Twilight Taipei Traffic - A Series of Long Exposures

With my Nikon D7000 teetering on a small ledge above a busy street, I clutched the camera strap with all my might and pressed the shutter.

Nearly an hour later, I had this a series of long exposures… and managed to only drop my camera once.

What to Do at Night in Taipei, Taiwan?

It was my second night in Taipei, Taiwan, and I was the only person staying at my hostel. This didn’t particularly inspire me to head back there, so I bought a ticket to see Oz the Great and Powerful, which began 90 minutes later.

My book was back at the hostel and I already had eaten dinner, so I decided to wander around the neighborhood.

Shortly after leaving the Q Square Mall in Taipei, Taiwan, I found a pedestrian overpass that spanned a busy intersection: the perfect spot for long exposures photographs of cars’ light trails.

Long Exposure Photography in Taiwan Without a Tripod

Technically, did have my tripod with me; but it was useless for the camera angle I wanted.

Instead, I alternated between balancing my D7000 on the railing and the narrow ledge behind it. Neither of these spots filled me with confidence for the safety of my camera.

Then, I Dropped my Camera

As I carefully balanced my camera for each photograph, I kept a firm grip on the strap in case of an accident. About halfway into a 30 second exposure of the above scene, it finally happened.

From all around, I heard horrified gasps of passerby’s who were either concerned for my camera or for the safety of those below. Either way, there was a collective sigh of relief when everyone (including me) realized that the camera was still hanging from my hand.

Best of all, my camera’s wild ride through the night sky was recorded in the below photograph.

Red Light. Green Light.

I spent so much time on the overpass that I had the timing of these photographs down to a science.

It was all based on the red light countdown of the right lane. By starting at either 55, 40 or 10 seconds, I was able to control which side of the street was in motion and how well you could see the cars.

Motion aside, I actually think my favorite photo of the night is this last one. In it, I spent the entire 30 seconds pointing my camera at stopped traffic. The motion you see is from motorcycles squeezing their way up front.

Where is your favorite intersection in the world?