Taking place yearly in Long Island’s Hamptons, The Bridge is an annual exhibition bringing the world’s rarest post-war competition cars together to one, exclusive destination. Held at a private golf club on the land formerly occupied by the legendary Bridgehampton Race Circuit, the event is fully dedicated to preserving and calling attention to historic vehicles and the qualities that set them apart. I attended the event last Saturday, September 17th, documenting the occasion as it unfolded.
I photographed at The Bridge event with the brand new Hasselblad X2D 100C.
The layout of The Bridge highlighted the event’s interest in not only the historic vehicles themselves, but also the detail and artisanship that completes each model exhibited. I spent the day capturing the atmosphere with the newly released Hasselblad X2D 100C, a camera that truly makes a difference when it comes to detail, focus, and the art of photographing outdoors over the course of a full day.
Czinger’s 21C in blue and the new 21C V Max in red.
Arriving at the event along with invitees including collectors, rare car experts and designers, I was struck by the rolling scenery of the Bridgehampton Race Circuit, which struck an alluring contrast with the contours and color of the 330+ vehicles displayed across the lawns.
Attendees of The Bridge VI admiring the new Czinger 21C V Max
The Hasselblad X2D’s new and improved continuous drive mode allowed me to capture fleeting moments with proud owners and spontaneous shots of other guests admiring the vehicles. As I photographed the event, I was able to photograph the vehicles’ interiors unobstructed, resulting in crystal-clear shots of everything from dashboards to the details of interior fabrics. Every vehicle I focused on featured a unique fabric, meaning I needed to adjust my exposure depending on the quality of the material. When it came to darker fabrics, the Hasselblad X2D’s user-friendly exposure settings captured the richness of the dark colors without subduing the bright backdrops behind them.
Interior of the 2024 Aston Martin Valhalla at The Bridge VI
Photographing car interiors often had me trying out various vantage points at an angle, which might have been cumbersome in any other case. However, the Hasselblad X2D’s screen display conveniently tilts back just enough to allow shooting at low angles, allowing me to capture the interiors at eye level without losing dexterity or compromising my positioning.
The Bridge VI in Bridgehampton, NY
Most of the day saw bright, sunny weather that would usually contribute a less-than-stellar amount of glare to a series of photographs. The polarizing filter I paired with the Hasselblad allowed me to minimize glare while bringing out natural hues and avoiding color blow-out. Thanks to the X2D’s flexible post-processing options, I was able to coax out even more of the car colors’ richness after reviewing them later that night. I also noticed that no quality was lost after cropping some of the images, which I can attribute to the camera’s 100 megapixel capacity.
Sunset at The Bridge VI
As the day wound down to a gold-tinged afternoon, I noticed I had been shooting continuously for five hours. At that point, it was time to change the battery to capture the remaining half hour of the event, but the camera’s battery life had lasted longer than the previous XD model I’ve shot with in the past. Lightweight and easy to navigate, the Hasselblad XD2 improved my experience photographing the event significantly; in between pointing and shooting, I had plenty of time to take in the majesty of each vehicle and really hone in on their physical intricacies instead of fiddling with camera settings. Overall, the Bridge VI once again brought the year’s most anticipated garden party to new heights, inviting the racing world’s crown jewels to historic grounds.
