Light trails in Amsterdam
Blue hour, canals, and light trails in Amsterdam - a great combo! Thank goodness for boat tours!
*** Shot at the intersection of Keizersgracht and Leidsegracht ***
If you have ever been to Amsterdam, you are probably well aware that there are lots of boat tours through the canals, and they are fun to do. But when I was there a few weeks back, I found myself waiting several times for a boat to pass, as I was shooting a canal reflection and wanted still water. That's no big deal - it's a typical situation when out shooting. I am always waiting on something.
But in this case, it was blue hour and the light was fading fast, and I had been standing here shooting for a bit already - I was just waiting for it to get a little darker, as the sunset ended up being a bore. At some point during this shooting, I saw a boat coming and could see a couple of lights on the boat.
I thought I would try a set of brackets while the boat passed, in hopes of getting a nice long light trail from it. As the boat approached and I started my brackets, there were also two cars that passed by on the intersecting roads. Luckily my timing was great, and I got all three light trails! Sometimes, things work out well!
By the way, at the top I listed the location of this shot - the intersection of two canals. I had seen shots from this location online prior to my trip, but NO ONE listed the location. What the hell? I literally could not find it ANYWHERE. Trying to visually locate a particular canal view in Amsterdam is the typical search for a needle in a haystack. So I resigned myself to wandering and wandering, which I actually enjoy anyways.
A bit earlier that day I passed a souvenir shop, and out front was a postcard stand with a shot from here on it. I picked it up, flipped it over, and sure enough it gave the name of the canals. I wasn't actually that far away, so it was a huge win for me!
