FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – For an iconic event like Bridge Day, you want to capture the beauty of the New River Gorge and all its sights, sounds, and colors.
That means consulting a professional photographer for guidance on capturing great photos.
Famed former Beckley Newspapers chief photographer Rick Barbero shared his tips and tricks for getting the perfect shot.
“The best thing you have to do is be prepared, search out your vantage point, whether you’re going to be up on top of the bridge or at the bottom,” Barbero said.Â
According to the pro photographer, before the massive Bridge Day crowds, planting yourself at the top of the bridge by 8 am, closest to the platform where the jumpers jump, is a great perspective.
“I’ve parked myself up there probably for a couple of hours,” said Barbero. “What I found works best when you’re up top is probably a little bit more of a wide-angle lens like the ones that I used were a 17 to 120 millimeter.”
And it’s all about timing; you have a split second to capture the jumpers, as they leap off the bridge every 30 seconds. Barbero says as soon as they start, you want to have a camera with a motor drive that shoots pretty fast.
“My camera will shoot about nine frames per second. Just before they start jumping, start shooting, and then you’re going to capture them as they start coming down before they open up their shoots,” the photographer said. “It takes a little bit of practice when you first get there. I found the best thing for me to do was pre-focus from a certain spot.”
Bridge Day offers so many ways to create visual impact.
“I’ve been photographing Bridge Day ever since it started. And I tell you, I learned more each year on how to get the best shot,” said Barbero. “I took a picture last Bridge Day (2024), and a jumper was upside down. That was a pretty cool shot, frozen right there.”
You want to use a fairly high shutter speed on the top and the bottom.
“So you can stop that action,” the pro photog said. “Especially up on top, I’m using probably around 800th of a second shutter speed to be able to stop that image. Anything lower than, say, 500, you are going to get some blur motion.”
Barbero also recommends using a stronger lens when you’re on the bottom.
“Probably like a 180 to 400, or if you can even go up to a 600, that seems fine too, because you can get some nice tight shots as they jump off the bridge,” he said. “I used a 200 to 400 lens.”
If you’re only able to be in one place, Barbero recommends being down at the bottom of the bridge.
“There are fewer people down here, and it’s much easier to be able to photograph,” said the photographer. “You’re going to get tremendous shots, with the lighting perfect here that time of day.”
