View of Tower Bridge showing the rings for the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

My last post was in 2010 and obviously a great many things have happened since then.  Of relevance to this blog are the fact I still have my original Canon 5D (it’s been sitting unused for some time, poor thing) and I’ve been using the Sony NEX 5 for so long I’ve forgotten just how good the 5D is.

Tonight I got chatting to a friend who just purchased a new tripod and while I don’t recall the exact conversation, I find myself searching for tips on how to take a photo of Tower Bridge.  Turns out there’s a ‘hidden’ viewing terrace from which one can get great views.

And with that I head out to find it!  It’s strange how instinctive packing a camera bag has become:  I pack a tripod, 2 batteries, spare memory cards and even some gradient ND filters…no idea if they will be useful at night

I wait till it’s dark enough and hope the strong winds don’t cause too much camera shake for long exposures.   I take a few shots.  A security guard shows up out of nowhere and asks if I’m a tourist.  I say yes and he goes away.  I take some more shots.  Then I pack up and go home feeling pleased that I still know how to operate the 5D.

(Oh and the Grad ND filters did come in handy – I used one to stop the bright lights of the bridge from blowing out…at least I think it helped. It’s late. Time for bed).

A woman travels from boat to boat selling goods in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

Taking photos at night usually requires a tripod.  Taking photos at night of a moving boat from another moving boat is to be avoided at all costs.

Of course, I didn’t know that at the time I took this shot.  My tripod was out on the top deck of a junk boat and the other passengers were wondering if I had some special night vision camera or something.  Nope – I didn’t.  Just a tripod and no clue.

Helped by the wind, the waves were pushing the boats up and down.  I think I ended up just hand holding it because the tripod was basically useless without firm ground.

It’s not the sharpest shot in the world but I like it!  I hope you do too