Forth Rail Bridge Golden Hour

This is the more popular viewpoint for the Forth Bridge, largely as it is taken from the car park area and requires no walking. The Forth Bridge strides across the estuary to Fife over 2 main cantilever sections each spanning over 500m. Opened in 1890, this Victorian railway crossing hosts over 100 train crossings each day. Free parking next to the elevated position of the pavement and railings create a commanding viewpoint, unaffected by changing tides. An easy shot to take time and again.

Afternoons and evening light work well from this angle and cast even glow across the bridge. The composition works until the last light remains in the sky and beyond. A standard zoom lens is sufficient here. Mount on a tripod with an ND filter for a long exposure shot to smooth the water and create a painterly feel to the foreground, but this image works just as well on a calm day with a fast shutter and clean reflection. A higher tide masks the shoreline and draws the eye straight to the bridge, but also creates an interesting image base.