Two Nights At Two Rivers

About this time every year, there's a chance to catch a really neat sunset from Two Rivers Park Bridge in Little Rock. If the conditions are just right, you can watch the sun set right on the top of Pinnacle Mountain. But it has to be completely clear - any stray clouds can block the sun and ruin the view, which is usually what happens when I try to go out there to take pictures.

But it looked like it might be good last Sunday night, so I went out there just before sunset with the kids. Luckily, the skies were clear enough as the sun began its descent towards the horizon.



And then the sun sank lower and drifted behind Pinnacle Mountain, creating an effect where it makes Pinnacle look like an erupting volcano.



And that nice warm sunset light was illuminating the clouds behind us:



The next night was forecast to be a bit cloudier, but maybe there would be a good break around sunset. So I headed back out to the bridge:



There was a little thunderstorm that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, that developed to the northeast. It began dropping a few bolts of lighting so I turned the camera around and started trying to get a few pictures. As soon as the lightning started, there was a mass exodus of boats all hurrying to make it to shore.



It was hard to decide what to do next: try to get pictures of lightning, or try to shoot the sunset? I kept the camera pointed towards the storms, hoping to catch more lightning. But the sunset was really odd, and I wish I was in position to get a shot of it. It started to rain between the Two Rivers Park Bridge and Pinnacle Mountain, and as the rain got heavier it made the light from the sun start to dim. It was almost a little eerie, like the sun was fading away. I didn't get a shot of it, but a really talented photographer that was out there got a really cool shot it.

I did get this shot, looking towards Pinnacle (which by then was hidden by the rain).



It's not easy to get photographs of lightning - it is mostly a combination of luck and timing. I set the camera so that it was taking exposures that were about 1.3 seconds long, and just tried to continuously take pictures of the storm. But of course, almost all the lightning would occur when the camera wasn't taking a picture, or would hit just outside of the frame. But I did manage to get this shot as the storm began to move across the Arkansas River by the I-430 Bridge:



It had to started to pour rain, and I was probably the only one that was foolish enough to still be out there. I was relying heavily on the little bit of "weatherproofing" on the camera, as I tried to get a few more pictures. I stayed out there for a few minutes longer, but didn't catch any more lightning. I did get this shot of the storm cloud and a faint little rainbow.



After that the lightning started to get uncomfortably close to the bridge, and since I was standing next to a metal tripod it meant it was probably time to retreat to the car. Luckily the camera made it through ok and didn't need to go and sit in a bag of rice that night.

The Fog Is Getting Thicker...

The fog from that morning got thicker as the day went on, and by evening there was hardly any visibility. Which was, of course, perfect time to get out and take pictures again. After getting both kids to bed I hurried over to the Big Dam Bridge.



It was a little eerie to see the bridge seem to fade out and disappear into the fog.





Despite the thick fog, there were still several people out walking on the bridge.



As I was standing here taking photos, a loud siren started to blare. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit startling. I may or may not have jumped and did a little scream. Apparently it's a warning to boaters (which there weren't any) that water was about to released from the dam.



I walked away from the siren, and followed the bridge as it passed over the Murray Lock. From here, the buildings and lights drifted off into the foggy expanse of the river.



And one last shot from the bridge, as the fog swallowed and enveloped the night.

Foggy Night At The Big Dam Bridge

It was another foggy night, so after getting the kids to bed I grabbed the camera gear and headed out to the Big Dam Bridge. This is the view of the bridge, and its purple lights, reflected in a rain puddle.



From there I hurried over and started walking across the bridge, which runs for 4,226 across the Arkansas River. But with the thick fog, it was hard to see all the way across the river.





And one last shot from the bridge. After this the fog just started to fade away, almost like magic.

Back To The Big Dam Bridge

It's been an awfully hot and dry summer this year. The lack of rain has dried up waterfalls in the Ozarks and the grass in my yard. And it has lowered the Arkansas River enough to where it looks like no water is going through the dam at the Big Dam Bridge, which means that there might be some good reflections of the bridge lights at night. So I headed out there recently to see if that were the case:



It was actually fairly crowded down there along the riverbank. There were lots of people out there fishing, including one guy who caught a large catfish (I think that's what it was - it was dark). He tossed it back in the river, creating ripples that briefly messed up the reflection.

4th Of July

We headed down to Riverfront Park in North Little Rock to find a place to watch the annual Pops On The River fireworks show that is held on Independence Day. After driving through traffic and finding a place to park, I realized that I forgot to bring my tripod. Whoops!

