Do not cause bridge to sway

Swinging bridge across the Clinch River, near Clinchport Virginia

In late November, 2025, on a drive from western North Carolina, to my parents home in Wise, Virginia I veered off Highway 23 in order to get closer to some shiny white birch trees along the Clinch River. I quickly came upon a swinging bridge. The bridge was surprising and familiar at the same time. It stirred up some memory I can’t quite name. But, it was six words on the sign at the entrance that I could not get off my mind. Do not cause bridge to sway. I revisited the bridge two more times, wrote an essay, and eventually at the urging of some colleagues at Kinship Photo Collective, I made this short film. I was in a practice group with six other photographers who were exploring the transitional states of water (liquid, solid, gas). The weather pattern I experienced within a 24 hour period provided examples of each of those. The film is a bit over 6 minutes. I’d love it if you give it a watch and leave a comment about what it brings up for you.

If you have trouble playing the video from this platform you can also find it here on my Vimeo page. Following you’ll find a photo gallery of some imagery from my visits to the bridge. I suspect this place is going to be a regular stop for me in coming months. So far, I have not made it to the other side of the river.