Bridgeport Beach — a beach in Wilcox County, Alabama — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.3 km (4.5 mi) NNE of Camden.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridgeport Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 62° ENE | 7:59 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 04m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Bridgeport Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:23 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:37 PM – 3:57 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:34 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:33 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:29 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 77 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 96 | 106 | 105 | 108 | 101 | 100 | 88 | 79 |
| Low °F | 12 | 19 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 54 | 56 | 55 | 43 | 30 | 19 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 5.5 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bridgeport Beach, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bridgeport Beach Shelter24 m · reservable
- Gees Bend Park5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Chilatchee Creek10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Millers Ferry Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- East Bank Beach Shelters14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridgeport Beach?
What time is golden hour at Bridgeport Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridgeport Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bridgeport Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bridgeport Beach?
How far is Bridgeport Beach from Camden?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.