IJzerhouten spoorbrug over de Enimrivier 1921 - 1922

This is an anonymous photograph of an ironwood railway bridge over the Enim River. The way the image is composed makes me think about the anonymous maker's process, about the choices they made in capturing this particular view. I'm drawn to the textures. The rough, hewn timber of the bridge supports contrasts so much with the delicate foliage and the smooth, reflective water. Then there’s the bridge structure itself, a crisscross of ironwood, a perfect geometry, slicing across the wildness. Look how this creates a strong diagonal, which takes the eye on a journey from the bottom left to the top right of the image. It feels like a conversation between industry and nature. It reminds me a little bit of some of the New Topographics photographers, like Robert Adams. It speaks to the way that photography invites us to find beauty and meaning in unexpected places. Ultimately, what does this mean? Well, it's up to you to decide.