Forth Bridge

The railway bridge at Queensferry has spanned the mouth of the Firth of Forth since 1890. With a main span of 521 metres and a total length of 2,523 metres, it dwarfed everything that had come before it when it opened. 54,000 tonnes of steel rest here on massive granite foundations, defying the tides ever since. It’s a fascinating sight, watching trains shuttle back and forth on two tracks across this immense structure while ships pass beneath. At any rate, the Forth Bridge has thoroughly earned its place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

I’d stayed right at the foot of the bridge in South Queensferry, which meant the photo spot was practically on my doorstep. For the shots I’d planned in the late afternoon, though, the light simply wasn’t there. It was one of those grey days when the sun couldn’t win the battle against the clouds. It was only once night fell that I got my opportunity, since daylight no longer mattered and I could work entirely with artificial light instead.

A key part of composing the shot was controlling the light sources with precision. I found a spot on the shore from which the floodlights beneath the bridge lined up exactly centred between the piers. I also adjusted the aperture deliberately, to capture their light as distinct starbursts. Lens flare, on the other hand, I wanted to avoid as much as possible, or at least keep under control so that it didn’t interfere with the bridge itself.

All of this demanded a fair bit of concentration, and I was reminded once again how much harder it is to photograph in an urban setting than out in the landscape. The road along the Forth shore is, after all, not just an ideal photo spot but turns into a proper party strip come evening. Cars kept arriving and leaving, which also meant unwanted light spilling into the frame, something I had to keep shielding against during the long exposures. There was quite a stramash around the parked vehicles. At least I wasn’t alone out here at this late hour.