Still a spectacular monument and impressive feat of construction after over 40 years atop the St. Louis skyline, the Gateway Arch is one of the most photographed structures in the world. Nonetheless, never have I seen it depicted from this vantage, in the rain and mist, at night. So when I noticed it this way during a walk downtown, there was no option but to grab my gear and set up for a shoot. The moody scene was remarkably quiet and devoid of people, no sounds but for occasional traffic behind and below me on I-70, no motion but for the occasional autumn leaves falling into the grass and, of course, the clouds themselves. A moderate northeast breeze continually swept drizzly chunks of scud and fog across the arch and through the greater depths of the spotlights’ beams, shifting subleties of light and shadow by the second, each glance revealing unique and ephemeral tapestries of opacity and translucence. On clear nights, the lights are more focused and not so diffused across such a large surface area of the arch, rendering a paradox of brighter reflection off its stainless steel skin and a more visible nighttime monument during certain foggy conditions.
St. Louis MO (6 Nov 6) looking ESE
38.625, -90.1867