We sat up our chairs along the River Trail, and I used a concrete bollard as a sort of makeshift tripod. It was placed there rather precariously, so I spent most of the time before the show started making sure it didn't tumble off the bollard and also making sure my six year old didn't run off into the river. It managed to work ok, since I was able to capture some non-blurry pictures of fireworks that night....

For Brent

Earlier this month, Little Rock's Junction Bridge was lit with purple lights in honor of Brent Renaud. Brent was a journalist who was killed by Russian soldiers while reporting on the war in Ukraine. The Little Rock native was an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and journalist, and was a founder of the Little Rock Film Festival.



After his tragic death, condolences included:

"I'm devastated by the loss of my close friend and long-time producer, Brent Renaud. The world and our profession has lost one of our greatest legends. Hug your family, your colleagues, and watch the news. People are dying to bring it to you." - Christof Putzel, a documentary filmmaker and television correspondent

"My heart is heavy at the passing of American journalist and Little Rock native Brent Renaud. He lost his life while covering the pure evil that is the invasion of Ukraine. An award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Brent made great contributions to the culture and arts of Arkansas. Susan and I are praying for Brent's family and all those affected by his loss." - Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson

"Today, a US journalist was killed in Ukraine. Before him, others have been targeted, murdered, injured or kidnapped. Our thoughts are with all those journalists driven by courage and an ideal: the freedom to inform. This freedom is fundamental to our democracies." - French President Emmanuel Macron

"A talented and brave journalist, Brent lost his life while documenting human tragedy, devastation and suffering of millions of Ukrainians. With all his courage and determination, he travelled to the most dangerous war zones to film the unprecedented ruthlessness and evil, also inflicted upon our nation by the aggressor state.
The people of Ukraine, who are fighting against the Russian regime to defend their homeland and democracy in the world, are mourning with you.
We are thankful for Brent for his professionalism and commitment to the values of compassion, ethics and justice.
May Brent's life, service and sacrifice inspire generations of people all over the world to stand up in fight for the forces of light against forces of darkness." - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy



The Big Dam Bridge was also lit that night with the colors of the Ukrainian flag:





It was a cold and drizzly night when these pictures were taken, and there wasn't anyone else out at the Big Dam Bridge. I wasn't alone however, there was a large flock of pelicans resting in the waters of the Arkansas River. During the long exposure, they moved and drifted in the currents of the water.

Down By The River

I headed out one night last week to take a few pictures, and ended up driving through downtown. I was a little surprised at how busy it was, there were lots of people out walking and cars crammed into any parking space available. The answer was soon obvious - the crowds were out to see Hamilton at Robinson Center. I headed across the river to North Little Rock where it was quieter and walked through Riverfront Park.





I set the camera up by the Baring Cross Bridge and hoped to catch a train crossing over the river. The first bridge here was built in 1873, and was the first bridge to span the Arkansas River at Little Rock. That bridge was washed away by floodwaters in 1927, and was rebuilt in 1929. A lift-span was added in the 70s to allow for barge traffic, and the bridge is still used by Union Pacific and Amtrak rail traffic.

I waited and waited for a train to show up. I was tempted to leave but I knew that as soon as I took the tripod down and walked back to the car that a train would show up. I waited about an hour, which was not the most exciting way to spend the evening (the people at Hamilton had much better entertainment). But finally a train did appear and crossed over the bridge, leaving behind these streaks of light from the locomotive.



After that I headed back across the river and drove around some, eventually ending up by the old Albert Pike Hotel. The hotel was built in 1929, but has since been converted into apartments. This is the last shot from the night, only because I forgot to charge the camera battery and it was running on empty.

A Big Dang Bridge

Recently I made another trip to the Big Dam Bridge, which is a great place to visit (for exercising or just taking pictures if you're lazy like me). The bridge was built in 2006, and it's hard to believe that it's now 15 years old. I remember before it was built and people were complaining how it was a waste of tax dollars and that no one would bother using it. But since it opened the bridge has proven to be a popular place for visitors. There were several people out biking and walking while I was out there taking pictures.



It was dark when I was out there, so there wasn't much of a view from the bridge. You couldn't really see much, besides the huge houses on the hill overlooking the dam and the line of traffic on the nearby I-430 Bridge. This part of the Murray Lock and Dam stood out, as it stretched out into the inky darkness along the River.

