The Boston, Massachusetts skyline, as viewed from an unnamed hotel’s rooftop bar on July 14, 2026.

During the summer months, when the weather is nice and sunset is late, I’ll travel my camera and tripod in my suitcase as I bounce around for work. It gets me out of my hotel room, and I get a chance to explore various cities around the world.

Oftentimes, even in the smallest of cities, rooftop bars have the best views of a skyline; rarely does a rooftop bar face a parking garage or landfill. I’ve found most of them are happy to let you buy a drink, but the moment a tripod comes out it’s a tripping hazard and “no thank you.” (Also, I should point out, they aren’t wrong.) I’ve reached out to bars in advance and had some amazing balcony access, and I’ve wandered into places where its chilly for wherever I am and the waitstaff is noticeably less-than-thrilled I’d like to sit outside. In these cases, I can put my camera on a chair or the table and nobody says a word. However, in the bigger cities with better skylines, I’ve noticed a trend.

A lot of places are reluctant to let a “real camera” and tripod come out. iPhones? “No worries! Want me to take the picture for you?” A real camera and tripod? Hard no. And, as mentioned above, I get it. It can be a tripping hazard, or even a group of photography nerds show up one day and we all have tripods and block everyone’s view.

So, for this Boston, Massachusetts picture, I was pleased with myself how it came together. I was walking along the Fort Point Channel looking for places to settle in for sunset, and wasn’t finding anything that struck me. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of it was pretty, and the Tall Ships are docked in the harbor, but it was hazy and super-hot. I crossed back and forth a few times over the channel when I noticed a hotel’s rooftop bar had a pretty great vantage point.

I took the elevator up to the top floor and the host was checking to see who was on what “private party” list.

“Can I just grab a drink and enjoy the view,” I asked.

“Enjoy away, sir.”

I ordered a drink and found a spot along the railing and waited about ninety minutes for the sun to set. And then another thirty minutes for the desired lighting. I didn’t dare pull out my tripod, because I felt the moment it came out I’d be tossed for a tripping hazard. Instead, as it got closer to sunset, I pulled out my camera, took a photo and assessed how the sky was. Yes, the image was blurry because I can’t stand that still for 15 seconds, but the lighting was still the lighting.

Eventually, my “window” opened and the lighting was what I was aiming for. I pulled the tripod out and kept it as tight as possible, hoping no one would notice. The group of “bros” to my left gave me some good cover and I got about a dozen shots off. Just as the light was starting to fade, the guys said their goodbyes and I was left exposed to the world. In less than a minute of their departure, I was spotted and a manager came up and told me to put everything away.

I was pleased with myself for recognizing I probably shouldn’t pull my tripod out from the beginning, and I think the efforts paid off. I won’t mention the hotel since they’re skittish about people shooting with fancy cameras and tripods, but it’s near the intersection of Seaport Boulevard and Sleeper Street. Wait until the last possible moment to pull out a tripod.

0714. (1506)