A vibrant Portland, Oregon cityscape at twilight, featuring the iconic "Portland Oregon" sign with its glowing stag, a tall illuminated skyscraper, and dramatic light trails from vehicles on the street, all set against a colorful purple and orange sky.

Kinetic Bridgetown - Portland is Alive at Night

Ultramarine Photo is back in your feed with Kinetic Bridgetown, a frenetic, gorgeous and lively set of long exposure photographs documenting the way Portlanders move through the city at all hours of the day and night.

This collection comes courtesy of the extremely talented street photographer Scott Fullerton, whose photography career is as much inspired by his commutes across the bridges while working in the service industry as it is by the traditions of film.

We encourage you to take the time to really soak this one in — read Scott's behind-the-scenes stories, and contemplate the life that is all around us, all the time.

A metal truss bridge spans across a roadway in Portland, Oregon at dusk, adorned with vibrant light trails from passing vehicles and flanked by illuminated city buildings under a colorful twilight sky.

Counsel's Reflections

"On that particular night there was this gorgeous pink red sky. I used to cross the Hawthorne Bridge all the time when I was younger. I went out really in that headspace, and I just happened to hit it just as the sun was reflecting off the courthouse."

 

Portland, Oregon's Hawthorne Bridge is captured at night with vibrant red light trails from vehicles streaking across its metal grate roadway. The bridge's green-painted steel trusses and towers are brightly illuminated against a dark blue sky.

Shock Crossing

"This one, the camera was not mounted as well as I thought. Initially I was like 'bummer' but I've come to really like the way it's tilted. Since then I've tried to experiment with that a little more."

 

A vibrant Portland, Oregon cityscape at twilight, featuring the iconic "Portland Oregon" sign with its glowing stag, a tall illuminated skyscraper, and dramatic light trails from vehicles on the street, all set against a colorful purple and orange sky.

Night Shift

"I was talking to a friend of mine, Hillary, who's a bartender. We worked together years and years ago when we were both kids. She saw this collection when I was working on it and was floored. The first thing she said was that that was her favorite time in her life, when she would walk these bridges for the industry. That's the validation I want."

 

A vibrant Portland, Oregon bridge roadway at twilight, characterized by bright white and red light trails from moving vehicles, converging towards the distance, with streetlights and traffic signals illuminating the scene against a deep blue sky.

Point of Passing

"This is on the eastside of the Broadway Bridge by the Moda Center. There's a median there. I'm starting to learn what to look for as far as places that could be a good place to shoot. I have like a rolodex of places I haven't gone yet where .. I bet if I hit that on the right night, or the right time of day, that would be a great spot to setup a tripod."

 

A Portland, Oregon streetcar or light rail train creates a blur of vibrant red, orange, and white light trails on a wet cobblestone street at night, passing under an overpass with illuminated city buildings in the background.

Volume

"In the moment I was trying to find a way to capture some kind of iconic building or landmark in the background. Unintentionally, I ended up being in a spot where I got these MASSIVE color lines, which I really like. It almost makes it like abstract art."

 

A wide night view of Portland, Oregon's illuminated Steel Bridge spanning the Willamette River, with its structural lights and the city skyline casting vibrant reflections on the dark, calm water under a deep blue sky.

Reflections 3

"A couple times, I've stopped in the middle of the night, at the witching hour, at this dead on-ramp. It sticks out over the river. You can pretty easily just park there. The sky looks lit up but that's like three or four in the morning."

 

A dynamic night photograph of a Portland, Oregon freeway interchange, featuring vibrant red light trails from vehicles streaking across the dark asphalt under elevated concrete structures and a deep blue night sky. Illuminated city buildings and glowing streetlights are visible in the background.

Inevitability of Light

"At that early hour, you don't get the traffic .. the compounding of multiple brake lights to get that really thick red. This was a moment where a couple semis all went by in rapid succession. You get all these tracer lights."

 

A panoramic night view of Portland, Oregon's downtown skyline and illuminated bridges, with vibrant white and red light trails from vehicles streaking across multi-lane highways and reflections shimmering on the Willamette River under a dark night sky.

Multiplier

"One of the first times I did long exposure, years ago, was on a freeway overpass. In the moment, when I made this one, this was a photo for myself. It was like, 'oh I've come this far, now I'm using film.' The sense that you're seeing an old friend."

 

A dramatic night photograph of Portland, Oregon's skyline and industrial infrastructure at twilight, featuring the silhouetted Steel Bridge, a towering communication tower, and vibrant red light trails from vehicles on a curving highway, all against a deep blue and cloudy sky.

The Invitation

"This is in front of the Moda Center, looking at the Steel Bridge, in the afternoon. This is getting back on the rollercoaster. You've gone through the come down. You've had a week off so the hangover isn't as stuck in your head. The appeal is starting to outweigh the comedown. You get just a hint of those tracer lines."

---

Check out the complete collection of 37 photos, now available for licensing.

Back to blog