After our last visit to Conowingo Dam (you can actually see it in the distant background of the photo above) when driving off to head back home we saw a glimpse of this bridge. It briefly showed up in the left window of the car and even though it doesn’t look like much from the distance I wanted to research more. Yesterday I found a byway that leads straight to it and decided to give it a shot at sunset time. It was well worth it. This bridge is a majestic location! All those textures and run down installation marked by time just begs to be photographed. When driving along the creek you can see fishermen and cars parked in several available pull over sites so this must be a location well known to the locals. There is more to be done in this location so even though my visit was short I know it wasn’t the last one.

As far as drone flight is concerned this is definitely not a location for beginner pilots. There are several spots available on the shoulder of the local road but getting the drone out to the open air from among the trees will require some skill and careful navigation. Smaller units like Phantom 3/4 will have an easier task getting around the dense tree branches. You can also try flying directly over the creek – as you can see the trees make an opening above it but if you do that still be very careful and control your altitude. There are no airports in the immediate area so if you feel confident enough navigating your drone between some trees go ahead and add this location to your “Conquered” list! The best time to fly is either 30 minutes after sunrise or 30 minutes before sunset to get a similar shot to the one I created. Mine is a stitch of 8 hdr images.

For the detailed description of my workflow please take a look at my Guide to Stunning Aerial Imagery. It contains a lot of useful tips for both beginning and advanced aerial photographers.

As always please fly responsibly, make SAFETY your main priority and be mindful of wildlife and other human beings in the area!