Starting near Heinz lofts on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, I was able to capture the city from one of my favorite angles as the sun began to set. The blue light after sunset is quite visible in these first sets of pictures I took.

The night air was clear and warm. There were no pollutants or summer haze, which meant it was a perfect evening to practice some night photography.

The bright white lights of the convention center dominated the lighting from this angle, which, as the sun began to set, reflected nicely against the Allegheny river. I worked to try to capture a clear skyline while at the same time a frozen river without capturing a large blur. Some shots I was successful, others I think the ripples in the water create a nice effect.

Continuing down the walk, the last bits of sunlight disappeared and left me with a beautiful black backdrop for the colors of the city lights. The colors of the city are beautiful at night: the blue hue of the Highmark building; the colorful weather pyramid atop the Gulf Building, the green and red light signs lighting up buildings, etc.

I struggle with the ultra bright UPMC Sign that sits proudly on all three sides of the USX triangle tower. It tends to glow in my pictures as it is ultra bright. I also notice quite a glow around the street lights of the bridges and streets which adds a neat effect.

From two of the shots, a plane making its way to Pittsburgh International Airport can be seen streaking across the sky. I have been fortunate enough to see that view of downtown Pittsburgh from the air on that approach many times. Each time I stare as if it’s the first time I’ve seen it. For a change, it was nice to be on the ground to capture the view.

It was a bit difficult picking my favorite shots from this vantage point, so some of the pictures may begin to look a bit repetitive.