"Bridge - Clarksville" by Alfredo A. Garcia
Searching through Flickr is certainly an experience. The number of amazing photographers in this beautiful world is phenomenal. I would hate to have created my own Flickr account and taint the wonderful sight with my far below average photography skills. After some perusing, I became curious as to the kind of photos there are of Clarksville on the site. I found this spectacular shot of the bridge spanning the Cumberland River not too long after I searched with a "clarksville, tn" tag. Alfredo Garcia has plenty of spectacular shots, but this one has a lot of character. I like the gloomy skies looming over the rusted bridge. The beat up stop sign in the top right corner simply adds to the foreboding feeling emanating from this photo. I feel an entire story can be formed based on this image alone, which I think would make an excellent writing exercise. The teacher can give the students a specific tag to search for, and then they can choose any picture to create a short tale based on the photo. With this particular shot, a dark urban legend can be formed around this specific bridge that teenagers would tell to all their friends. Some curious kids then would decide to test the legend by exploring it at night and . . . it would go on from there. A lot of potential is there, and the old saying holds true: a picture is worth a thousand words.
I love that picture you found! My son goes to karate down the street from that bridge, and I often find myself looking at it with wonder. I love how you imagined what kind of stories this picture would conjur up!
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly a bridge with a lot of character. Nothing ordinary or normal about it. Pictures can inspire, provoke thought, and instill memories. As each of us has a story to tell, so also do the photos we take. For me, it means one thing and another for you. I think picture work great for English, as they share a lot in common with works of literature. Thanks for sharing your experience with the bridge, Nicole! It truly is a wonder, and the photographer truly captures that aspect of it.
DeleteSuch a lovely picture. I miss that bridge. I also agree with you above comment-- that the picture can be applied in an English classroom. I have always thought that Art is a great way to enhance Literature and to help students understand certain subjective aspects of writing.
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