Solitude on the Brooklyn Bridge

Created by Daly Photography

My favorite time in a bustling, vibrant city like New York City is in the early intimate hours. I have the architecture, lights, and space around them all to myself.

This moment is like a slow dance. It's close. It's intimate and you can hear a whisper. For that moment she is yours and there is just you and her.

I seek those moments out in my life and my photography. It is the one-to-one connection that I find most satisfying.

Two in the morning on the Brooklyn Bridge was that moment for me. The crowds were gone. The lines of this classic of architecture were unimpeded and I was free to photograph the scene I envisioned before heading out that night.

This photograph was taken using a travel tripod, f-20 aperture, and the long exposure was utilized with a wireless shutter release. ISO for these shots are usually held to 100 or 200 to preserve clarity and reduce noise.

I chose the f-20 aperture setting to preserve the sharp clarity in the stripe from the foreground (which is where I focused) throughout the entirety of the photograph as it fades into the background. With such a small opening for the light to illuminate the sensor, you must balance that with a longer exposure. Photographs are always about the exposure. You must balance Aperture (f-stops) or how big the hole is going to be to allow light into the sensor, shutter speed (how long that hole is going to be open), and ISO which determines how much light is needed to create an image. This is the sensitivity of your sensor. If you are working in film this would be the speed of the film you are working with.

I learned how to manipulate these three variables in a camera by shooting exclusively in manual mode when my wife gave me my first camera as a wedding present. Initially it is a slow process to set up your photographs, but you will get faster. In the process, you will truly understand how you will be able to get the perfect shot wherever you are in all types of lighting conditions. The settings will become second nature. I encourage you to go out and shoot in manual and shoot often.