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Capturing the Magic: A Colourful Walk Along Suzhou Creek - A Photographic Excursion from M50 to The Bund

Kevin

As the sun dipped below the horizon and those deep blues of Blue Hour populated my photos, I and a visitor to Shanghai who I was showing around, had just arrived by taxi at M50, a lively arts district along Suzhou Creek in Shanghai. For anyone who hasn't trekked alongside the canal (and few tourists ever venture this way) this walk always promises a vibrant display of colours and lights, illuminating the blend of modernity (more of this now it has to be said) and tradition (and less of this) that defines this incredible and unique city. It's quite the photographic adventure!

Setting the Scene: The Starting Point


M50, an artistic hub within the city, with its eclectic galleries and vibrant street art (on the walls of Moganshan Road). With the lights coming on and 13kms walking already in our feet (we had started viewing the tree-lined lanes of the FFC - Former French Concession) there was no time to explore M50 and we immediately set off alongside the canal. All photos were taken by me and are copyrighted 2024 (available for purchase or rights assignment).

M50 Art District

A Blue Hour Journey


Walking along the creek during the blue hour is nothing short of magical, all along the canal are amazing bridges lit with colourful lights. In the distance every now and again the Pearl Oriental TV Tower could be seen between residential towers lining the canal. Every bridge offering an ideal vantage point where we could capture the striking modern architecture and the darkening blue hour sky.


Towering Giants
Our Route from M50 to The Bund. There are also small detours you could make - not shown.

Bridges: Windows to the Past


As we continued our journey along the creek, we encountered several iconic bridges. These structures being mostly of delightful contemporary designs.


There was one particularly mesmerising bridge, lit with alternating coloured lights (6 colour schemes if I remember correctly) brightly illuminating the bridge. Since I love colour it was a photographic gem and I spent more time capturing this bridge than any other. Capturing the bridge against the backdrop of neon-lit towers created a scene alive with colour, as we explored various angles and perspectives.

Bridges of Shanghai
Alternating colour schemes and multiple perspectives - we spent maybe 30 mins on this bridge alone !

The Allure of Reflections


Of course now the sun had set the water began to mirror the colourful scenes above adding an exciting element to our photography. And who doesn't love reflections !

The reflections enhancing the beauty of the bridges and high-rises and long exposures meant smooth water with larger soft reflections.

Pro Tips for Aspiring Photographers


If you plan to take a similar walk along Suzhou Creek, here are some helpful tips for your excursion.

For those interested in the technicalities I carried both the Olympus OM1 + 12-40/2.8 and 40-150/2.8 lenses (24-80 and 80-300 in full-frame terms) plus the Sony A7r5 together with two superb Samyang lenses : 85/1.4 and 24/1.8. Only the Olympus shots are shown in this blog post with numerous shots taken at between 3 secs & 5 secs exposures, mostly at base ISO and mostly at apertured from f4 to f11.


  1. Timing Matters: The blue hour, which lasts 20-40 minutes after sunset, offers stunning lighting for photographs (even on cloudy days). Arrive early to capture optimal colours. But of course keep going after the end of Blue Hour!


  2. Multiple Lenses & Tripod: A wide-angle lens captures the grandeur of the bridges & buildings, whilst a telephoto lens enables you to get close-ups and perfect framing without the need to crop —ideal for those detailed bridge shots. Bring a tripod (or even a mini-tripod) for long exposures.


  3. Explore Different Angles: Don’t hesitate to experiment; sometimes the best photos emerge from unexpected perspectives. Try shooting from low or high angles to see what works best.


  4. Stay Flexible: Shanghai's weather shifts rapidly. Stay adaptable to seize unexpected, magical moments that arise throughout your journey. Rain will mean puddles and more reflections as well as people with umbrellas - always fun !


  5. Include Movement: Capturing people within your shots adds context. Their interactions with the environment can bring your images to life. Slow shutter speeds will give you some blur of people and vehicles - I love these types of photos.


  6. Safety: Shanghai (indeed China as a whole) is one of the safest cities in the world, even at night. However do be careful alongside the canal - if like me you are ridiculously clumsy because you are always looking around you instead of the path ahead then trips and falls await you on the many small staircases and be extra careful and mindful of traffic crossing the bridges/roads.


Truly an Unforgettable Experience for a Photographer


Walking from M50 to The Bund along Suzhou Creek was a visual feast. The colourful bridges, vibrant reflections, and lights from the residential towers lining the canal create a plethora of images, portraits of Suzhou Creek that beautifully merge the contemporary with its rich past.

Capturing the magic along the creek is more than just photography; it is a delightful walk that few people ever attempt, it's a bit of a hike, circa 7 kms (inc. shooting from both sides and minor detours) or so from M50 to The Bund (allow 3-4 hours if photographing, 2 hours if strolling and taking an occasional rest), but one with hardly a respite from spectacular views and you'll hardly ever put your camera down ! Whether you're a seasoned photographer or a traveler / tourist wanting to experience more of Shanghai’s beauty, I encourage you to take this walk alongside Suzhou Creek.

N.B. Do bring drinks and snacks with you - unlike everywhere else in Shanghai there are very few cafes or mini-markets (7/11 shops) along the way until you get much closer to The Bund. you will however find the occasional toilet alongside the canal (usually alongside a bridge so check both sides of the canal when you reach a bridge).


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