Muddy Waters

One activity we started during the pandemic would be to drive downtown and have a family picnic. We would pack up the kids, order takeout from Flying Fish and then find a shady spot on the grounds of the Clinton Library to eat a good meal while being socially distanced from everyone else. Now that things are opening back up, there is usually a good crowd of people in the park and on the bridge. And also, tons of people getting their pictures taken. It never fails, but there's always lots of people getting their senior/graduation/engagement/pregnancy photos taken at the park around sunset. I apologize to all of the other photographers out there who have had to photoshop us out of the background of their pictures.

But after eating our delicious meals from Flying Fish, we burned off the fried foods by taking a walk across the bridge. This night, some interesting clouds were reflected in the high and muddy waters of the river. The river was high, you can see how it had flooded the wooden walkways at the wetlands below.

Bridge Into The Fog

Thick fog still hung over the city, so even though it was starting to get really late I made one more stop at the Clinton Park Bridge by the Arkansas River. It is a great place to visit in foggy weather. The fog mingles with and amplifies the bright LED lights on the bridge. The result is surreal, as the night sky lights up with colors. It looks like the setting of some sort of science fiction movie.







The bridge was built in 1899 for the Choctaw and Memphis Railroad, and was called the Choctaw Bridge when it was built. The Choctaw Station, which was the original rail station, stil stands. It is now used by the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.





The bridge would be acquired by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad and would be renamed the Rock Island Bridge. In the 1960s, part of the bridge was removed and a lift span was installed in order to allow for barges to pass underneath.





The bridge would next be acquired by Union Pacific in 1983, after Rock Island declared bankruptcy. The bridge was decomissioned, and sat unused. In the 1990s, Union Pacific wanted to demolish the bridge. But amazingly, the bridge was saved after protests by the governments of Pulaski County, Little Rock and North Little Rock.



In 2011, a $10.5 million rennovation was completed and the bridge was converted into a pedestrian span. The bridge now serves as the eastern end of the Arkansas River Trail, which stretches all the way to Pinnacle Mountain.





It was starting to get late (it was getting close to midnight), so I hurried to get a few more pictures. I headed down to the shore and got this view of the bridge reflected in the river.



These were taken on a Saturday night and there were a few groups of drunk people who were singing and laughing while walking on the bridge. I couldn't see them, but the noise they made drifted through the fog.



And one last shot before I drove home, of the bridge dissolving into the thick fog....

Something Fishy

My big present under the Christmas tree this year was a brand-new fisheye lens. So one night after getting the kids to bed, I headed downtown to make sure the lens worked ok. I ended up at the Clinton Park Bridge and started to set up the camera and tripod. But even though the trip was meant to test out a new lens, the first picture here is actually one taken with the iPhone (and a neat photo app called Spectre). There was a full moon that night, which is what made the clouds look so bright in the sky.



And here is the view of the bridge with the fisheye....



And the view of the bridge from the shoreline, with the Little Rock skyline poking out underneath the bridge.



And then the view from along the shore on the other side of the bridge, but for the next two shots I actually swithced over to a wide-angle lens. I was amazed at how still the river was, which created some nearly-perfect reflections in the water.



The reflections got messed up at one point because some sort of critter swam through the water nearby (it may have been an otter, or maybe something like the Loch Ness Monster?). Luckily it didn't attack anyone standing by the water taking pictures.



I headed over to the Junction Bridge and tried to get a few pictures with the fisheye lens. This is the view of the bridge, the skyline and the full moon hanging in the sky overhead.



It's amazing how many stars the fisheye lens was able to pick out in the sky (at least I hope those are stars and not just dead pixels in the camera). This is the view of the Main Street Bridge and the Junction Bridge, and in the middle is a sculpture named "The Center" by an artist named Chapel.



It was starting to get late, but I made one last stop at the State Capitol. I'm kinda surprised that I didn't get a visit from the security guards as I set up the camera and tripod right by the fancy brass doors at the front of the building. This is the shot looking straight up towards the columns, still showing off their festive holiday decorations. In the distance you can see Capitol Avenue and the rest of downtown.



I was able to get out again last night, and headed over to the Big Dam Bridge for a few pictures with the fisheye. This is the view of the bridge and the river, which also had some nice reflections (I'm guessing because the water level is really low right now).





And the view looking downriver, with the sky a mix of soft blue from the moon and warm orange from the city lights.



I switched out lenses to the wide-angle for this last shot, with some low clouds quickly moving across the sky above the Big Dam Bridge.