I live in Prague and most of my photos are from this beautiful city. I apologize in advance that I can not write English properly. I hope that, thanks to my tips, you will be able to take great photos when you will stay in Prague and I will feel good about helping you 🙂
All photos in this article can be downloaded for free. Photos are licensed using the Creative Commons CC0 – this means that you can use them anywhere, even without attribution.
Shooting bridges in Prague
Photographs of Prague bridges, it may not be just a classic picture of a series of bridges shot from Prague’s Letná, as it is known from postcards and tourist materials. Although this will also be given, I want to show you another interesting bridges that can be found and shot in Prague.
1. Radotín bridge
Radotín bridge (Czech: Radotínský most) spans the broad valley of the Vltava and Berounka rivers, just before their confluence. The Radotín Bridge is located in the southern part of Prague and it is the longest bridge in Czech republic.
It’s a beautiful construction, especially from the bottom. Between the massive concrete columns leads a road that can be reached by car. On the road below the bridge you will get from the road leading from Prague to Radotín and you can park right at the exit from the road or you can drive by car directly under the bridge. It’s a beautiful photo location, where you can spend a lot of hours with photography.
The first photo you can see below is taken directly from the main road, so I did not even have to go under the bridge. It was the first of two visits to this beautiful bridge and I was lucky to have a nice light.
Highway bridge at the bypass of Prague near Radotín. Olympus XZ-2 on tripod. In full resolution and free download is here: Highway Concrete Bridge.
The next photo came about a year after the first. I visited the bridge with my son and daughter. That day was cloudy and the photo could be nicer with the shadows of the concrete columns. However, the contrast would increase significantly, which could also hurt the photo. But I have limited time options and I have to work with what I have.
Unlike the first photograph, this time I drove by car to the river and shot from the river to the west. I went to the footbridge that led directly below the highway bridge and asked my son to stand between the pillars. Then I fixed the camera on a tripod and shot.
Thanks to the child’s figure in the foreground you can clearly see the giant size of the pillars. When I look at the photo now, I think it would be better to put the figure in the middle of the road and maybe shoot it vertically. At least I know what to do better next time.
The photo was created in June 2016, with the Olympus XZ-2 mounted on a tripod. Aperture: ƒ / 3.5, Focal Length 24mm, Time 1 / 200s, ISO 100. Full resolution here Boy Alone Under The Bridge.
An example of vertical black and white photography of Radotín bridge. Photo taken in august 2017 with NIKON D7100, aperture: ƒ/18, focal length: 80mm, ISO: 1000 and shutter speed: 1/320s. Full size here: Highway bridge bottom view.
Radotín bridge, bottom view with huge concrete pillars. Camera: NIKON D7100, taken: 15 August, 2017, aperture: ƒ/18, focal length: 18mm, ISO: 1000 and shutter speed: 1/200s. Full size here: Concrete bridge.
Another part of Radotín bridge in sunny day. Camera: NIKON D7100, taken: 15 August, 2017, aperture: ƒ/22, focal length: 18mm, ISO: 1000, shutter speed: 1/250s, Full resolution for free download is here: Highway bridge.
2. The modern Troja Bridge in Prague
The Troja Bridge is a beautiful and relatively unique construction without a single pillar. I definitely want to visit the bridge in the evening because it is beautifully illuminated. So far I only had an opportunity to visit it early in the morning, about eight o’clock when the sun was still low above the horizon.
I took the first photo from the left bank of the Vltava. You can easily reach it, it is a short walk from Nádraží Holešovice Metro Station.
That November morning, shortly after sunrise, the surface of the Vltava River was completely calm. Super conditions for photographing a bridge mirroring on the river. I shot some pictures from different angles.
Finally, I chose the photo divided horizontally in half. Although central composition is generally not recommended, it is sometimes quite suitable.
Troja bridge in Prague. Camera Olympus XZ-2, November 2015. Aperture: ƒ / 3.2, focal Length: 6mm, shutter speed: 1 / 640s, ISO: 100. Full resolution here Troja bridge in Prague.
After taking the photo above, I stepped closer to the bridge to take some pictures of details. Thanks to a wider focus, this massive concrete part balances the light and airy structure of the rest of the bridge. The blue sky and the river together with the morning sun gave the picture interesting color.
