I have been debating which part of the day i enjoy photographing most. The day time obviously provides some incredible sun flares and awesome lighting on our subjects, but i also find my self spending 1-6 hours creating light painting tools to take out into the dark night sky and have some fun light painting! What do you guys prefer best? And why?
Daytime for wildlife and landscape. I have no idea how to light paint which is why I prefer daylight shooting. It's also safer than night shooting as I can't find anyone to stay up half the night with me. I guess they'd rather sleep than watch me shoot.
What I like best about night shooting is that it simplifies the urban landscape, and that long exposures and color exposures render what is normally seen as black and white, primarily, and transforms it into vibrant color. Sometimes "unnatural" light can also be beautiful. The downside is that walking around the urban wilderness at night with photo gear is relatively dangerous, though I've done my share, to be sure.
Here are two images, not for sale out of respect for the art of the architect:
And another image that celebrates both natural and unnatural light:
Maybe night because you cant use a meter to tell you what to do. Its all practice, trial and error. You also have to learn about contrast, shadow, reciprocity if using film, and other things that come into play. A lot of times though you need to go while its light to see if your composition will work and what dangers might be there.
I don't choose one or the other. It's rather dark around here at night, here in the sticks, so if I shoot at night its typically with studio lighting. If was young and living in a city no doubt I'd be running around at night.
Anytime. I really don't have preference. Although most of my shots are day time, but I have shot all hours and I enjoy all hours of shooting... all depends on what I am taking a picture of. I think maybe the only time I don't enjoy is high noon, during the summer. Besides the harsh lighting, I really don't like have the hot sun beating down on me.
Just before sunset is my favorite time to shoot. Not fighting the harsh sun so much. I'm a natural light photographer so night photography is out of the question for me..
The only night shooting I have done is fireworks and firefights with bullet tracers in the army. It's like fire crackers and fireworks shows. The tracers streak like shooting stars to a target in the dark. We had them on the tanks, machine guns and rifles. Pictures show the flaring red and green trails like comets leave
wow those are some awesome long exposure photos guys! I feel the same.. I have to go night shooting alone almost everytime. Its rare to have someone else come unless they are also a photographer and have a passion for it. I agree with Ted. There is something so awesome about running to check the back of the camera to see how the image came together. Daytime you get a light meter and can pick and choose the correct light right on the spot, night shooting is always a hit and miss thing for the first little bit, and then adding in light painting is a whole other art form. I feel like i haven't quite gotten the milky way shots i've always wanted to so thats what keeps me coming back out into the darkness! Although i have to wait til summer to get the really awesome milky way shots.
Light painting is something I have yet to get into as well as those awesome milky way shots I keep seeing. That will be my next challenge. I'm heading out around 4am to the Maine coast on Saturday to try for some cool night skies and hoping to catch a full moonset, a lighthouse and a sunrise all together! Really can't wait for it!
