When natural light is gone ...

Cagey75

Cagey75

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Keith
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What do you like to shoot on dark evenings? I'm not talking pro set ups with fancy studio lighting, but just off the cuff stuff when you have that itch. Now that we're well into Autumn, once the sun dips, what do you do when you've got that new lens or camera and just have the urge to play about, do some testing at home etc?

Just curious, as I had one of those 'photographer's block' episodes tonight, wanting to shoot but not knowing what exactly. If I had a decent tele lens I might have gone out to shoot the moon as it was clear or if I wasn't a lazy prat I might have ventured out to do some LE of some kind in town or even just down the road ... but it's cold! :D

OK, so you've got a new lens today, it's dark cold and just generally dank outside but you have the urge to play about with your gear, what are you doing? Are you grabbing some flash and props? Grabbing some persons and forcing them to pull silly faces? ... Shoot! ...
 
If its a fast prime, then I'd probably head into town/Leeds, rank up the ISO and see what I can get handheld - even moreso if it'd been raining

If it was a wide one but not especially fast, on a moonlit night with clouds aplenty I'd head off to a structure to use as foreground and shoot the sky - Sandal Castle (a wee ruin) is good for that

If I had someone to model (male/femal doesn't matter) then I may well take just one bare speedlight and do some OCF work suited to the model

I would prefer to take a pal or 3 too though, good for ideas, great as VALs, better to dissuade the idiots

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
If its a fast prime, then I'd probably head into town/Leeds, rank up the ISO and see what I can get handheld - even moreso if it'd been raining

If it was a wide one but not especially fast, on a moonlit night with clouds aplenty I'd head off to a structure to use as foreground and shoot the sky - Sandal Castle (a wee ruin) is good for that

If I had someone to model (male/femal doesn't matter) then I may well take just one bare speedlight and do some OCF work suited to the model

I would prefer to take a pal or 3 too though, good for ideas, great as VALs, better to dissuade the idiots

Dave
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If I'm honest with myself I think part of my problem is laziness. I used to head out in any weather when I got the itch, with some sort of goal in mind. Often headed out alone too, never really considered any dangers just needed to shoot. I've had silly chats with bunches of can-swilling idiots too, just always kept the cool and made myself look big :D

I lost that bit of 'mojo' somewhere along the line with the usual work/family getting in the way. But I find now I do have spare evenings, and I am getting that old urge back ... just stuck for ideas. You've just given me a couple there already (y)
 
DG Phototraining said:
Most of us get that at some point I guess - when it affects me I try to think of an idea, then use Google images for inspiration and go from there :)

Dave
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Not bad advice, I've always strayed from looking fr direct inspiration in other people's photography, waiting for it to just land on my lap instead. But there's certainly no harm in looking
 
A reply I made a while ago to a similar request

Not normally popular when I suggest it but think about Still Life.
You can arrange the objects to give good composition, choose the colours to create harmony or to clash, try different numbers of objects – is 1 best or 2 or 3 etc. Move everything around so that the light is from a different direction, diffuse the light, reflect the light, shade the light. Try different focal lengths at the same, and different, distances. Underexpose, overexpose by different amounts to see the effect. Experiment with different apertures for DoF. Change the ISO to use small apertures at shutter speeds where you can hand hold the camera without shake, check the amount of noise when using high ISO etc.
While doing all that you do not have to worry that the subject is moving, or will disappear.
It really is worthwhile because once you have the subject set up you are no longer worried about getting a good/great picture, it is all about playing and learning.
 
Forget the early dark evenings, good time to be indoors in the warm and dry
Instead get out and enjoy the lovely mornings with much later sunrise and dawn times
 
There are pictures to be found in the home - domestic scenes! Your home and those of others might seem so familiar that your ability to see image-wise switches into neutral. But if you cultivate an awareness of ambient light then meaningful images can be found. Or you might introduce your own photographic light sources, portable flash being an example.

Or to venture outside, there are photos to be found in all weathers and at dusk and dawn ...

Did you ever see this book -
https://www.henryiddon.com/Spots-of-Time-Lake-District-by-Moonlight
?
 
droj said:
There are pictures to be found in the home - domestic scenes! Your home and those of others might seem so familiar that your ability to see image-wise switches into neutral. But if you cultivate an awareness of ambient light then meaningful images can be found. Or you might introduce your own photographic light sources, portable flash being an example.

Or to venture outside, there are photos to be found in all weathers and at dusk and dawn ...

Did you ever see this book -
https://www.henryiddon.com/Spots-of-Time-Lake-District-by-Moonlight
?
Click to expand...

Never see the book but there's some nice imagery there

I know that images are there to be found but like I say it's a bit of a block atm. You can tell an author similar, that there's stories to be told about all sorts, but if they have writer's block they just aren't feeling it.

I used to always find something to shoot at home, I've been through all the old reliables such as water splashes and droplets, all manner of object macro, portraits of the kids, pets, my partner, shadows, food, light drawings etc etc When you're starting out I think it's a lot easier find stuff to get creative with because it's all new.

Anyway, just wanted to see what others do when they feel the same. I think for me the answer is very much to start heading out in the evenings again, find some decent vantage points [a lot of those images are shot from above towns] - also I need to get a sturdy tripod!
 
Wasted as a shot though - (Cretan) raki is pretty much designed to go down in one rather than be sipped!
 
Nod said:
Wasted as a shot though - (Cretan) raki is pretty much designed to go down in one rather than be sipped!
Click to expand...

Bit like absinthe then?

It's a long time since I did shots, and it would have been Jäger bombs or baby Guinness. I really only drink brandy at Christmas and certainly wouldn't be shooting it down
 
I get a lot of fun out of dark nights and bright lights...

1210351 Heavitree Road night traffic lights.JPG

1210358 Traffic lights through bus windscreen.JPG

1210368 Cars at night slow shutter.JPG
 
Scots_quine said:
Light painting or light trails? Playing with a torch in the garden?
Click to expand...

As I said earlier, I've dabbled a bit with light painting, it was fun when the kids were younger - I think this might also be a reason why I find it harder these days!? When my girls were younger stuff like this was fun to teach them now they're as likely to tell me about some app that does it better :rolleyes:

Some home/boredom and night stuff that I have done over the years:

Dublin Spire by K G, on Flickr

Mellow by K G, on Flickr

New year's day moon and Venus by K G, on Flickr

Street walker by K G, on Flickr

The mod child by K G, on Flickr

Audio waves 1: Blues by K G, on Flickr
 
Ive just purchased a sayang 14mm 2.8 for these nice dark evenings, heading out into the dark locations to shoot some Milky Way and hopefully auroras.
 
I tend to go and do some light trails, or maybe an empty railway station (lit up) with a tripod it's easy enough. To be honest you can usually find something to rest a camera on anyway. This shot was just me playing with my Christmas tree lights.

IMG_0036s.jpg
 
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