Sunrise over Vasco da Gama Bridge

Honoring one of Portugal’s greatest explorers – Vasco da Gama, this 17.3 km bridge was inaugurated in March 1998, months before the Lisbon International Expo. This place is an hotspot for morning photographers in Lisbon. The sun rises on the left side of the bridge. Tides, jetties, rocks, and even a skate park can help produce a myriad of different compositions. I was there two times before sunrise last year. Not that I’m a big fan of early wake-up calls, but sometimes it is worth and the results can justify the ringing alarm clock. So here are a few shots from those two mornings.

Vasco da Gama bridge sunrise. Lisbon, Portugal
Canon 5DII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 35mm, f/16, 6s, ISO 50

Vasco da Gama bridge at dawn. Lisbon, Portugal
Canon 5DII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 16mm, f/16, 30s, ISO 50

Vasco da Gama bridge at dawn. Lisbon, Portugal
Canon 5DII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 27mm, f/16, 13s, ISO 50

Vasco da Gama bridge at sunrise. Lisbon, Portugal
Canon 5DII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 II L – 33mm, f/16, 13s, ISO 50

Being located in Tejo Estuary Natural Park, wildlife can be easily spotted around these stops. This time I was able to spot a grey heron at some distance against the fiery colors of sunrise.

Grey Heron at sunrise. Lisbon, Portugal
Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II L – 200mm, f/8, 1/6s, ISO 100

Posted on Monday, July 23rd, 2012 at 8:57 pm. Filed under: Landscapes, Portugal, Wildlife Tags: bridge, landscapes, lisbon, Portugal, sunrise, vasco da gama, Wildlife RSS 2.0 feed.