The Hoover Dam is a pinnacle of engineering and technological acumen. Norwegian-born artist Oskar Hansen, whose creations are prominently displayed around the structure, once compared the dam to such other manmade masterpieces as the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Today, water from the dam irrigates more than 1,000,000 acres of land annually, while electricity generated averages about 4.2 terawatts a year.

To add to its spectacular scale, the new Hoover Dam Bypass (also known as the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge) was just completed last October, linking the states of Nevada and Arizona 900 feet above the Colorado River. The 1,900-foot-long structure, which is the second-highest bridge in the United States, took nearly six years to complete. “The bridge is really a neat architectural feat,” says Tamron photographer Ken Hubbard, who recently took a trip to the dam and bridge with fellow Tamron photographer Andre Costantini. “The whole new section is designed as a tourist area—there’s a lot of walking involved, so they created these circular ‘resting’ areas with placards that explain the whole construction of the bridge.”

To capture the beauty and expanse of this legendary landmark, Costantini and Hubbard brought along Tamron’s own engineering and technological masterpiece: the 18-270mm VC lens. “This lens was ideal for visiting the Hoover Dam,” says Costantini. “You basically can’t cover a subject that has such great scale if you don’t have a really wide latitude of zoom range — and this lens has that.”

The 18-270’s Vibration Compensation (VC) feature proved invaluable for Hubbard and Costantini, who shot everything handheld during their trip. “There were so many people in tight areas, so a tripod isn’t the best thing to have there,” explains Hubbard. “Plus it was midday, so we didn’t really need a tripod. However, it’s so unbelievably windy there out in the Black Canyon — in fact, during construction of the bridge, a crane actually blew over and knocked out one of the support beams, which threw off construction for more than a year. Because of that wind, which blows you around pretty good, the VC came in really handy to keep everything sharp.”

The new piezo drive incorporated into the 18-270 lens also made it the perfect travel companion. “The whole design of the lens is 24 percent smaller and 18 percent lighter, in part because of this new drive,” says Costantini. “That makes a big difference in terms of carrying and handling.” Quicker autofocusing is another benefit of the new drive that helped during their Hoover Dam expedition, according to Hubbard: “When you’re on-location at a popular place like this, you have to expect a lot of people all of the time,” he says. “With the quick focusing ability of this lens, you can zoom in, focus, and take the picture you want before anyone gets in your way.”

Capturing the expanse of the dam and nearby bridge, which traverses the Colorado River, was streamlined with the 18-270. “I was able to get a nice wide shot of the dam and the river, with the bridge in the background, at 18mm in the early afternoon,” says Hubbard. “You get a sense of everything that’s going on there. Inside the dam itself are the generators; all the wires you see everywhere transport the electricity from the generators. It’s all part of the purpose and function of the dam.”

Costantini was interested in showing the immense scope of the inside of the dam itself but needed an appropriate way to do so. “I was standing on the edge of the dam, looking down at the expanse, but it was hard to get a sense of scale,” he says. “That’s where that staircase in the bottom right of the picture came in. It really added perspective to the image.”

The 18-270 also allowed the photographers to zoom in on the details: everything from the cables and wires used to transport electricity to some of the more artistic elements incorporated into the structure. They sought out exit signs. curved banisters leading into pedestrian walkways , and various artwork around the facility. Notable among this artwork are the numerous statues and plaques dedicated to the more than 110 people who died during the construction of the dam — the ones who “died to make the desert bloom.” Costantini used the 18-270 to capture different angles of one metal rendition of a worker hanging off of one of the dam’s cliffs: one shot focuses solely on a close-up of the sculpture itself, while another one shows him tethered to the side, the new bypass elegantly incorporated into the background.

Perhaps the most intriguing photographic subjects at the dam and bypass are the two Winged Figures of the Republic, designed by Oskar Hansen as part of the monument of dedication on the Nevada side of the dam. The 30-foot-high sculptures, which contain more than 4 tons of statuary bronze, were formed by pouring 2,500-degree-Fahrenheit bronze into sand molds; to avoid marring the polished finish, the sculptures were centered on blocks of ice and carefully slid into place as the ice melted.

The 18-270 allowed the photographers to show these artistic renderings from all different perspectives. Hubbard captured the imposing winged figures in profile, for example, while Costantini used the lens to zoom in and concentrate on the sculptures’ feet. “Legend has it that you’re supposed to rub the statues’ feet for good luck,” he explains. “That’s why they look the way they do — everyone touching the feet makes the tarnish come off over time.”