Photographer Michael Shainblum proves once again that being in the right place at the right time and keeping yourself open to creative possibilities can have big rewards. Shainblum, who is known for his stunning astrophotography, recently took a photo that he once felt was impossible. Thanks to some fog, he captured the Milky Way and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in the same photo.
The Golden Gate Bridge has long been a muse for Shainblum and he’s photographed it previously in extreme weather conditions. But nothing prepared him for that evening on the San Francisco Bay. Shainblum has always dreamed of photographing the iconic bridge under the Milky Way, but typically the city’s light pollution makes it impossible. Luckily, he was in the right spot when the perfect weather conditions made his dream a reality.
“It felt really awesome to get a shot like that in such a familiar spot,” Shainblum tells My Modern Met. “Having gone up there for the last nine years, countless times. It was so cool to see a unique moment like this and spend the night gazing at the stars/fog. Overall the evening was just such a great mix of photography and timelapse.”
The low-lying fog provided the perfect cover for the light pollution that previously hampered Shainblum’s chances at photographing the Milky Way. But in order to create the perfect exposure, Shainblum stitched together several horizontal images until he was satisfied with what he had created. The end result is a beautiful cityscape where the Milky Way is clearly visible above the San Francisco Bay. As fog rolls across the landscape, the lights of the bridge and one of its towers are visible in the left part of the frame.
But this wasn’t the only incredible image that Shainblum captured that evening. He also took the time to get creative with the Golden Gate Bridge and the fog. These highly atmospheric images are a unique, artistic look at a well-worn piece of architecture. As an extra treat, Shainblum also published a fascinating video that takes us behind the scenes of this special evening.
Go behind the scenes with Michael Shainblum as he photographed the Milky Way over the Golden Gate Bridge.
The evening fog helped block light pollution from the city and let the Milky Way shine through.
