The Story

Unlike most of my photographs, the most valuable element of this panorama is the story behind its creation. I went from Poland to Cambridge, MA for the CopyrightX Summit at Harvard Law School and revisited New York for a few days on that occasion. One day, I was wandering with my gear on the Williamsburg Bridge and spotted a construction site with a ladder behind a fence in restricted area, leading to the higher parts of the bridge. As I had walked through the bridge numerous times when I still lived in New York, I was well aware that police "golf cars" were patrolling the bridge on a regular basis, and that any activities, such as trespassing or climbing structures are illegal and may result in severe consequences, including arrest, confiscation of photography gear and deportation (as I'm not a citizen or a resident). Not to mention that climbing was hazardous, because it was very easy to slip and fall on the road below. I didn't think much, however, climbed on the fence and went up the ladder. I was seeking an adrenaline rush and a unique spot to capture the panorama.

When I made it to the top around the time of sunset, I realized the air and the sky looked different, less clear, or even slightly foggy. The next day I learned it was due to the smog coming from burning forests in... Canada. This made it all look a little misty.

The creation process was terribly difficult. At some point I lost hope that I could get what I needed. And what I needed were at least three sharp and clean horizontal shots, which I could later stack into one panorama. Accomplishing such a task when shooting with a tele-lens, even on a tripod, using quite a long exposure, seemed barely possible, considering the place (a kind of a very uncomfortable nest at a constructions site near the top of the bridge) and the conditions (the bridge shaking from the uninterrupted train and car traffic below, strong wind). Using a remote, I took a long series of shots covering each part of the skyline and after about an hour which I spent there, I still wasn't sure if the material was good enough, but it was time to go anyway, because every other minute increased the risk of serious problems. Back in my studio it appeared that out of around 100 shots I took there, I was able to retrieve literally three sharp ones. Anyway, the whole effort was worth it and the adventure itself became a fantastic memory.

Location: Williamsburg Bridge, New York