Night photography
Encyclopedia
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s taken outdoors between dusk and dawn. Night photographers generally have a choice between using artificial light and using a long exposure, exposing the scene for seconds, minutes, and even hours in order to give the film or digital sensor enough time to capture a usable image. With the progress of high-speed films, higher-sensitivity digital image sensor
Image sensor
An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image into an electronic signal. It is used mostly in digital cameras and other imaging devices...
s, wide-aperture
Aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
lenses, and the ever-greater power of urban lights, night photography is increasingly possible using available light
Available light
In photography and cinematography, available light or ambient light refers to any source of light that is not explicitly supplied by the photographer for the purpose of taking photos. The term usually refers to sources of light that are already available naturally or artificial light already being...
.
History
Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his fifty-year career in making photography an accepted art form...
and William Fraser, began working at night. The first photographers known to have produced large bodies of work at night were Brassai
Brassaï
Brassaï was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars...
and Bill Brandt
Bill Brandt
Bill Brandt was an influential British photographer and photojournalist known for his high-contrast images of British society and his distorted nudes and landscapes.-Career and life:...
. In 1932, Brassai published Paris de Nuit, a book of black-and-white photographs of the streets of Paris at night. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, British photographer Brandt took advantage of the black-out conditions to photograph the streets of London by moonlight
Moonlight
Moonlight is the light that reaches Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon, but from sunlight. The Moon does not, however, reflect sunlight like a mirror, but it reflects light from those portions of its surface which the Sun's light strikes. See diffuse reflection.In...
.
By the 1990s, British-born photographer Michael Kenna
Michael Kenna (photographer)
Michael Kenna is an English photographer best known for his black & white landscapes.Kenna attended Upholland College in Lancashire, the Banbury School of Art in Oxfordshire, and the London College of Printing...
had established himself as the most commercially successful night photographer. His black-and-white landscapes were most often set between dusk and dawn in locations that included San Francisco, Japan, France, and England. Some of his most memorable projects depict the Ford Motor Company's Rouge River plant, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station
Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station is a coal-fired power station operated by E.ON UK at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, England. Commissioned in 1968 by the then Central Electricity Generating Board, the station has a capacity of 2,000 MW...
in the East Midlands in England, and many of the Nazi concentration camps scattered across Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
During the beginning of the 21st century, the popularity of digital cameras made it much easier for beginning photographers to understand the complexities of photographing at night. Today, there are hundreds of websites dedicated to night photography.
Subjects
- Celestial bodies (See astrophotographyAstrophotographyAstrophotography is a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky. The first photographs of an astronomical object were taken in the 1840s, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for...
.)- The moonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, starStarA star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s, planets, etc.
- The moon
- Streets with or without carAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s - Abandoned buildings and artificial structures that are lit only by moonlightMoonlightMoonlight is the light that reaches Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon, but from sunlight. The Moon does not, however, reflect sunlight like a mirror, but it reflects light from those portions of its surface which the Sun's light strikes. See diffuse reflection.In...
- City skylineSkylineA skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
s - FactoriesFactoryA factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
and industrial areas, particularly those that are brightly lit and are emitting smokeSmokeSmoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...
or vapour - FireworksFireworksFireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
- Nightlife or rock concertConcertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s - Bodies of waterBodies of WaterBodies of Water is a band from the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, signed to independent record label Secretly Canadian. The core group consists of married couple David and Meredith Metcalf. However, the band often plays LA shows with five or more additional musicians, such...
that are reflecting moonlight or city lightCity LightCity Light is a posh locality in Surat city and one of the happening places in Surat. Today City Light is one of the best developed residential areas in Surat city and also boasts of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers...
s- LakeLakeA lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, riverRiverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, canalCanalCanals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s, etc.
- Lake
- ThunderstormThunderstormA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s - Amusement rideAmusement rideAmusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s
Technique and equipment
- A tripodTripodA tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...
is usually necessary due to the long exposure times. Alternatively, the camera may be placed on a steady, flat object e.g. a table or chair, low wall, window sill, etc. - A shutter release cableBulb (photography)Bulb, abbreviated B, is a shutter speed setting on an adjustable camera that allows for long exposure times under the direct control of the photographer. With this setting, the shutter simply stays open as long as the shutter release button remains depressed...
or self timerSelf timerA self timer is a device on a camera that gives a delay between pressing the shutter release and the shutter's firing. It is most commonly used to let photographers to take a photo of themselves , hence the name....
is almost always used to prevent camera shake when the shutter is released. - Manual focus, since autofocusAutofocusAn autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
systems usually operate poorly in low light conditions. Newer digital cameras incorporate a Live View mode which often allows very accurate manual focusing. - A stopwatch or remote timer, to time very long exposures where the camera's bulb setting is used.
