The Red Bridge (Principal Riverwalk)
The Red Bridge is a converted 1891 railroad bridge that crosses the Des Moines River in the heart of downtown Des Moines. It stands out along the river with its' vivid "caboose red" paint job. The bridge was originally built for rail traffic and abandoned in 1996 before being restored as a pedestrian and cycling bridge, reopening around 2006 as part of the Principal Riverwalk. The steel truss framework gives you strong repeating lines and geometric patterns to work with, especially when shooting from one end looking straight along the length of the bridge. A pair of circular observation decks extend from each side, making a great spot to experiment with wider shots of the river and surrounding skyline. The bold red paint photographs well in almost any light, but it really pops during golden hour and blue hour when the warm tones contrast with cooler sky tones. At night, LED lighting along the bridge creates unique long exposure opportunities with the river and skyline reflections. For skyline compositions, shooting from the east bank looking west will work the best. The bridge is flat, fully accessible, and open year round making it an easy stop on a shooting adventure exploring downtown. (Des Moines, Iowa, United States)
