Behind The Frame: Romance on the Brooklyn Bridge

This is one of my favorite shots ever in NYC and one I get asked about all the time.  The Brooklyn Bridge is insanely crowded and getting a clear shot is really hard to do.  Really the only way to do it is with a sunrise session.  This shot was taken on a very overcast day right after sunrise when the only other people on the bridge are early joggers and a few birders.  We just have a little patience waiting for other people to not be in our frame and then quickly take the shot.  I photograph on the Brooklyn Bridge so much, but wanted to change it up and have a very authentic moment between this lovely French couple for their engagement photo.  The bride was worried about her heels getting stuck in the slats of the bridge so I suggested she take them off and hold them in her hand, like I had done on countless nights trekking home from fun evening out and couldn’t stand my heels for a second longer.  Every NY girl has been there and it was such a perfect moment with her heels in hand and his jacket slung over his shoulder.  Its such a simple image, but it immediately tells a story of a fun couple who were out all night dancing in Brooklyn and are making their way home at the crack of dawn.  It’s a universal story- both aspirational and relatable at the same time.  I think that’s why the image has resonated with so many people and become one of my most pinned images, and was even made into a greeting card!

It was shot on my Contax 645 on Kodak Portra 400.  I don’t remember the settings, but it was at F2 and I overexposed by 2 stops.  When I’m shooting someone walking at F2 I’ll get them in focus and then tell them to walk slowly and make sure I walk at the same pace so I keep the focal length the same.  Processed by Richard Photo Lab.