Urban Night Shots

pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
edited August 25, 2004 in Landscapes
I have been enying wxwax's lovely urban night shots that he collects, in Atlanta I believe. They have an energy and vibrant color.

But I live in a smaller, quieter, Midwest community and felt that there were no similar opportunites for me here. We do have the standard neon of National food Chains like Tumbleweed, Applebee's, Denny's and such, but I wanted something more unique. So...., as the sun began to get low on the horizon I ventured out to see what I could find. The first thing I found was as lovely a sunset as I have seen in a long time.
7046670-M.jpg

I then drove down to the center of town and shot this street scene...
7046675-M.jpg


A little a long the way I found this establishment
7046679-M.jpg

And this establishment
7046676-M.jpg

And at this one people were sitting outside enjoying themselves and listening to music.....
7046677-M.jpg

And then I saw this wall painting - think this might fit for "Lines and Curves"?
7046674-M.jpg

And I did see a Tumbleweed Restaurant too
7046672-M.jpg


So here's to you wxwax - there is neon and night time images to be found everywhere if one just looks:clap

For those who think this may require special equipment - these were all shot handheld with a normal range zoom lens, and had minimal post processing in PS!


Like Andy says: Enjoy (night time) photography:thumb
Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin

Comments

  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited August 8, 2004
    Do you live in Terre Haute, Indiana, from the sign?
    pathfinder wrote:
    I have been enying wxwax's lovely urban night shots that he collects, in Atlanta I believe. They have an energy and vibrant color.

    But I live in a smaller, quieter, Midwest community and felt that there were no similar opportunites for me here. We do have the standard neon of National food Chains like Tumbleweed, Applebee's, Denny's and such, but I wanted something more unique. So...., as the sun began to get low on the horizon I ventured out to see what I could find. The first thing I found was as lovely a sunset as I have seen in a long time.


    I then drove down to the center of town and shot this street scene...



    A little a long the way I found this establishment


    And this establishment


    And at this one people were sitting outside enjoying themselves and listening to music.....


    And then I saw this wall painting - think this might fit for "Lines and Curves"?
    7046674-M.jpg

    And I did see a Tumbleweed Restaurant too



    So here's to you wxwax - there is neon and night time images to be found everywhere if one just looksclap.gif

    For those who think this may require special equipment - these were all shot handheld with a normal range zoom lens, and had minimal post processing in PS!


    Like Andy says: Enjoy (night time) photographythumb.gif

    I did some of that stuff, too, tonight. Didn't get a sunset. But I did fall into a curb, fell, think I broke my hand protecting my camera.

    Hurts like a son of a thing, it really does, it is difficult to type. It is my right hand, and I am left handed, but typing is not comfortable. It would be more apt to be a chip, considering where it is. If it were worse, I would not wait to have it looked at.

    Does anyone else fall over, into and off of things when carrying a camera. I know they thought I was drunk, and I rarely drink, certainly not tonight, costs too much, etc. Bill said he heard one of the people comment about my drinking.

    Anyway, I hope you read this far. Do you live in Terre Haute, Indiana, or around there.

    I lived in Vincennes, Ind for 5 years in the seventies. My husband, that husband, taught commercial art at the junior college there. I can't make a capital with my right hand, but I wanted to say it was a nice family town.

    Nice photos, love the sunset, love all the shots.

    ginger
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited August 8, 2004
    Beautiful shots, Jim.
    If not now, when?
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited August 8, 2004
    dumb photography tricks ...
    oh ginger, so sorry to hear this! a friend just broke his hand (smashed it, it's in a full cast) so photography's totally out for him for two months or so. i couldn't bear it.

    ginger, the college co-ed mwink.gif i want to see some scanned piccies. c'mon!

    here's a great thread on stupid photographer tricks that you may enjoy reading :D
    ginger_55 wrote:
    I did some of that stuff, too, tonight. Didn't get a sunset. But I did fall into a curb, fell, think I broke my hand protecting my camera.

    Hurts like a son of a thing, it really does, it is difficult to type. It is my right hand, and I am left handed, but typing is not comfortable. It would be more apt to be a chip, considering where it is. If it were worse, I would not wait to have it looked at.

    Does anyone else fall over, into and off of things when carrying a camera. I know they thought I was drunk, and I rarely drink, certainly not tonight, costs too much, etc. Bill said he heard one of the people comment about my drinking.

    Anyway, I hope you read this far. Do you live in Terre Haute, Indiana, or around there.

    I lived in Vincennes, Ind for 5 years in the seventies. My husband, that husband, taught commercial art at the junior college there. I can't make a capital with my right hand, but I wanted to say it was a nice family town.

    Nice photos, love the sunset, love all the shots.

    ginger
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited August 8, 2004
    pathfinder - nightshots
    holy cow, these are great. you really nailed the exposures, which, in night shot work, is not so easy imo. congratulations!

    clap.gif
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 8, 2004
    andy wrote:
    holy cow, these are great. you really nailed the exposures, which, in night shot work, is not so easy imo. congratulations!
    Thanks Andy.bowdown.gif I've been posting about exposure on another thread discussing the limitations of a DSLR's evaluative metering, but these shots are pretty much straight from my camera. Being able to see the image immediately post shooting is almost like cheating for night photography.iloveyou.gif

    I frequently dialed in about 2/3 to 1 stop of underexposure for these shots to retain the highlights better - I had not thought this through until I started seeing the imges on my LCD post exposure.

