Reflective river

Christmas lights on water [Click to embiggen]

It's late on a clear night. I'm heading home, but I find myself staring across the river at a brightly-lit condominium building. I had seen it earlier in the evening and made a mental note to return. I'm here now, but I'm wondering how smart it is to be out alone on a cold night in a dark, strange place. I pull my trench coat tighter to ward off the damp chill as I set the camera up on its tripod and meter the scene. I take a few images of the building, but am uninspired by the results.

I stare closely at the surface of the water exiting from the bridge to my immediate left. It spins and ripples in an endless series of eddies. The gentle reflections of the building's colorful lights make a compelling scene, but there's no way to capture them as is. There isn't enough light for a fast enough shutter speed. So I go the other way, figuring a long exposure might result in something worthwhile. I set the camera for a 30-second exposure, then wait - careful not to breathe lest I fog the lens with condensation.

Here's the result. Long exposure turns the water's surface into a glassy mirage. The branches provide a fragile-looking frame. The image I thought I wanted ended up being something completely different. Happy with the result, I pack up the camera and head to my warm car, and home.

Your turn: Should I bring home more abstracts like this?

Pause for technical malfunction: I inadvertently clicked on the option to turn comments OFF when I first posted this entry. It was late (or early, depending on your perspective), and in my fatigue, I likely should not have been wielding a mouse. My apologies for the confusion. I've re-enabled comments on this entry. All other entries seem to be functioning normally, my ineptitude notwithstanding.