Hoover Dam and Bridge

kdog · March 7, 2011

I managed to get a new angle on it today.

ian408 · March 7, 2011

Is it really open? Dang, that was a fast build.

Now the question is how did you get such a cool shot?

Cuong · March 7, 2011

A very nice angle no less. How long did it take for you to get up there?

Cuong

Richard · March 7, 2011

Terrific shots, Joel. Very impressive.

David_S85 · March 7, 2011

Holy Cow! Nice positioning there. The water level looks very low, doesn't it? Is the old road over the dam still open to the public?

WillCAD · March 7, 2011

ian408 wrote: »

Is it really open? Dang, that was a fast build.

Now the question is how did you get such a cool shot?

Actually, I believe it took about 6 years.

kdog · March 7, 2011

ian408 wrote: »

Is it really open? Dang, that was a fast build.

Now the question is how did you get such a cool shot?

Fast? Seemed like it took forever. It does make the drive so much better into Vegas for us. However, it's not a panacea because it moved the bottleneck from the dam itself to the village of Boulder City that the highway still passes through. Some day they're supposed to reroute that stretch and then it will be perfect. Still, it's a huge step in the right direction.

Cuong wrote: »

A very nice angle no less. How long did it take for you to get up there?

Cuong

Thanks, Cuong. Didn't take long at all. (see below)

Richard wrote: »

Terrific shots, Joel. Very impressive.

Thanks, Richard!

David_S85 wrote: »

Holy Cow! Nice positioning there. The water level looks very low, doesn't it? Is the old road over the dam still open to the public?

Thanks, David. The old road is open to tourist traffic only. It doesn't go through. I haven't been on it yet since the bridge was open, so I'm not sure exactly how they have it gated or otherwise stop you from going through.

WillCAD wrote: »

Actually, I believe it took about 6 years.

Thanks, Will. That sounds about right. We've been waiting a long time for this.

kdog · March 7, 2011

As to how I positioned myself for the shots, meet my friend Charlie.

Eia · March 7, 2011

Those are cool shots Joel. Do they allow fly overs? I thought for security purposes they wouldn't allow it. #2 is my fave. Lots of detail and stuff to see.

kdog · March 7, 2011

Eia wrote: »

Those are cool shots Joel. Do they allow fly overs? I thought for security purposes they wouldn't allow it. #2 is my fave. Lots of detail and stuff to see.

Thanks, Eia. They don't really allow fly-overs, and we didn't. Those pics were shot from further away than they look. I think we were at 6,000' or higher, and quite a distance away. That top shot is at 190mm on a crop body camera. I'm diggin' my new 70-200 F2.8 MKII. The resolution is just amazing.

WillCAD · March 7, 2011

I'm green with envy, Kdog. I've only been you your part of the country once, in April 2009, but I fell in love with the place and hope to come back. Heck, when the economy finally recovers (assuming I'm not too old by then), I would actually like to live out there for a couple of years.

The day I spent at Hoover Dam, taking pics of the dam and bridge construction and surrounding area, was one of the best in my memory. The place was so beautiful, I didn't want to leave.

bryanj87 · March 7, 2011

Man, you are living the dream. A flyby of that location....sweet shots.

Richard · March 7, 2011

kdog wrote: »

As to how I positioned myself for the shots, meet my friend Charlie.

And here I was thinking, "I wonder how far up Joel had to hike...I'd never do that." I feel much better now. Shows how little I know about the geography there.

black mamba · March 7, 2011

Terrific shots, Joel. I'm half surprised that, in this reactionary world, the boys on the ground didn't send a couple of ground-to-air missiles your way....even if you were at a distance. I'm only being about half facetious.

Tom

Doug Solis · March 7, 2011

Great perspective, thanks for taking the effort, best shot I'lve ever seen of both bridge and dam.

jdryan3 · March 7, 2011

kdog wrote: »

As to how I positioned myself for the shots, meet my friend Charlie.

Cheater!!!

:nono

But really cool shots in any event. I really like the second one.

BradfordBenn · March 7, 2011

Amazing shots. Really like them, although the helicopter is cheating. I am thinking it might be worth getting a helicopter tour next time I am in Vegas.

kdog · March 7, 2011

Eia wrote: »

Those are cool shots Joel. Do they allow fly overs? I thought for security purposes they wouldn't allow it. #2 is my fave. Lots of detail and stuff to see.

Thanks, Eia! It technically wasn't a fly-over because we were off to the side. Charlie's pretty conservative, so I'm sure we were well outside any restricted zone.

