Posts Tagged ‘night photography’

Welcome to another Wednesday, the first one of October, if you can believe it (and even if you can’t.)  If I could find a time machine, I’d slow time down a bit, but all my local sources seem to be sold out.

Today’ Photo Challenge theme is “Pedestrian”, which gives several possibilities for interpretation.  My laptop is moving at less than the speed of a pedestrian of the human kind, unfortunately, but I can’t send you a photo of it happening, so I’ll have to look elsewhere for inspiration.

I spend much time as a pedestrian of the walking kind and there are many shots you can’t get unless you’re taking your time.  Walking around Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles at night allowed me to take this anything but pedestrian photo of the city.

copyright janet m. webb

“Travel” is my choice for Sally’s “Challenger’s Choice”.  The view from Griffith Observatory is one of the top ten things to do or see in Los Angeles.  The night we visited, the observatory was open, free, and impressive.  So was the view.

© janet m. webb 2017

On my way to Bible study Friday night, a red light required a stop.  Next to me was a car delivering Domino’s Pizza.  In the night, it looked much more interesting than in the daylight, so out came my phone and snap!  Another oddball photo in the archives.  Other than the frame, this one is untouched.

© janet m. webb 2016

Taking to heart my comment section, I went back and looked at the photo without the frame.  I’m not sure which I like best.  Feel free to decide for yourself and thanks for the feedback, Sherry.

© janet m. webb 2016

On the nighttime road

Posted: November 28, 2015 in Photos, Travel
Tags: ,

Due to a late start and early sunset, we drove most of the way Wednesday in the dark.  The moon was spectacular.  This iPhone photo taken from the care doesn’t begin to do it justice, but I thought it didn’t turn out too badly.  It’s also one of my first photos attempting to use Hipstamatic.

copyright janet m. webb 2015

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The orange Childcraft books we owned when I was a child (some volumes of which I still own) had several volumes of poetry.  One of my favorite poems, then and now, was Alfred Noyes’ “The Highwayman” (the poem follows the photo.)  The opening verse contains the line, “The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon stormy seas.”  That phrase came to mind when I saw this photo that I took from a dark room at night.  The abstract of the moon, naturally B&W, came about because my hands couldn’t hold the camera still when the shutter took so long to close.  Fortunately, I liked the way it turned out and since Cee’s allowing us to choose our own theme for her Black and White Challenge this week, I offer it for your viewing pleasure!

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One night in downtown Aurora, we saw this cool light display atop a former distillery, now home to businesses. It’s a happy-making oddball, don’t you think?

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Not long until I’m back to regular internet.  Thanks for bearing with me.

Night photography can be one of the most difficult types of photography, especially if you primarily use a phone camera as I do.  But if you persist, you can find some excellent photo opportunities, especially if you want to create some atmosphere.  In this first photo, taken in Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains as we made our way back up at night, I like the subtly of the photo and the somewhat eerie night feel.

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This photo is opposite in both feel and subtlety, or lack thereof.  It’s also opposite in place, taken in bustling downtown Naperville by the river walk.

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For the Challenger’s Choice this month, I decided to try night photography.  I don’t have nearly as many night shots as daytime ones, partly because I’m awake and taking photos more often during the day and partly because I find that the iPhone tends to overcompensate for the dark, lightening the photo too much.  It may well be that I just don’t know how to work around this, but at any rate, while we were on vacation not long ago, I got a shot that, with a little bit of tweaking (NOT twerking!!), I like it and I hope you do, too.  As for “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod”, I love this poem and read it to our girls often when they were growing up.

“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.”
~Carl Sandburg

The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.
~Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

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Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
~Eugene Field

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe —
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”
The old moon asked the three.
“We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!”
Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea —
“Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
Never afeard are we”;
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam —
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
‘Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought ’twas a dream they’d dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea —
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one’s trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

The Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Photo Challenge (new title) theme for the fourth Monday of the month is “Challenger’s Choice” (with some parameters.)  This week my choices are a combination of three of the themes:  Travel, Abstract, and Night Photography.  One of them is all three, the others are Travel + Night Photography.  All were taken on the Miami-Chicago leg of our flight back from Costa Rica.

Night photography with an iThing can be difficult, at least for me.  It did get easier once someone showed me that the flash could be turned off, but it can still be a challenge.  So I was particularly happy with how these photos turned out, despite the fact that we were seeing snow again after a week in 90-degree heat.  I don’t usually post so many photos, but I thought the all worked well for the challenge and wanted to share them.

All the photos were edited on Picasa. I neglected to jot down my edits, so I apologize for that.  I hope you enjoy the photos nonetheless.

Back in the cold and snow

Back in the cold and snow

Coast of Lake Michigan with downtown Chicago at the top

Coast of Lake Michigan with downtown Chicago at the top

Chicago at night

Chicago at night

Abstract of Chicago from the sky

Abstract of Chicago from the sky