Long exposures and multiple flashes
The long exposure multiple flash technique is a method of night or low light photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
which use a mobile flash unit to expose various parts of a building or interior using a long exposure.
This technique is often combined with using coloured gels in front of the flash unit to provide different colours in order to illuminate the subject in different ways. It is also common to flash the unit several times during the exposure while swapping the colours of the gels around to mix colours on the final photo. This requires some skill and a lot of imagination since it is not possible to see how the effects will turn out until the exposure is complete. By using this technique, the photographer can illuminate specific parts of the subject in different colours creating shadows in ways which would not normally be possible.
Painting with light
When the correct equipment is used such as a tripod and shutter release cable, the photographer can use long exposures to photograph images of light. For example, when photographing a subject try switching the exposure to manual and selecting the bulb setting on the camera. Once this is achieved trip the shutter and photograph your subject moving a flashlight or any small light in various patterns. Experiment with this outcome to produce artistic results. Multiple attempts may be needed to produce a desired result.Published night photographers
This section includes significant night photographers who have published books dedicated to night photography, and some of their selected works.- BrassaiBrassaïBrassaï was a Hungarian photographer, sculptor, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars...
- Paris de Nuit, Arts et metiers graphiques, 1932.
- Harold Burdekin and John Morrison
- London Night, Collins, 1934.
- Jeff Brouws
- Inside the Live Reptile Tent, Chronicle Books, 2001. ISBN 0-8118-2824-7
- Alan Delaney
- London After Dark, Phaidon Press, 1993. ISBN 0-7148-2870-X
- Neil Folberg
- Celestial Nights, Aperture Foundation, 2001. ISBN 0-89381-945-X
- Karekin Goekjian
- Light After Dark, Lucinne, Inc. ASIN B0006QOVCG
- Todd Hido
- Outskirts, Nazraeli Press, 2002. ISBN 1-59005-028-2
- Peter Hujar
- Night, Matthew Marks Gallery/Fraenkel Gallery, 2005. ISBN 1-880146-45-2
- Rolfe Horn
- 28 Photographs, Nazraeli Press. ISBN 1-59005-122-X
- Lance Keimig
- Night Photography, Finding Your Way In The Dark, Focal Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0240812588
- Brian Kelly
- Grand Rapids: Night After Night, Glass Eye, 2001. ISBN 0-9701293-0-0
- Michael KennaMichael Kenna (photographer)Michael Kenna is an English photographer best known for his black & white landscapes.Kenna attended Upholland College in Lancashire, the Banbury School of Art in Oxfordshire, and the London College of Printing...
- The Rouge, RAM Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-9630785-1-8
- Night Work, Nazraeli Press, 2000. ISBN 3-923922-83-3
- William Lesch
- Expansions, RAM Publications, 1992. ISBN 4-8457-0667-9
- O. Winston LinkO. Winston LinkOgle Winston Link , known commonly as O. Winston Link, was an American photographer. He is best known for his black-and-white photography and sound recordings of the last days of steam locomotive railroading on the Norfolk & Western in the United States in the late 1950s...
- The Last Steam Railroad in America, Harry Abrams, 1995. ISBN 0-8109-3575-9
- Tom Paiva
- Industrial Night, The Image Room, 2002. ISBN 0-9716928-0-7
- Troy Paiva
- Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration, Chronicle Books, 2008. ISBN 0-811-86338-7
- Lost America: The Abandoned Roadside West, MBI Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7603-1490-X
- Bill SchwabBill SchwabBill Schwab is an American photographer known for his emotionally charged yet peaceful urban and natural landscapes.Born in Detroit, Michigan he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Central Michigan University in 1983....
- Bill Schwab: Photographs, North Light Press, 1999. ISBN 0-9765193-0-5
- Gathering Calm, North Light Press, 2005. ISBN 0-9765193-2-1
- Jan Staller
- Frontier New York, Hudson Hills Press, 1988. ISBN 1-55595-009-4
- Zabrina Tipton
- At Night in San Francisco, San Francisco Guild of the Arts Press, 2006. ISBN 1-4243-1882-3
- Volkmar Wentzel
- Washington by Night, Fulcrum Publishing, 1998. ISBN 978-1555914103
See also
- Light paintingLight PaintingLight painting, also known as light drawing or light graffiti is a photographic technique in which exposures are made usually at night or in a darkened room by moving a hand-held light source or by moving the camera. In many cases the light source itself does not have to appear in the image...
External links
- Comprehensive tutorials and articles about how to do night photography by The Nocturnes
- Photoblog Wiki Photoblog.com wiki article on night photography
- Short notes discussing the meaning and technique of night photography by David Baldwin
- Photography for night owls How to take photos in the style of Brassai
- Night Photography Guide Tutorial by Adam Currie