WillCAD wrote: »

I'm green with envy, Kdog. I've only been you your part of the country once, in April 2009, but I fell in love with the place and hope to come back. Heck, when the economy finally recovers (assuming I'm not too old by then), I would actually like to live out there for a couple of years.

The day I spent at Hoover Dam, taking pics of the dam and bridge construction and surrounding area, was one of the best in my memory. The place was so beautiful, I didn't want to leave.

Hey Will, I'm real glad to be here, believe me. Having grown up on the east coast, it was my dream to live in the southwest at some point. It's everything I hoped it would be, and more.

bryanj87 wrote: »

Man, you are living the dream. A flyby of that location....sweet shots.

Thanks, Bryan. See my comments above to Will. I'm from Mass, and believe me, I thank the great spirit every day I'm here in Arizona.

Richard wrote: »

And here I was thinking, "I wonder how far up Joel had to hike...I'd never do that." I feel much better now. Shows how little I know about the geography there.

Haha, no worries, Richard. If I'd seen those shots and didn't know, I'd probably be wandering all over that area myself looking for that spot to shoot in.

Seriously, that perspective is funky. The foreground could be right in front of you.

black mamba wrote: »

Terrific shots, Joel. I'm half surprised that, in this reactionary world, the boys on the ground didn't send a couple of ground-to-air missiles your way....even if you were at a distance. I'm only being about half facetious.

Tom

Thanks, Tom! I hear ya, and think Charlie has a sixth sense about staying out of harms way. You know they say about pilots -- there are good pilots and dead pilots. :wow

Doug Solis wrote: »

Great perspective, thanks for taking the effort, best shot I'lve ever seen of both bridge and dam.

Thanks, Doug! That's high praise indeed.

TreyHoff · March 8, 2011

Very cool! I was there 4 years ago when they were pouring the piers.

grimace · March 8, 2011

Great looking shots Joel!!

kdog · March 8, 2011

jdryan3 wrote: »

Cheater!!! :nono

But really cool shots in any event. I really like the second one.

Haha, thanks, David. I'd rather cheat than not get the shot.

So you like the wider angle shot, eh? I thought you were a details guy.

kdog · March 8, 2011

BradfordBenn wrote: »

Amazing shots. Really like them, although the helicopter is cheating. I am thinking it might be worth getting a helicopter tour next time I am in Vegas.

Thanks, Benn! I guess I didn't cheat then, because it was actually a small airplane, not a chopper.

The helicopter tour looks pretty cool, although I don't know anyone who's done it.

TreyHoff wrote: »

Very cool! I was there 4 years ago when they were pouring the piers.

Thanks, Trey. Yeah, I remember them pouring those piers, and then building the supporting arch. It was a very slow process and seemed like they'd never get it done.

Most folks have seen this shot, but I'll post in anyway for folks that might not have been around back then.

July 11, 2009. They had just installed the last piece of the connecting arch, and a welder is connecting the rebar. That red trail is the welding sparks.

WillCAD · March 8, 2011

I always loved that pic.

NorthernFocus · March 8, 2011

Good stuff

PGM · March 8, 2011

Joel, I especially like the second shot. Great way to get the perfect angle, too! Best, Pam

Ric Grupe · March 8, 2011

What a contrast between the landscape and the man-made stuff!

As impressive as man's effort are......the landscape still humbles it.

Extra neat goodness here, Joel.

Dam Nice!

shniks · March 8, 2011

Very VERY cool shots. The first shot looks like a miniature!

Cheers,

kdog · March 9, 2011

grimace wrote: »

Great looking shots Joel!!

Thanks, Adam!

WillCAD wrote: »

I always loved that pic.

Thanks a bunch, Will. I have that hanging on 20x30 metal in my home entry way.

NorthernFocus wrote: »

Good stuff

Thanks, Dan. Glad you like 'em.

PGM wrote: »

Joel, I especially like the second shot. Great way to get the perfect angle, too! Best, Pam

Thanks, Pam. Another vote for the wide-angle. You can't beat the scenery there, the more the better I guess.

Ric Grupe wrote: »

What a contrast between the landscape and the man-made stuff!

As impressive as man's effort are......the landscape still humbles it.

Extra neat goodness here, Joel.

Dam Nice!

Thanks, Ric! Funny video. We've been talking about that "Dam traffic" for years around here.

shniks wrote: »

Very VERY cool shots. The first shot looks like a miniature!

Cheers,

Thanks, Nikhil. Good to see you around.

Cheers,
-joel

Hoover Dam and Bridge

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