A quiet evening in Rome…

Twilight is one of my most favorite times to photograph – the sky is most beautiful then. The light is balanced between the night sky and all the pretty city lights. The water seems to soak in the most amazing reflections, creating a very painterly image. Early morning and late evening was the perfect time to walk this section of the pedestrian bridge. The view was always impressive and seemed to change during the day. Long exposures paint the water with light, giving it an entirely different texture and color than during the day.

I used a sturdy tripod called a Joby Gorillapod to make this picture It easily holds a camera and lens still during exposure. A cable release or self timer works to reduce any vibration that could be transferred to the camera during exposure. I placed the tripod directly on the widest part of the ledge on the bridge for the best angle.

Another thought is consider white balance settings. Automatic created a very cool look, while Sunny, which was used here warmed things up bit. If you have Live View, you can scroll through the various white balance settings to see which one gives you the look that will be complementary for your visual story.