I spent a vacation day shooting in and around the Gettysburg battlefield area on Thursday. Late in the afternoon as we approached the golden hour sun, I knew I had to get over to the Saucks Covered Bridge and see if I could snag a good reflection shot. I had totally forgot about the big evergreens on the opposite shore line. I was worried that I would have a backdrop of leafless trees but was pleasantly surprised to see that the evergreens were not going to disappoint me.
A bronze plaque located near the bridge states: “In 1938, the Pennsylvania Highway Department determined that the Sachs Bridge was the most historic covered bridge in the state”. It makes those claims for good reason. The bridge was used for the movement of both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War battle at nearby Gettysburg in 1863. The bridge, which has also been known as “Sachs Bridge”, was built in 1854 by David Spooner and runs 100 feet across the Marsh Creek in Cumberland Township, PA. In 1996 the bridge was lifted off its foundation and carried a short distance downstream. Repairs were made on the bridge in 1997. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1968 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is said to be a hot spot for ghost hunters seeking contact with the souls of three people who were allegedly hanged at one end of the bridge.
The Gettysburg Battlefield Preservation Association, who owns the bridge, really has done a remarkable job at landscaping and upkeep in the bridge area.
I shot this as seven bracketed RAW frames at 1/3rd stop increments and then combined them into an HDR with Photomatix Pro and finally, tone mapped that image.
