Salford Quays Photowalk

Having postponed the Photo Walk last month due to bad weather it looked more promising this time. However, it was raining when we arrived at Salford Quays for 4:15 pm so a tea or coffee seemed appropriate in the shelter of Lowry Outlet. By the time we had drunk up the rain had passed and stayed away for the rest of the day. Whilst it was still light we took pictures around Erie Basin and Mariner’s Canal practicing manual settings and manual focus in preparation for the night photography to come. Whilst the rain had stopped the sky was very overcast giving no cloud definition and obscured the sunset.

Pangs of hunger signalled the time to seek out a café / restaurant. Duly refreshed we then ventured out into the darkness to capture the illuminated buildings which surround the Quays. The best location for these types of shots is looking back towards the shopping outlet, Lowry Theatre and Media City from the Imperial War Museum North. That meant taking the bridge across the Quay. However, we were faced with an onslaught of runners raising money for charity. Anyone who has been to Salford Quays will know there’s a bridge by the shopping outlet, where we were, and one by Media City. The width of the bridge was filled with runners. As I looked across the water to the Imperial War Museum the Quayside was filled with a seeming unending line of runners stretching all the way round and over the bridge leading to media city. We had no alternative but to set up and take long exposure pictures as the runners came over the bridge with their illuminated headbands and light sticks. Not what I’d anticipated but you take what you can get. The alternative risked being trampled by the runners if we tried to go against the flow. Eventually the runners cleared and we crossed the bridge in safety. The Lowry Theatre was not as brightly illuminated as when I visited previously and the unbroken cloud cover reflected down the light pollution of Manchester. However we made best of the conditions and everyone seemed to enjoy the Walk. Time passes so quickly and we were still over by the Imperial War Museum North at 8:30 pm, our stated finish time. We gradually made our way back to the Car Park and left the Quays about 9:00pm.