Apologies for my absence over the past couple of weeks -- my parents came out to visit, which didn't give me much time to post any photos.
This is somewhat of a postcard photo (i.e. done to death), but I was feeling that, with all the night-time city photography I do, to be missing a half-decent light trail photo from my portfolio was a bit of an oversight.
Unfortunately for this type of photo (but fortunately in many other ways), Vancouver has eschewed the typical North American model of having freeways running directly into the heart of the city, so I went to the next nearest place -- Seattle, WA.
This photo was taken from an overpass at the entrance to Doctor Jose Rizal Park, directly south of the downtown core of Seattle. From this angle, the Space Needle is hidden, but there is a great view of the Columbia Center, the tallest building in Seattle. In the foreground, the I-5 passes through on the way to the Canadian border.
ISO 100, f/11 used to get some sparkle to the street lights. Two exposures blended together, 15 seconds for the traffic and 60 seconds for the city and moving clouds. Care had to be taken to take the shots when there was minimal traffic crossing the overpass -- buses in particular would cause the tripod and camera to visibly shake for several seconds!
I'm a British software developer and photographer living in Vancouver, BC. I mainly photograph landscapes, cityscapes, night scenes, and water.
If you're interested in any...
Thanks for the info on the blending of the two exposures. Looking forward to getting to that point.
I lived in Seattle from age 23 to 32 (I'm 49 now), and I spent a fair amount of time playing in BC. I miss the PNW. Thanks for this moment of nostalgia.
Excellent shot. Twelfth Avenue South Viewpoint is another spot to try, I got a shot of the King Dome and Space Needle from that location. I guess it would be Quest Field and the Needle now.
Awesome shot. I frequent Seattle often so next time I'll try and find this spot- assuming no rain. Hmmm almost like geocaching for photos opportunities :)
@brianl I do that all the time -- Flickr's map view is awesome for this! When I'm visiting somewhere it can be pretty much impossible to find some of these viewpoints by accident, you only discover them if you live there, so I'm never afraid to pinch someone else's location!
Bear in mind there is an evil bridge railing in the way, so you will need a tall tripod, a tripod with some extra degrees of freedom, or something to clamp directly onto the bridge, to avoid getting the rail in shot. Here's an absolutely horrific setup shot (camera pointing in a slightly different direction for a super-wide shot that may follow in a few days): http://www.snoopy.me.uk/misc/365project/seattletripod.jpg
@abirkill Hey thanks for the tip. My tripod looks to be as flexible as yours so I think I'm good. I'll jot the name of this park down for future reference.
i very seldom make it here but i'm never disappointed with what i see. great shot. taking note of your settings, i just might do one like this one of these evenings.
I lived in Seattle from age 23 to 32 (I'm 49 now), and I spent a fair amount of time playing in BC. I miss the PNW. Thanks for this moment of nostalgia.
Its always a joy, when I see that you've posted a shot. Impressive as ever!
Fav!
Bear in mind there is an evil bridge railing in the way, so you will need a tall tripod, a tripod with some extra degrees of freedom, or something to clamp directly onto the bridge, to avoid getting the rail in shot. Here's an absolutely horrific setup shot (camera pointing in a slightly different direction for a super-wide shot that may follow in a few days):
http://www.snoopy.me.uk/misc/365project/seattletripod.jpg