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Moon Over The Vincent Thomas Bridge

NIKON D7200

settings

Aperture 63/10 ISO 100 Shutter 25/10 Focal Length 860/10

upload_date

Dec, 2016

Views

1543

Likes

+134

Awards

Contest Finalist in Bridges In The Night Photo Contest

Featured

Contest Finalist in Bridges At Night Photo Contest

Peer Award

+31

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Absolute Masterpiece

Magnificent Capture

Outstanding Creativity

All Star

Genius

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Behind The Lens

Location

The Vincent Thomas Bridge spans the Los Angles Harbor from Long Beach to San Pedro. This shot was taken from the north side in San Pedro, at a spot called Knoll Hill which overlooks the port.

Time

The bridge it a beautiful subject anytime of the day, but I really wanted to shoot it at night. The shot was taken about 30 minutes after sunset, just after moonrise.

Lighting

The lights on the bridge and the port add a lot of detail to the shot, and the light trails from the traffic on the bridge add a feeling of motion to the long exposure. It happened to be the night of a full moon which aligned closely with the bridge from my vantage point, which made the shot extra special.

Equipment

I use a Nikon D7200 camera. This was shot using my standard Nikon 18-140mm zoom. Because it's a long exposure a tripod is a must - I used my Koolehaoda lightweight tripod.

Inspiration

I've spent a lot of time near the waterfront in San Pedro before, but I had never shot the bridge at night. I spent some time researching the best location to get the angle I was looking for and decided to take a chance one night and went up to get my shot. By some coincidence I discovered that night was going to be a full moon which would rise near the location of the bridge.

Editing

I always shoot raw, usually at a low ISO like 100, which works well for long exposures like this. I import all my photos to Lightroom and usually make some adjustments to it. With this one I increased the saturation and some of the color in the lights to make them shine a little brighter, as well as increased some of the blue in the early night sky.

In my camera bag

My standard lens on my camera is an 18-140mm zoom - a little longer than the standard kit lens so I don't have to swap lenses as much. I also carry a Nikon 70-300mm zoom for long shots as well as a 9mm fisheye. My lightweight Koolehaoda tripod goes with me everywhere, along with a shutter release, lens cleaner, and extra batteries. I carry it all in a Case Logic sling backpack.

Feedback

Anything with some architectural character makes for a great subject, and bridges are no exception. Lights add some character to the shot and the light trails from the cars add a feeling of motion. The most important thing is to find the right angle. Research your subject and the area around it to find the best spot to get the shot. Use online tools like Google Earth and the Streetside feature on Bing Maps to find the perfect location to stand, as well as the best way to get there. Also, whether shooting sunsets or moonrises, use a smartphone app like Planets or Starwalk which superimposes the path of the sun and moon over your phone's camera so you can locate the best angle to incorporate them into your shot.

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Moon Over The Vincent Thomas Bridge

Behind The Lens

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