Thursday, December 30, 2021

Nights In The Park

Finding Beauty In Darkness

My low-light photography journey began long ago. One of the first books I bought when I was learning to use a camera specialized in the challenges of capturing images in dimly lit conditions.



a photo of bethesda terrace central park at night in new york city
Bethesda Terrace and Reflections - Central Park, New York City




That was back in the film days, and the process was quite different. We didn't have the ability to confirm a proper exposure at the time of capture. HDR, Image Stabilization, and Night Mode didn't exist. High ISO film looked horrible, and the film that we used to capture most images required specially calculated adjustments to exposure time when the exposures lasted longer than a few seconds. Focusing effectively in the dark was extraordinarily challenging.



a photo of castle belvedere at night with a moon in new york city
Castle Belvedere With Moon - Central Park, New York




I didn't do terribly well at first, and for some years, I all but gave up the idea of taking photos at night. The only photos I took at night were star trails which, surprisingly, were easier to capture on film than with digital sensors.



a photo of bethesda terrace at night with the moon in central park new york
Bethesda Terrace With Moon - Central Park, New York




Once I made a firm switch to digital imaging, I gave night photography another try. One year, I went around the city photographing exterior Christmas decorations in the Winter darkness. It was a great exercise. I learned a lot in a few months, and I haven't looked back. I'm always looking for opportunities to capture the beauty of the night.



Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 110mm f/2
                GF 30mm f/3.5
                GF 23mm f/4


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

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www.dansouthphoto.com
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