Downtown San Diego, CA is a great place to go photograph interesting subjects.  The pedestrian bridge downtown San Diego, near the convention center is no exception.  Read more about out tips and the behind the scenes of how this image was captured.

Downtown San Diego

San Diego, CA has an amazing downtown area.  It offers so many things.  There are restaurants, clubs, galleries, shopping and more.  Most importantly, is it also has a harbor with beautiful ocean views.  Therefore, this area is full of awesome photography opportunities.

Behind The Scenes

This image, titled “Pedestrian Bridge Downtown San Diego” was taken in the spring of 2014. It was taken on the north east side of the pedestrian walkway looking west.  It was an overcast night that pushed the sky very dark.  The bridge is mostly concrete.  Therefore, black and white worked best for this image.  It allowed the image to be about the architecture and tones.

Photographing at night is a great way to create a different spin on places that are photographed all the time.  Night photography does come with it’s challenges as well.  Starting off, exposures get longer at night, so it is important to use a tripod when possible.  That was the case with this image.  I was able to set up with a tripod and steady the cameras for a nice sharp digital negative to work with.

Other things to think about when photographing at night:

  • If you go out into sketchy places always go with a buddy.  It’s easy to focus on a shot and not notice someone sneaking up on you.
  • Carrying a lot of gear draws a lot of attention.  Pair down what you are walking around with.  Therefore, I tend to not carry a camera bag with me at all.
  • Fast lenses help when it’s dark.  A good lens with a f1.4 or f2.8 is super helpful and will help you get sharper images because you can speed up your shutter speed an extra stop or 2.

Thank you for visiting my site, and I hope you enjoy the image.

This limited edition photograph is available for sale in my shop Pedestrian Bridge Downtown San Diego.

black and white photograph bridge night urban city architecture pedestrian bridge downtown San Diego

Urban downtown San Diego, CA cityscape of architecture pedestrian bridge shot at night.

The Trip

Downtown San Diego is a beautiful place to visit and is very walkable.  The night life is great, great food, and awesome things to see.  It is also a great place to walk around a photograph.  It is really difficult to go there and not have a good time and get some good photos as well.

If you do visit don’t forget to stop down by the harbor for lunch or dinner and enjoy the ocean air while you eat.  It is an excellent way to take a break from walking around, access facilities, and recharge to go out some more.

If you like more urban decay, then don’t miss my my behind the scenes of Empty Hallway Los Angeles.

More Fine Art Photographs

Don’t forget to look at the images on my site in the galleries starting at: https://mjvphoto.com/the-art/.  Hopefully you find some of them inspirational for your own photography adventures, or maybe you find an image you want to call your own.