Ultimate

clifffawcett

Towering Bridge

Iconic Tower Bridge as the lights come on and the sun disappears a new beauty emerges

Iconic Tower Bridge as the lights come on and the sun disappears a new beauty emerges
Read less

DSLR-A200

Aperture f/20.0 ISO 100 Shutter 87/1

upload_date

Aug, 2014

Views

1428

Likes

+102

Awards

Featured

Contest Finalist in 850 Bridges At Night Photo Contest

Peer Award

+48

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Love it

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 30 rank week 2

Top 20 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo from the Southbank in London. There is a little hidden alleyway near London Bridge that not many people know or go to. It offers a great angle back towards the Bridge and the City.

Time

It was late in the day on cool May evening. I'd only recently returned to London after being away from the city for over a year and had only recently got into photography whilst I'd been away. I really wanted to capture Tower Bridge - an iconic sight, captured in so many ways - from my perspective. There were no other photographers around, it was around 9.30pm on May 23rd 2014.

Lighting

I wanted to capture the towering majesty of London bridge, so it was all about waiting for the sun to go down and the lights to come on along the towers and the bridge - this would draw the viewers eye in the right way. The clouds, remnants of the sunset and city lights created more beautiful lines and a pleasant halo around the bridge, making it pop even more.

Equipment

This was shot on a battered and bruised Sony A200 with a tripod. It was all about waiting for the right time, having the aperture as small as possible to create the long exposure to give the clouds soft lines.

Inspiration

Tower Bridge is one of my favourite buildings and spots in London, It is such an incredible monument and feature in the city. Finding places that few other people know, to create new angles was the aim. This shot was taken low, just above the lapping waters of the Thames. This was perfect to create the feel I wanted, the rising majesty of a Victorian structure - towering far above the frantic City Of London behind.

Editing

I made simple amends to this in Lightroom. At the time I was still getting to grips with a lot of post processing techniques so I kept it simple to focus the viewers attention and make sure the bridge really popped, without going overboard. The one technique that really helped make this image for me was split toning - bringing more warmth into the lights and stone bricks (with an orange hue) on the bridge and cooling the sky and surrounding waters down (with a blue hue).

In my camera bag

I don't own a lot of gear. I learnt my photography skills whilst travelling and for months I had an old camera and a kit lens and I just learnt to get it right in camera. I still believe in this ethos. Now I travel with a Nikon D7100 (a big step up to what I learnt on, and I love it). I have a the Nikon 18-200 3.5/5.6 lens, which means I can focus on the shot and the right perspective without changing lens. But I also always have my Nikon 35mm 1.8, it's such a great, simple cheap lens which creates incredible shots. I also carry a tripod and ND filters for long exposures. My advice keep it simple and just enjoying shooting. You make the shot, not the gear!

Feedback

Arrive early. Leave late. You may have a shot in mind. You may not. But giving yourself time, arriving early, to see what's happening, you can start to plan where great shots may lie. You can start to think of the right places for the right shots as the light evolves. By being prepared you can be ready to react when the light changes in ways you didn't expect, or be in place when it does what you did expect (which is rare!). And leave late - the sun may be gone but your work is just getting started. Once the sun dips behind the horizon line, that is a great moment for City photography as the brightness in the sky matches that in the city. Perfect.

See more amazing photos, follow clifffawcett

clifffawcett

clifffawcett

Towering Bridge

Iconic Tower Bridge as the lights come on and the sun disappears a new beauty emerges

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow clifffawcett

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes. Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.