I’ve probably been to San Francisco half a dozen times or more, but it wasn’t until this past July that I finally saw the Golden Gate Bridge from any reasonable distance. It gave me an excuse to play with my then-new Olympus E-P1 Digital PEN. I was really impressed with the result… it produces great photographs for such a small package.
Rob says
Great picture.
I’ve always wondered if there was a specific reason why the bridge is red. Is it made out of some unique material? Was it intended to be red for aesthetics?
Mark says
The color is called “International Orange.” It was chosen for visibility and compatibility with its surroundings. It’s painted, so the color has nothing to the material of the bridge (steel). It has been repainted completely a few times as paint technology advanced over the years. The areas with the most amount of fading and wear are repainted continuously.
jp says
heheh, your camera has a small package.
Mark says
Only when its lens isn’t fully extended. 🙂
denparser says
NO! about the color of the bridge? it was been chosen by the late president where the bridge is constructed, in his time he chooses that color as his favorite color will be painted.
Michael says
It’s a wonderful photo.
At the hypertechnical level, it isn’t paint at all, it’s primer. The folks in Marin County (wisely) liked what they saw as the primer was being applied and lobbied for the color to be permanent. (International Orange)
The near tower’s caisson was the first ever to be constructed in “open” ocean.
Although very calm in appearance the currents at that point are among the most treacherous anywhere.
On average, two million cubic feet of water per second are moving through the strait at that point. In weight, that’s the equivalent of 47,000 Toyota Corollas, each second, being pushed under the bridge. Did I mention “each second?”
More water weight passes under the bridge and presses against the towers in a single day than all of the vehicular weight to cross the bridge over the over the past seventy years or so.
Money Funk says
That is one beautiful photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. *brings back many good memories of SF* 🙂