This is the beating heart of the SS Great Britain, in her final resting place in dry(ish) dock in Bristol, UK, which was also where she was built. She was the first iron steamer to cross the Atlantic (in 1845) in the time of 14 days.
Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who managed to get himself quite a reputation in these parts, this engine was the first to top 1000 BHP... (well, in a ship at least).
It's been a hectic few days here, with some critical issues emerging. This visit to SS Great Britain was squeezed in as a necessity for my daughter's school examinations, and gave me ample opportunity to capture something for todays offering.
Shot in very dark conditions and without a tripod, I was forced to brace myself against the structure to try and keep shake to a minimum. This was processed in LR, then tweaked a bit more in Silver Efex 2 to get a more "grungy" feel! :)
Decided on this shot verses another one I'd been considering, mostly due to the contrast between this and Kev's fabulous bluebells shot from yesterday.
(There's a secret behind his success with that, but he's keeping it close to his chest) ;)
First, thanks for the interesting back story. I really like the power & strength that this photo expresses. Being in B&W the detail of the craftsmanship really shows through. Great job Stu.
B&W is truly the best way to show this engine in its glory. The quality of craftsmanship just shines in your shot. Nice to have the history too since we are talking about old equipment.
@leonbuys83@nydelignorsk@jamibann@jackie8@joysabin@clearday - Thanks Guys. I failed to mention that this is just the tip of the engine. I was one deck down, but the engine stretches all the way to the keel (4 decks in total) - the current custodians have kept it turning for the general public to watch
Great B&W image.
great pov & b/w processing