Love Locks of Erzherzog-Johann-Brücke

Erzherzog-Johann-Brücke is busy crossing over the Mur River in the middle of Graz. Wire mesh is stretched between the struts of the railings, and that's the reason the love locks became popular here rather than anywhere else in the city. A padlock easily clips straight onto the mesh, while still leaving lots of room for others to aid their locks too. There are thousands now, some engraved with initials and dates, most slowly going green and rusty depending on how long they've hung there. There is lots of space on the pedestrian sidewalks along the bridge. You can shoot through a row with a wide aperture to have the river go soft behind. A set of colourful locks contrasts perfectly against the grey stone of the city. Stepping back away from the lock railings lets you add the Murinsel sitting out in the water or the Kunsthaus as it squats on the far bank to your compositions. Standing tall above the roof line is the Schlossberg with its clock tower that is fun to experiment with how to add to your compositions. Rapids run under the bridge as well, so using a long exposure will smooth the water while everything else stays put. It is bustling tram bridge and route to old town, so early morning are probably the only time you'll get the railing mostly to yourself. The city does come and thin the locks out every so often to keep the railing intact, which means the pattern is never quite the same twice. Cafés sit on both banks, so waiting for better light is no hardship. (Graz, Styria, Austria)