Week 11 - The Sands of Time

The Sands of Time

Returning to Ponte da Ajuda (Bridge of Ajuda) - a scene I have visited multiple times. However, on this occasion, with a specific vision of a black and white image. The bridge over the Guadiana River connected Spain and Portugal. It was completed in 1521 and substantially demolished during a war in 1709.

The usual attributes lend themselves to a black and white treatment. The lines in the rock lead to the bridge's textures and shapes. Though it creates a slight visual imbalance, the sudden space in the upper right as the bridge ceases to exist is a critical element of the story - the impact of time.

The bridge symbolizes one of my favorite lyrics by Genesis, the progressive rock band. Song lyrics are copyright protected, so I hesitate to quote them outright. However, they are the final poetic lyrics of "Firth of Fifth" from Selling England by the Pound and worth the 10 seconds it would take to search for them.

The irony of the day's conditions and that lyric inspired me to return to the scene for this week's photo. A dust storm in the Sahara Desert, two thousand plus miles away, had created orange skies over Southern Europe. So, in fact, 'the sands of time' were not solely a metaphor.

f10 1/125 sec ISO 200 Mar 15, 2022