of the same year, the week-long opening ceremonies were held.

A little over a year ago, I took my first picture of this famous bridge while on my first photography workshop with Aperture Academy (http://www.apertureacademy.com). I will admit that this graceful bridge over the North American Strait had captured my imagination from the first time that I stood next to it at Battery Spencer. Over the course of the year that has followed, this bridge has become a muse for me. I have made it a constant with which to work as I develop my photographic skills and style.

I watch the weather every day for opportunities to catch it in new and different kinds of light. I hike the waterfront and cliff sides, looking for new and interesting compositions (at least for me). The familiar and elusive Fog that we all know an love, is always just around the corner, teasing and taunting photographers. I know that this is one of the most photographed things in the world, but nonetheless I will never grow tired or bored of it.

Enjoy a selection of some of the images I have taken of this majestic and iconic structure!

~joe

FYI - Link to the Album on Google+:

https://plus.google.com/photos/100968313568314999910/albums/5650374756952151025