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.

Two Rivers

One evening last week, there were some interesting clouds in the sky. The clouds might make for a cool sunset, so Jonah and I hurried over to Two Rivers Park. We headed to the pedestrian bridge over the Little Maumelle River, but stopped to get a few pictures of some distant storm clouds that hanging over the I-430 Bridge.



And those interesting clouds did indeed make for a pretty cool sunset. They turned a deep orange as the sun sank below the low foothills of the Ouachita Mountains.



We stayed for a bit, as the light continued to fade out and the sky transitioned into night.

Two Rivers

It was another dark and foggy night, so I headed over to Two Rivers Park to try to get a few pictures. The two rivers in the park are the Little Maumelle River and the Arkansas River, and the park sits right at the spot where the two rivers meet. A bridge crosses the Little Maumelle River, which usually provides views of the Arkansas River and the I-430 Bridge. But that night the fog was so thick that most of the bridge dissolved into the fog.



And the view from along the bridge. Surprisingly, there were a few other people out walking the bridge that night.



The thick fog began to break up, and drift down the river. Here you can see the I-430 Bridge briefly illuminated by the lights of a passing ambulance.



I headed across the bridge and followed the trail, until it went beyond the lights into the inky darkness of the forest.



And the same view reflected in a large puddle. I was startled by a bunch of deer that nonchalantly walked across the trail while I was trying to take pictures here.



Most of the fog had dissipated, so I headed back to the car. I stopped for one last shot, looking back over at the I-430 Bridge and the clearing fog.

Two Rivers Park Sunset

One of the best place in Little Rock to catch the sunset is at the Two Rivers Park Bridge. So the other night I headed out there in the evening, and was lucky enough to catch this sunset:



It had been a rainy day, which must have kept a lot of people away from the bridge. I only saw two other people out there, which is rare since this is such a popular spot. And since there wasn't anyone else around, I didn't feel bad putting the tripod in the middle of the bridge to take a few pictures.

Two Rivers Park Bridge

One of the best places to see the sunset is from Two Rivers Park Bridge (as long as you don't get run over by someone on a bike). And it did not disappoint on a recent visit. I hurried up the bridge after finding an empty spot in the busy parking lot, but stopped to admire this view of the clouds reflected in the river as the late evening light shined on the I-430 bridge.



The river was busy with boaters and kayakers, and also this flock of ducks who lazily floated under the shadow of Pinnacle Mountain.



The western sky held onto the red and oranges of the sunset long after the sun actually set. The low clouds overhead turned blue as dusk began to settle in.



And then one last shot - of the Two Rivers Park Bridge. It didn't really translate well in the photo, but there is a rainbow in the lights on the bridge (in honor of Pride month).

Dark And Foggy Night

I used to live close to the Big Dam Bridge back in the olden days when I was single and didn't have any kids, and would always make a quick visit there to take some pictures if it looked like there would be a cool sunset or something. I haven't been over to the bridge very much since moving across the river, but last week a big dam fog had settled across the area and I hurried to make a return visit to the Big Dam Bridge.



The fog was so thick that it was actually obscuring the end of the bridge across the river. The river was running high, with muddy water splashing into the rocks that sit a few feet above where the sidewalk usually runs.



I walked across the bridge, where the fog was reflecting back the blue lights above the rushing waters below.





From there I headed back across the river and drove over to the Two Rivers Park Bridge, which was also nearly hidden under a thick blanket of fog. The bridge straddles the Little Maumelle River right by its confluence with the Arkansas River. Oddly enough, the waters at the Big Dam Bridge were running high while the waters below the Two Rivers Bridge were oddly still. The reflection was almost mirror-like, broken only by some sort of critter that swam by (I hoped it was an otter, and not a gator. I really couldn't tell what it was).



On the other side of the bridge a few trees were standing above the waters, backlit by the streetlights near the boat ramp.



And then one last shot, looking at the bridge as it disappeared off into the fog.