This shot of the Lions Gate Bridge is taken from the north side, a more unusual vantage point for this bridge. Getting here requires quite literally parking on the wrong side of the tracks!
I've tried to take this photo a few times before, but it's really tricky to get the tide at just the right height -- too low and the reflections aren't complete, too high and the water isn't smooth.
Earlier this week, I managed to get it just right, and although it involved me getting wet feet, and having to move backwards a couple of times as the tide came in, I was able to get the complete bridge reflected at sunset.
Not only that, but the setting moon moved perfectly into frame just as the lights of the bridge came on -- I couldn't have planned it any better!
The bridge is really towering above you from this vantage point, so I needed an extremely wide field of view to capture the whole thing, including the reflections. Even my wide-angle lens couldn't get it all in, so this is a three-column by two-row panoramic photo. To capture the dynamic range of the bright post-sunset horizon, I also used 5-shot exposure bracketing, taking a total of 30 images that were used to produce this final photograph.
Returning in the dark to where I had parked the car, I was pleased to discover it was still there, although less pleased to have to wait twenty minutes with wet feet while a complex shunting procedure on the train tracks prevented me from getting back across!
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...
Faving Not only because it is a beautiful image, but because of the effort involved in getting it right and also the fact that it is 30 images rolled into one perfect one.
