peeping toms

I am a sucker for night photography - it gives me the excuse to be a bit creepy and sneaky. I normally go through my day trying not to stare at strangers. mostly. There are some pretty weird people out there - so I do my best. But at night? anything flies. No one can see you and you can peep away. Now before you call the fuzz on me and think I'm a total creeper, I am only peeping on people in public spaces [geesh]. I see a lot of photos of street photography shot during the day and I am just WAY too chicken for that. I prefer to peep at night under my cloak of darkness. like the silent night creeper. happily clicking away - hidden tightly in the bushes.

Its not that I think baresilver is a creeper too but her shot Seattle Night captured a moment of total strangers without their knowing and now she's gets to tell a story that otherwise wouldn't have been told. There's something cool [& sneaky] about that in my books.

keep on keeping on muser peep[er]s!
til next time,
Michel of wishful thinking

Seattle Night by baresilver

good night moon

"Goodnight stars.

Goodnight air.

Goodnight noises everywhere."

-Excerpt from Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight!

April of april's 365

quiet elegance by beth crocker

in the still of the night

Night photography poses a particular challenge: it makes me want to capture the buzz of heading out for the evening, or the very different mood of quiet and tranquillity when heading home again: those quiet, deserted streets on the way back after a trip to the cinema, maybe after a night shift, maybe after sharing a meal with friends. I took this on the way home after taking the children trick-or-treating. They had just finished their annual wild rumpus around the big oak tree when suddenly all became still and quiet. And we headed back in happy silence. This picture was taken with my iPhone, as I have set myself a personal challenge of only taking pictures with my iPhone this week. (It's been processed with Camera Bag for the iPhone.)

I loved crumpy's picture. It too told of an evening out (better yet, after a jazz concert!) with a quiet return home along a deserted canal.

I am so looking forward to bokeh with you all. See you soon.

k

x

far canal by *crumpy*

night bokeh

I will admit, other than special occasions like Fourth of July fireworks or carnival rides, I have not been in the habit of taking my camera out after dark. As a matter of fact, I have had in my head, if I don't get out with my camera in the morning, I'm not going to get to shoot for the day. To explain, I work an evening shift, and I get out of work each night at 9pm and for most of the year that's well past the blue hour.

My first attempt at a night shoot, was in downtown St. Louis after I finished at work. There is a fabulous area, the City Garden that's a few blocks long, multi-level and full of large sculpture, fountains and lights. I had a great time walking around paying attention to the light and the reflections, and took quite a few photos.

I discovered how different things look at night, discovering details that would be lost in the day light. That trip opened my eyes to the possibilities of looking for the light, at night. The next night I walked around my neighborhood exploring with my camera, trying different settings just to see what happened. That's when I took this photo of a string of lights.

I've had so much fun out at night, seeing this special light in a new way. I now know I don't have to put my camera away at the end of the day. If you have had that same thought, that after the sun disappears, your done, I hope you will give night shooting a try. There is a special beauty to be found after dark.

Orange glow by pinkfairy1982 reminds me of the feeling I had being out after dark, on the quiet streets alone with my camera.

♥ maureen of Cottage 960

                                                                                       orange glow by pinkfairy1982

better to light a candle

I used to be afraid of the dark.  My mother would send me out after supper to put my bike away or bring the clothes in off the line, and I remember running back to the house as fast as my feet would carry me, certain that there was some unseen monster in fast pursuit. 

But now I see the beauty in the dark of night, and find it rich and mysterious.  After we turn our clocks back this weekend, it will be dark by the time I head home from work, and I find something comforting about that change in the rhythm of the seasons.   I can come home, light some candles, start supper, and be embraced by the late-fall night.  As the saying goes, "it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." Literally and figuratively.

Ashleymariephotos' image of the Miami skyline at night reminds me of a magical kingdom appearing in the distance, over the vast expanse of black ocean against the night sky.  The offset angle, hazy cloud, and soft reflection enhances the lure of the glittering lights.  If Atlantis could rise up from the ocean depths one night, it might look just like this.  So beautiful.

