Night Photography

[Alan Davenport]

I don't do nearly enough night photography. I love the results when I'm not too lazy to put in the time. A couple of samples (click on the thumbs for larger images.)


This is on 4x5 E100SW, taken during the Perseid meteor shower in 2004. Super Angulon 90/8 wide open. Looks like about 15 minutes (guessing from the length of the star trails.) I caught two passing airplanes, as strings of red dots heading toward PDX, and a meteor just above the trails from the airplanes. A lucky shot; in several years of trying, and many sheets of film used, this is the only meteor I've caught on 4x5.





The 3rd-largest steam locomotive in the world (of those that are restored and operational) is the SP&S 700. Venting steam in this night shot produced a pair of plumes, much nicer than anything I expected. The surprise factor with very long exposures makes night photos interesting and exciting; you don't really know what you've gotten until it's developed. Again with the SA 90/8, 70 seconds @ f/22 on T400CN.

[tombob]

cheers, al, lovers also, such nice tones

[Paul Metcalf]

I forgot I had scanned this one (Diablo Dam/Lake, WA). The sky blew out quite a bit with a 4 to 5 minute exposure even with it dark as there was lots of ambiant light from western Washington reflecting on an overcast sky. I ended the completely guessed-at exposure because my dog was going nuts and wanted to leave.

[al olson]

Alan,

Great photos. Is that a Mallet? I believe there were two different sizes to the Mallets. Then, of course there is the Big Boy, which GN used to haul long freights across the prairies and through the Cascades.

How did you find a situation where it was fired up to allow you to make that night image?

[Jan Pedersen]

Great stuff and really inspirational. I think i need to get a Rothweiler and get out there in the dark.

harrycauf, really like your photos from China. Thanks for posting, hope to see much more.

Night photography was one of the reasons for me to get into large format.
When I took this image I saw a meteor between the chimneys but it did not register
because I was at f16 on Kodak 160VC.


I also took a lot of night pictures in China because the light was quite bad
during the day.
china stuff on flickr

[al olson]

I don't know, but I am guessing that Paul's dog is a Gordon Setter. I have had two of them, sequentially of course, and outlived both.

Currently I am dogless. Makes travel a lot easier. When I am ready for another dog it will be a Gordon. Always felt comfortable leaving them in charge of the house when I'm gone. Samoyeds on the other hand ...

[tim810]

Buttercup is a 230 lb mastiff and a big MUSH. He suits his name!! His bark is rather scary though. I think he would frighten off people, Although, frizz the 25lb Schnauzer would do more damage. Butter would be hiding behind me barking and trembling.

This is a good time to bring your 150 lb Rottweiller named "Princess" with you on shoots.

Harry, I especially like your night shot of the Chinese factory. I have a similar concept for a painting that I been meaning to do.

[Greg Lockrey]

Buttercup is a 230 lb mastiff and a big MUSH. He suits his name!! His bark is rather scary though. I think he would frighten off people, Although, frizz the 25lb Schnauzer would do more damage. Butter would be hiding behind me barking and trembling.

You mean that I'm almost psychic?

I wouldn't mess with any "scardy cat" Mastiffs either.

[Jim Galli]

Alan,

Great photos. Is that a Mallet? I believe there were two different sizes to the Mallets.

That's a "Northern". 4-8-4's were first built for the Northern Pacific and the name stuck. Beautiful shot!

Here's a 4 panel taken in Las Vegas earlier this year on a business trip. Exposures were 3 minutes each and I had to break away during one of them to let the security folks know I wasn't a terrorist, just a goofy hobbyist.

Vegas Strip from N. side of I15

[Brian Vuillemenot]

Here's a 4X10 I did of Pigeon Point lighthouse about 45 minutes after sunset.