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9 Tips For Taking The Best Brooklyn Bridge Photos
If you’re in New York City, you’re probably visiting the city’s most famous spots, like the Brooklyn Bridge. This is true whether you’re looking for a place to take wedding photos or just want the perfect Instagram photo. But when is the best time of day to take a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge? Where can you take the best pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge? Here are 8 tips for how to take the best photos of the Brooklyn Bridge if you’re traveling by yourself. And walking on the Brooklyn Bridge is FREE!
Contents
- 1 Fill the frame by standing near the pylons
- 2 Think about what time of day it is
- 3 Think about the crowd
- 4 Try to wear shoes that are light
- 5 Pedestrian lane
- 6 Check to see that your tripod is in good shape
- 7 If you don’t have a tripod, ask a nearby New Yorker or tourist to take your picture
- 8 Take a photo on the Brooklyn Bridge facing Manhattan
- 9 Aim for the skyline of Manhattan
Fill the frame by standing near the pylons
To get the classic Brooklyn Bridge photo with the pylons filling the frame, you’ll need to get pretty close to the center pylons. Whether you’re coming from Manhattan or Brooklyn, walk past the benches and around where the pylon cables connect to the bridge and start going up. From the pedestrian entrance to where you want to stand is about a 15-minute walk.
Think about what time of day it is
How the sun is shining will greatly affect how your photos turn out. On the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge, the sun will rise, and it will set behind the buildings of Manhattan. At sunrise, the light will be cleaner and more neutral, and fewer people will be there. On the other hand, Sunset will give you a warm glow, but there will be many people there.
Set your alarm clock to get that famous picture of the Brooklyn Bridge when it’s empty. As you might expect, the bridge is a popular place to visit. According to the NYC Department of Transportation, over 10,000 people walk across the bridge daily, and 4,000 cyclists do the same. If you want a picture of an empty bridge, you only have one choice: take it at sunrise. At sunrise, you might see a runner, a cyclist, or another photographer, but you will see fewer people than you do later in the day.
Think about the crowd
People from all walks of life come to the Brooklyn Bridge to get a great photo for Instagram. Unfortunately, this can be hard to do because the bridge is often full of people, especially in the afternoon.
Local New Yorkers told me that the best time would be between 6AM and 8AM, when there are fewer people. Sunday would be the best day to go because everyone is on the bridge then.
Try to wear shoes that are light
Many women would love to have pictures taken of them in their dresses and heels. But walking on the Brooklyn Bridge can take about 30–45 minutes, so you can imagine how hard it would be to walk in heels. Here’s a tip: bring a bag and put your heels inside. Then, wear your regular shoes. Trust me. This tip will be very helpful!
Pedestrian lane
Watch where you walk because there is a lane for people walking and bike riding. If you want to take a picture or video, you need to be aware of your surroundings because people on bikes won’t stop for you.
Check to see that your tripod is in good shape
At certain times of the day, the wind can be pretty strong, so you can imagine what would happen if you put your phone on the tripod and it started to shake. It’s a terrible thought but you here’s a tip
Tip: You can make your tripod heavier by putting your bag on it.
If you don’t have a tripod, ask a nearby New Yorker or tourist to take your picture
If you are travelling alone and don’t have a tripod, you can ask a tourist or passerby to take a picture of you. If you ask them nicely, people will tell you the truth.
Tip: Make sure they aren’t in a hurry and ask them nicely if they can take your picture. Also, you can offer to take their picture in exchange.
Take a photo on the Brooklyn Bridge facing Manhattan
People wonder where is the best place to take a photo; take a picture facing Brooklyn o Manhattan? The best photo shot would be facing Manhattan. You can either walk from either Manhattan or Brooklyn but make sure that you’re facing Manhattan, New York
Aim for the skyline of Manhattan
If you want the most famous pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge, you’ll want to include both the bridge and the Manhattan skyline. If you stand on the Brooklyn side of the pylons and look toward the city, you can see the Freedom Tower and the South Seaport. (If you take pictures from Manhattan, you’ll still get beautiful pictures of the bridge, but the buildings in the background won’t be skyscrapers but rather short, unremarkable buildings.)