You will surely create a nice photo from the other side of the river, in the background will be a smoky factory chimney that will make the photo interesting.
Bridge in Prague – Troja. Aperture ƒ / 4.5, focal length 6mm, shutter speed 1/800, ISO 100. I bought the photos with the Olympus XZ-2 in November 2015. Full resolution is here: Modern Bridge in Prague.
Camera: XZ-2, taken: 22 January, 2017, aperture: ƒ/7.1, focal length: 6mm, ISO: 100, shutter speed: 1/400s. Full resolution here: Modern White Bridge
Camera: XZ-2, taken: 22 January 2017, aperture: ƒ/8, focal length: 19.9mm, ISO: 100, shutter speed: 1/800s. Full resolution is here: Futuristic Bridge.
3. Bridges in the center of Prague
Charles Bridge and the scenery of Prague bridges are one of the most popular photolocation in Prague. Even though I have not been able to photograph Prague bridges in any interesting or creative way, I will show you two places where you will definitely take beautiful pictures.
The first photo is Charles Bridge. I chose a place full of tourists. I photographed from the right bank of the Vltava, from a small lookout terrace just before Charles Bridge.
Charles Bridge in Prague. Olympus XZ-2 with aperture ƒ / 2.2, focal length 13.4mm, shutter speed 1 / 800s and ISO 100. In full resolution to download here: Charles bridge in Prague.
The second photo is perhaps even more classic, you can find it on postcards, brochures and articles about Prague. If you want to take a photo like this, go out ideally late afternoon or early in the morning to Letenský park.
The view of the Prague bridges is the nicest of Hanavsky Pavilion, where there is a small prospect and few tourists, so you will have peace of mind on the photo.
Prague bridges. Olympus XZ-2 mounted on a tripod. With ƒ / 4 aperture, 1 / 500s, focal length 20.7mm, and ISO 100, I focused on about one-third of the image (to the nearest bridge) and took several shots. The photograph was created in June 2016. In full resolution here: Prague Bridges.
4. Nusle bridge (also known as the “Bridge of Suicides”)
The Nusel Bridge is not one of the most beautiful buildings in Prague, but it has its magic. For four years I’ve been working a bit beside. But I’ve never been able to take a picture of the entire bridge. Perhaps you’ll have better luck. Nuselský most fortunately also offers a number of other interesting and photogenic sites outside the bridge as a whole.
The first photo is one of the many that I made by pointing the camera directly down the bridge. This is one of the situations when you will appreciate the tilting LCD screen if your camera has it. It also takes a bit of courage because you have to push the camera through the railing and hope you do not drop it.
Below the bridge there are a number of things that are definitely worth photographing. Train tracks, Folimanka Park, cars on streets, building roofs, courtyards or trams and people.
At the first photo, I wanted to take two old trams next to each other, unfortunately the old trams do not go very often, so it didn’t work. Next time, it will want more patience and also not to take photos only during the lunch break at work ?
The photo is not very interesting, but it illustrates well what you can do when shooting from the Nusel Bridge.
Tramway from above. Photo through the railing with the Olympus XZ-2 camera’s tilting screen. Full resolution to download here: Tramways.
The photo below is another example of what can be taken while looking down from the bridge. The photo was created on the other side of the bridge than the previous one, closer to Folimanka. Significant yellow traffic signs and shadows are interesting and show how the afternoon sun moves the photo to a completely different level. Compare the photo with the previous tram photo where the shadows are completely missing.
Street Traffic Signs from Nusle bridge. Aperture: ƒ / 4, time 1 / 2000s, focal length 24mm, ISO 100. Olympus XZ-2 camera in August 2016. Download full size image here: Street Traffic signs
Another picture seems quite interesting, although it lacks a nicer light. I photographed from Folimanka towards the hotel Corinthia Tower (former Forum Hotel). I was lucky that a man with a plastic bag was walking under the bridge. I quickly pulled the camera, and although I did not catch the man when he was closer, the photo is pretty good.
The man under the bridge. Photography using Olympus XZ-2 from hand. Full resolution to download here: Under the Nusle Bridge.