Grand Canal during Blue Hour from the Rialto Bridge

Photographer

L. Kelly Jones

Category

Europe Photography - Italy Photography

Company

Submission Group

Amateur

Year

2026

Country / Region:

United States

Nothing says Venice quite like the Grand Canal! It was probably past Blue Hour, and more into Nautical Twilight, when I captured this image from the top of the Rialto Bridge walkway. The shutter was open for almost three minutes, but the raw image was quite dark; in retrospect, I should have probably used a 3-stop ND filter instead of the 10. I wanted the open shutter to smooth the water, remove the boats, remove the people walking along the canal, and to blur the clouds. I was pleased with the raw image. It was the perfect time of day, with the sky and buildings still having that “Blue Hour” look, while the lights along the restaurants and shops in the canal were beginning to be illuminated. Post processing with Lightroom, Photoshop, ON1, and Luminar.

More Gold Winner Winners
Professional
2026

Photographer / Company

Melissa N. Robertson

Category

Nature Photography - Wildlife

Country / Region

United States

Professional
2026

Photographer / Company

Marcel van Beek

Category

Fine Art Photography - Nature

Country / Region

Germany

Professional
2026

Photographer / Company

Robert DenUyl

Category

Nature Photography - Seasons

Country / Region

United States

Amateur
2026

Photographer / Company

Sara kwan

Category

Minimalist Photography - Landscapes

Country / Region

Australia