Photography 1: TAOP, Ex Outdoors at Night

Project: Available light.
Exercise: Outdoors at night.

For this exercise I took pictures to explore the variety of lighting effects and colour in artificial light.  When taking exterior pictures at night that include the sky, I ensured that the sky was not completely black.  Dusk was the best time, when there was just a hint of light in the sky, and the building appeared more clearly.

The photographs taken are shown below:

5675.jpg; F11; 3s; Daylight WB

5676.jpg; F11; 3s; Tungsten WB

The two photographs above were taken at dusk from outside a brightly lit house.  The first photograph was taken using a white balance setting of daylight.  For the second,  the white balance was set to tungsten.  The tungsten white balance setting gives an attractive blue cast to the night sky.  In order to achieve a bold blue colour, there must still be some brightness in the sky.

1936.jpg; F2.8; 1/50s

This image was taken from a poorly lit underground car park into the entrance of a Chinese supermarket.  The colours are predominantly yellow.  The light is provided by relatively harsh fluorescent lights.

1939.jpg; F2.8; 1/80s

This photograph was taken in a busy, brightly lit Chinese supermarket.  The overall yellow colour of the image is mainly due to the bright yellow coloured floor.  This colour is reflected onto the ceiling by the bright lighting.  There is some relief from the yellow colour from the red items and clothing of the people within the store.

Auckland at Night; F27; 3s

The photograph above of the Auckland skyline was taken just as the light from the sky was beginning to fade.  Some light remained in the sky and this has helped to show the outlines of the buildings more clearly.

Candle Lamps; F22; 2.5s

The photograph above was taken outside at night.  The only light available was from the candles.  The candles provide a warm yellow light.

1940.jpg; F4.8; 1/5s

The photograph above is of a floodlit pub.  The photograph was taken hand held and this has resulted in a slightly blurred image.

1941.jpg; F2.8; 1/10s

This image is of a floodlit hotel.  The cars parked in front of the hotel helped to hide the floodlights.

1943.jpg; F2.8; 1/8s

1946.jpg; F2.8; 1/4s

The two photographs above were taken at Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire.  The building is now an upmarket hotel.  The hotel owners have lit each of the majestic buildings with warm white lighting.  This lighting gives a more inviting feel to the buildings.

1949.jpg;F2.8; 1/8s

This church in Harpenden is floodlit with a yellow light.  This form of lighting, although possibly cheaper to run gives a harsh colour to the building.

1952.jpg; F2.8; 1/40s

This Chinese restaurant has been floodlit with sophisticated white light.

5677.jpg; F22; 6s

5681.jpg; F22; 8s

5679.jpg; F22; 8s

The three photographs above were taken from a flyover above the M1 in Bedfordshire.  The lights of the cars and slow shutter speed have produced interesting effects in the images.  In the third image, (5679)  the lines of light have a zigzag effect.  This was due to a car passing over the bridge I was on during the exposure.  I have included it due to its interesting effect.

What have I learned from this exercise?

The variety of colours present at night are many.  Many buildings look more impressive when floodlit at night.  The choice of floodlight colour is important to achieve a desirable effect.

Shops and internal spaces are often more dramatic when brightly lit and viewed from the dark street outside.

When photographing a brightly lit interior of a building, setting the white balance to tungsten gives an attractive blue cast to the night sky.  In order to achieve a bold blue colour, there must still be some brightness in the sky.