Another object lesson on the need to concentrate more when taking a snapshot.
I was so lucky with the light. This was about a half an hour after it had gone dark. But look at that sky! A sky to die for.
I actually did take care in the camera settings. Shutter speed of 1/15; with f2.5. That speed is quite slow, and not being the sort to carry a tripod around on the off-chance, I knew I had to improvise. I strolled round the square using various street furniture. Best was when I could actually rest the camera on a wall or somesuch. Failing that, just getting a lamp post to brace myself against would just about do it.
I was trying to get the light dancing off the fountain, maybe get a sense of individual streams or even drops of water. I also had my eyes on the varied skyline: the wedding cake building, the rococo dome and the structure that probably isn't a cable car tower, but could be. The palm trees add an exotic flavour, and although I have mostly cropped them out, the Christmas decorations were an extra element.
I timed it perfectly, watching the traffic lights to catch a pause in passing traffic. I regretted the presence of parked cars, but knew that as I was aiming high, they would not intrude too much. So, I actually gave some thought to this cityscape of the Plaza de Ayuntamiento, Valencia, especially of how to combine the various eye-catching elements.
And I forgot one thing. Or failed to notice. I think the the auto-correct function of brain processes it out, like cars, to some extent.
So ladies and gentleman, this is how I ended up taking a photo of a telegraph poll and angle-poise light.
