“Would you all please move out of the way?”

I’ve tried photo-capturing the Middle Covered Bridge in Woodstock, Vermont for a couple of years now. And I’ve had varying degrees of success. Mostly mid-line success.

A couple of years ago, I tried capturing the bridge as part of a multi-bridge photo experience that was marred when I traveled down to a ravine for a shot of one bridge and couldn’t get back up to the shoreline.

The Quechee Journey, over rocks and rivers and ravines

Last year, I tried to capture the bridge as part of my Buena Vista Panorama experiment, and although I did get the bridge, it turned into a garish funhouse photo with twisted perspectives. Ugh.

Can I get a Buena Vista Panorama in Woodstock, Vermont?

Didn’t work the way I hoped.

So last Sunday, I threw my Nikon Df in the car, and drove the two-plus miles up to northeastern Vermont for one more try. And in this instance, I simply wanted the photo – and maybe capture it in HDR with plenty of definition.

I arrived in Windsor County at around 11:30 a.m. Found parking at about noon. Yeah, I arrived right in the middle of heavy tourist season. Because of COURSE I did.

But if I want this photo, I have to make sacrifices.

I positioned my camera and tripod at the little road-fork in front of the covered bridge. Examined my surroundings. This bridge has no DOT height warning signs on this side – aces. This bridge has a nice picket fence on either side – aces.

This bridge is loaded with tourists … two-seven off-suit.

And every tourist wanted their photo in front of the Middle Covered Bridge. Which I can certainly understand. And I patiently waited. Waited for my turn. Waited for my shot.

While waiting, I tried different angles and different lenses, testing out what I wanted. But eventually, I settled on a straight-in shot with my 20mm f/2.8 ultrawide.

Okay, if these four people will get out of my frame now … and just as they did, a car slowly drove through the bridge.

Okay, if this car will finally get out of the frame … and just as it did, six more people took their turn in front of the bridge. And several people were visible at the bridge’s other entrance.

After about 45 minutes of this, I figured I had three options. I could:

• (A) take the pictures and digitally crop out as many tourists as possible.
• (B) take a hundred pictures and stitch together the photos, replacing people with chunks of other photos.
• (C) Go over to the Quechee Covered Bridge and try my luck (and two surgically repaired feet) going back down the side and up again.

And in the end, I chose Option (D).

And Option (D) simply meant, after I felt there was enough time for everyone to get their tourist images, I simply asked, “Hey, could I have everybody please wait off-frame for one minute while I get this photo, please? One minute. That’s all I ask.”

Apparently … politeness works.

I got the shot. I superimposed five exposures so I could create a HDR photo later. Then I thanked everyone, packed up my gear, and drove home.

Okay, let’s check this camera chip.

Here are the five images. Great.

Let’s combine them in HDR … and …

Finally. I’ve got foliage, I’ve got covered bridge, I’ve got mountains in the background, THIS is the photo I want.

And I have plans for this photo. Maybe not Competition Season 2025 plans …

But plans nonetheless.