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Bridgetown, USATo say Portland has a lot of bridges might be an understatement. There's a reason the city has the nickname Bridgetown. In fact, there are often so many bridges in town that I forget which one is which. However, the one I never forget, is the St. John's Bridge. It's the kind of green one that I showed twice in these pictures. I'm not sure why I like it so much, maybe it's the shapes on it, or Cathedral Park right underneath it. However, whether it's your favorite bridge or not, it definitely makes a good photography subject. I've mentioned before my love for lines, which you can really see in the picture from the bottom of the bridge I think they do a good job of naturally framing the photo and drawing your eye to the subject of the photo. However, in this case the bridge itself is he subject, so it's already part of the framing in and of itself.
Let's Talk Cameras
Let's be honest. Cameras are expensive, but nowadays, you don't need a fancy camera to take amazing pictures. Phones today have really good quality cameras, which is nice because then you really don't have to spend money on a camera, and it's so much easier to carry a phone around with you than it is to carry a bigger camera, which is much easier, especially when you're traveling. Personally, I tend to switch between my camera and my iPhone 12 Pro. My camera is a Canon. My mom always used a Canon growing up, so I just inherited my love for the company from her. This is a Canon Rebel t3i, it's probably one of the cheaper Canon's on the market and I personally love how it works. However, sometimes, I can't really tell the difference between the pictures I take on my Canon and my phone. I don't think one is better than the other, I just think it comes down to what you prefer. If a bigger camera is your thing, awesome. If you prefer your cell phone, that's fantastic! Either way, it's always just fun to get out there and start shooting.
Spring FavoritesDon't you just love spring? A nice relief from the cold of winter, the beautiful flowers, and people just seem friendlier as they head outside. Here in Portland though, we have an ongoing joke that after winter, we get what we call "false spring." That means it could be fun and sun one day and pouring down rain the next. While it's something that may be hard to dress for, it's something that can lead to some amazing pictures. These two were taken one week apart. The first weekend it was beautiful and sunny. I made my way to Tom McCall Waterfront Park to see the beautiful and famous cherry blossoms. I went early enough to avoid the crowds and I'm happy I did. I love using lines to frame photos, as you can see with the tree. By using that tree for framing, it also created some depth within the photo, which makes it a little more interesting. I did the same thing at the Woodburn Tulip Festival a week later. This time the stormy clouds made for a great background for the bright colors of the tulips. There was some sun peeking out behind the clouds, so I used it as a way to light the subject, in this case, the tulips. I also love that I found the one pink flower in a field of yellow. I think that helps tell a little story and add more interest to the photo.
(All photos were taken using an iPhone 12 Pro) AuthorEmily Bontrager is the owner of Snapshot Tours. She has lived in Portland for 3 years now and loves wandering the town and taking pictures of the beauty the city has to offer. |