mixedmedia

I don't know how to take pictures at night.
But I do it anyway.
Sometimes I get results I like.
A little inscrutable, a little lonely, a little creepy.

Here are some of my favorite 'found' night shots.
Please post some of yours, too.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

inBOIL

You're channeling Manet in that bar shot.

__________________
And you believe Bush and the liberals and divorced parents and gays and blacks and the Christian right and fossil fuels and Xbox are all to blame, meanwhile you yourselves create an ad where your kid hits you in the head with a baseball and you don't understand the message that the problem is you.

mixedmedia

haha, yeah it looks a little like that Bar at the Folies Bergere painting...I think its called. Is that what you're referring to?

it was a total accident. I had the camera sitting on the bar across from her and was taking photos randomly and surreptitiously. I was actually more interested in getting a shot of the guy with the 'fro behind her date...now that I think of it, I did manage to get a shot of him...let me see

---------- Post added at 09:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 AM ----------



the guy on the right end of the bar...never managed to get an ideal shot of him, though.
this one's too grainy and muddy.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

ring

The tattoo & the laundry. Those two are spooky cool.
Thanks for sharing.

dogzilla

I like the motel picture with the neon sign.

The trick with low light shots is to use a tripod to keep the camera steady or to find something to rest the camera on. I've found that if the shutter speed is much below 1/60 second it's hard to hold the camera steady by hand.

Depending on your camera, you can increase the aperture (towards lower numbers) at the expense of depth of field or increase the ISO setting for your sensor at the expense of more noise (graininess) in the image.

Manic_Skafe

It's always a pleasure to see your shots, MM. Love the Dockside Motel phot, very Eggleston.

I've been spoiling myself in sunlight any going positively nuclear with the flash when shooting at night. It doesn't evoke that same dreamy atmosphere but here's a fairly recent one of mine:

__________________
"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian

ring

Nice one Manic. I like how her pupils haven't had time to constrict by the flash.

I took this shot from inside my truck. I had to hold my breath so as not to steam the glass.

mixedmedia

thank you, dogzilla. I'm not much of a tripod person, though. not even those monopods. I don't like them. I like to carry my camera around in my hand - it's part of the enjoyment for me. so, combined with my lack of skill, I've learned to live with uneven results at night. with a few interesting ones on occasion. :-)

those snowflakes remind me of alveoli. beautiful, ring.

I love that, Manic. it has an unsettling paparazzi quality. which, of course, is fabulous. I'd like to see more of those.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

im2smrt4u

Hardly a masterpiece, but neon lights at night always interest me:

__________________
Starkizzer Fan Club - President & Founder

mixedmedia

we don't want no stinking masterpieces here.
besides, it's a very nice photo. I like seeing into windows at night. for some reason it feels a little voyeuristic, even when it's a public place.

thank you for posting, smarts.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

rmarshall

I saw a halo around the moon the other night and tried to capture it. Hand-holding the camera for the 1/2 second exposure caused a little camera shake. It made the moon look like a heart. I thought it was kind of cute.

__________________
"Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege" Irish proverb

mixedmedia

ha! that's really cool. thanks for posting.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

paddyjoe

I enjoy shooting at nite, but like mixed, I hate lugging a tripod around.

I used one for this shot though, only because it was on the roof of my hotel.......

mixedmedia

beautiful. where was that taken?

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

dogzilla

I don't get to large cities very often and so I don't have a lot of opportunities for night shots.
This is one from a trip to Austin a couple years ago.

mixedmedia

fabulous. love that.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

dlish

i took this about 2 or 3 years ago now. for a handheld shot at night it turned out surprisngly clear.

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

paddyjoe

Thanks,mixed. This was from a rooftop in Toronto. Here's a couple more from that nite:

dlish

thats pretty nifty paddyjoe

is that a light show?

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

mixedmedia

nice, thanks for contributing, dlish. if I didn't know better, I'd say that could be Naples. they're big on the luxury boats around here, too.

gorgeous, paddyjoe. Toronto is my mother's favorite city and I can see why.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

dlish

thanks MM.

if you look closely in the background, those vertical lights are from the worlds tallest tower. everything pales in comparison.

__________________
An injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere

I always sign my facebook comments with ()()===========(}. Does that make me gay?
- Filthy

mixedmedia

whoa. I didn't realize that's what it was.
it's a very impressive phallus for such a little country.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

ring

Walking to the gas station during a snowstorm:



I hope the snow that is falling right now, lasts until after dark.

rmarshall

This is on the Glenora ferry going home toward Kingston from Picton, Ontario.
I think I had the camera on a solid object and used the timer to shoot the 1/2 second exposure.

__________________
"Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege" Irish proverb

RogueGypsy

__________________
Methods, application and intensity of application vary by the individual. All legal wavers must be signed before 'treatment' begins. Self 'Medicating' is not recommend. However, if necessary, it is best to have an 'assistant' or 'soft landing zone' nearby. Any and all legal issues resulting from improperly applied techniques should be forwarded to: Dewy, Cheatum & Howe, Intercourse, PA 17534. Attn: Anonymous.

Confederate

Just a few of my faves.

Attached Images

	n8311946_47177186_6283.jpg (11.5 KB, 133 views)
	n8311946_50551915_7143.jpg (27.3 KB, 130 views)

mixedmedia

hey, thanks guys!

ring, RG and Marshall, sorry I missed your photos earlier.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Fotzlid

Tower of the Americas in San Antonio,TX

Attached Images

SA & Riverwalk (19).jpg (100.6 KB, 128 views)

Fotzlid

Looking down from Tower of the Americas.

Attached Images

SA & Riverwalk (23).jpg (99.4 KB, 126 views)

mixedmedia

Those are really beautiful. Thanks.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

ASU2003

I have way too many to post...

G~man

As some know---I love trees....you should post these on the tree thread...

Here is my favorite night shot:

__________________
☻/ G~man.........
/▌ "Life may not be the party we hoped for----
/ \ but while we're here, we might as well dance ! ! ! "

mixedmedia

aw, man. now that is an incredible image. thank you.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

span2

Trying to capture the eclipse last night on my kit lenses:

__________________
Sometimes I lie awake at night, and ask, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’ Then a voice says to me, ‘This is going to take more than one night.’

Charlie Brown

rmarshall

I found out the hard way that it isn't easy to shoot the moon. You need a telephoto (300 mm?), a tripod and you need to under expose by about 4 stops. Keep your exposure under 30 seconds or the earth will move on you and turn any stars into arcs.

__________________
"Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege" Irish proverb

telekinetic

30 seconds?! Jesus man, what settings were you using? I was doing my test shots handheld with 1/320 or 1/640 with f/4 and iso 100, and they were coming out great...but got thick cloud cover as soon as the eclipse started.

__________________
twisted no more

rmarshall

I didn't say to shoot at 30 seconds. I said to keep it under 30 seconds, as a general rule, and I explained why.
Somebody playing around with a slow kit lens (I assume 18-55mm, f3,5-f4.5) might be tempted to go wide angle and take a shot of the milky way, for example. This might cause the camera to want to go over 30 seconds on auto. The result would be arcs.

Edit: Here's a link that pretty much supports your argument: http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon70...7605132314286/

__________________
"Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege" Irish proverb

mixedmedia

thank you, span. I kind of like your shots as they are.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

paddyjoe

me too....

And, I agree with rmarshall. At nite the moon seems as bright as the sun to your metering system. Do some bracketing, and shoot a bunch 'o frames so you get one without the moon turning into a blur.....

ring

I hear the eclipse was beautiful. Clouds were precipitating where I live.
Foggy at 4 in the morning, this street light was fiery crescent moon-like