The Bridges of Portland, OR

Using a vintage Pentax 35mm film camera to photograph the 12 iconic bridges that cross the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.

The Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge

Photographs by ZieBee Media Team Member, Carly Kephart

Captured on March 17, 2024 using a Fujifilm XT-5 with 33mm fixed lens.

Interested in purchasing prints of this film photograph or in using it for your own project?

Please get in touch, we’re happy to make that happen.

The Burnside Bridge, 35mm film

Photograph by Mackenzie Bakewell

Captured on January 7, 2024 using a Pentax ME Super film camera with Ilford ISO 400 Black and White film.

First Stop: THe Burnside Bridge

“The Burnside Bridge is a 1926-built bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, carrying Burnside Street. It is the second bridge at the same site to carry that name. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012,” (source: Wikipedia).

I noticed that photographing this bridge with film was very different from my previous times photographing the bridge with my DSLR.

It really slowed the photography experience down and made me look more closely at the composition, the lighting, and the interesting details of the bridge. It felt more closely to making art, because it was about the experience itself, with no idea what the end result will look like until days or weeks later.

The entire late-morning adventure took about 1.5 hours and I walked about 2 miles total, crossing the bridge from the east side, going to Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and then walking back again. Photographed in January 2024.

The Story behind the Project

This photography project is a celebration of the love this city has for our bridges and the art (and effort) that went into creating them.

Why shoot in film?

Because film captures light in a way that digital cameras do not. And even with its extra costs, the investment has been worth the photographs I’ve captured so far.

I’ve fallen in love with film, and I am excited to re-energize my photography art as I explore my city’s iconic bridges with fresh eyes for all their beauty.

Thanks for joining on this photography adventure,

~ZieBee

More Photographs Coming Soon.

Photographs for this project are taken by Mackenzie Bakewell with a Pentax ME Super using Ilford ISO 400 Black and White Film. Additional color photographs have been taken by ZieBee Team members with our Panasonic Lumix G DMC-GM1.

Let’s Connect

Hello, my name is Mackenzie Bakewell (ZieBee for short) and I am the founder and lead author and artist here at ZieBee Media. If you’d like to connect about self-publishing, wholesale book orders, or the art of coloring, drop me a line to get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you!