    I have not previously shot very much at night with film because of the delay in seeing the images, but digital night shooting is just a BLAST! I plan to do more exploration after dark. It is also much cooler and more pleasant than in the hot sunshine too. Just rotate that ISO dial to 800 or 1000 an go get 'em.clap.gif

    Like Andy says - Enjoy (after dark) photographythumb.gif
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 8, 2004
    ginger_55 wrote:
    I did some of that stuff, too, tonight. Didn't get a sunset. But I did fall into a curb, fell, think I broke my hand protecting my camera.

    Do you live in Terre Haute, Indiana, or around there.

    I lived in Vincennes, Ind for 5 years in the seventies. My husband, that husband, taught commercial art at the junior college there. I can't make a capital with my right hand, but I wanted to say it was a nice family town.

    ginger

    I am sorry to hear about your hand - Don't hesitate to get it x-rayed if it doesn't improve in the next 5-7 days. Can't have Ginger out of the Challenges. I would miss your beautiful pictures.

    Yes, I do live south of Terre Haute. It is a small world to hear that you lived in Vincennes for several years.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • kometkomet Registered Users Posts: 117 Major grins
    edited August 9, 2004
    Not really urban, but nice I think...especially for my little Sony.

    7043497-M.jpg
    komet gives light so that you may find the way.
  • kometkomet Registered Users Posts: 117 Major grins
    edited August 9, 2004
    Urban shot...

    2745821-M.jpg
    komet gives light so that you may find the way.
  • dugmardugmar Registered Users Posts: 756 Major grins
    edited August 9, 2004
    Amazing shots. I agree, great exposures. I love shooting the city at night, one of my favorite things. One of my favorite shots is a night city shot. The Charles River is actually iced over here, so I made for some nice, soft reflections.

    2968730-L.jpg
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 9, 2004
    pathfinder wrote:
    7046670-S.jpg

    7046679-S.jpg

    7046672-S.jpg

    clap.gif These are great, PF. I agree w/ Andy about getting the exposure right - I had a hard time not overexposing the neon signs. Excellent stuff!
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 9, 2004
    wxwax wrote:
    clap.gif These are great, PF. I agree w/ Andy about getting the exposure right - I had a hard time not overexposing the neon signs. Excellent stuff!
    These were handheld - a tripod at night makes some people look at me kind of funny. But I did dial in anywhere from no compensation to almost 2 stops of underexposure compensation.

    Basically I used the standard evaluative meter on the 1D and looked for blinking lights in the LCD display indicating blown highlights - If I saw much blinking I dialed in more underexposure. Underexposure also means they are easier to handhold because the shutter speed is made shorter in aperature preferred mode.1drink.gif I went out last night again and I plan on a bigger survey of the surrounding area over the next 6 months.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 11, 2004
    I found a few more shots tonight....

    7184905-L.jpg

    7184896-L.jpg
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2004
    7184896-S.jpg

    Very cool. Our new night roamer!
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 11, 2004
    wxwax wrote:
    7184896-S.jpg

    Very cool. Our new night roamer!
    I am just following in your footsteps, waxy, you're the man!

    But shooting after dark is really fun and easy. The colors are so vibrant and saturated and stand out in the darkness so nice! Much easier than it ever was with film1drink.gif
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • lynnmalynnma Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 5,207 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2004
    wxwax wrote:
    7184896-S.jpg

    Very cool. Our new night roamer!
    Hmmmm you have competition then wxwx .. this should be interesting...rolleyes1.gif
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 12, 2004
    lynnma wrote:
    Hmmmm you have competition then wxwx .. this should be interesting...rolleyes1.gif
    Here's a wide angle at night -

    7221955-L.jpg

    and an empty roadway

    7144629-L.jpg
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 25, 2004
    I am beginning to really look forward to the rain, because in that brief period after the rain stops, you can find such lovely reflections. Like this one on the way home from work tonight....

    7726863-L.jpg
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 25, 2004
    Oooh, I like that one a lot, PF. A lot. The sky color, the reflection, the palette... all harmonious and excellent. thumb.gif

    7726863-S.jpg
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 25, 2004
    I'm gonna make a double post, as I already shoved this one in my Wamblings thread, but it also fits here. I was standing in the road... but no-one hassled me. The tripod and the big ol' camera seemed to sway them. naughty.gif And since I was shooting their backs, no-one objected, either. Kinda nice, for a change.





    7640345-L.jpg
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited August 25, 2004
    wxwax wrote:
    I'm gonna make a double post, as I already shoved this one in my Wamblings thread, but it also fits here. I was standing in the road... but no-one hassled me. The tripod and the big ol' camera seemed to sway them. naughty.gif And since I was shooting their backs, no-one objected, either. Kinda nice, for a change.





    7640345-L.jpg
    The lighting qualities available at twilight or after dark are just so nice - Digital just makes it so easy to do these images compared to film - I have rolls of Velvia at home in the frig that are going unused..... Nice image Waxy.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
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