Until next time.

lucy @ a little light reading

it makes for happy endings by ashleymariephotos

night colours

My friends, this post was very close to being a textbook example of what NOT to do when shooting night photography.  Even with an arsenal of great tips for shooting at night (thank you, Kat!), just about everything I shot was a failure on every level.  In the end, I resorted to shooting photos of my daughter at bedtime, planning to tie it in with a post about storytime being my favourite time of day with her.

But even that photo failed.  She looks adorable, but technically it was not up to snuff.  And my standards are pretty low.

So, shuffling my feet, I cheated and dug into my archives and unearthed a photo taken last March in Shanghai, China.  Although no one I know is in this photo, it is a moment rich in my memory as I was travelling with my entire family - parents, sister, nieces, husband, daughter - the trip of a lifetime.  We had just reached Shanghai that day - our last destination - and were all exhausted after long and uncomfortable bus and plane journeys.  The air was chilly and the garish lights of the skyline were a culture shock after some of the rural scenes we had experienced during the previous weeks.  But the change of scenery energized us.

The colours in Sassylittlelulu's photo of a serene lake are far from garish but share the same intensity as the neons of Shanghai, and if I were there experiencing that scene in person I would no doubt be breathing in gulps of air at how fortunate I was to be there, just as I was in Shanghai.

cheers,
mosey

indigo lake by sassylittlelulu

how i fell in love with night photography

A few days ago as I wandered through the streets of my new found hometown I fell in love with night photography. It was challenging to me to get just the right shot. I walked away with a lot of underexposed, blurred, fuzzy images. But there were a few that I liked. Not for the clarity but for the feeling it evoked in me. The peacefulness of a early winter evening. 

I chose michelle | une-deux senses's picture because I liked the sparkliness of the city. It reminded me of a never sleeping city where everything is possible. And maybe there is always a little light waiting for you out there.

Be kind to yourself. See you in 9 days, my friends :)

Love,
Suki of sukiphotographyblog

NYC by michelle | une-deux senses

the energy of night

I love how the lights of night can help you to capture a mood so perfectly. I can feel the calm and quiet of evening coming on in this image from Rio Maggiore, Italy. One of the five towns in the Cinque Terre, evenings are a peaceful time when the tourists disappear and the town settles in to sleep.

Contrast this with luzia pimpinella ♥ {nic}'s photo below, which shows the frenetic pace of New York city. I can feel the energy of night in the city that never sleeps through her photo. It's a wholly different energy than in Rio Maggiore, for sure.

I enjoyed noticing that difference. I hope you also were able to feel the energy of night with this theme. For me personally, it was fantastic seeing all of the images in the pool and the creative ways you captured night. Thank you!

Kat of The Kat Eye View of the World

anticipation... by luzia pimpinella ♥ {nic}                     

an evening glow

It's an autumn night. The sun goes down and a blanket of cool air settles over South Florida. The Harvest Moon looms larger than life and we are given a respite from the day's humidity.  For our family, it is time to enjoy the backyard patio and build a campfire in the firepit.

I love to watch the sparks as they float into the air and disappear into the evening sky.  The glow of the fire on the faces of my family warms my heart. The smell of the wood burning brings back memories of clambakes in Rhode Island. The crackle of the fire, the laughter, and the cheerful chatter reminds me of summer camp.  I reminisce and stare into the fire. My soul is at peace. 

I chose the photo from mama-pan for both the warm glow and the perfect words that accompanied it.  "I thought about the too-late bedtime and crabby moods tomorrow. Then I thought of s'mores, guitars, late night swimming, leaning against each other by the fireside. Worth it."

No matter how warm it is outside, there is something about a campfire that draws people in.  Do you celebrate the warmth and romance of an outdoor fire with your own families? Do your childhood memories include the crackle and pop of embers?

Until next week. Have a wonderful Halloween and stay sweet.

♥ tammy lee of bliss and folly

 

september 3 by mama-pan

and the next theme is... night photography

The days are getting shorter, and the nights are growing longer (in the northern hemisphere at least). You could be sad that we'll see the sun less, or you could rejoice that will we will have more hours of darkness. What, you say? Celebrate the night?

Our next theme is NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY, and let's celebrate the wonderful light of night. There is nothing like it! Streetlights, headlights, the light that spills from windows... the world changes when the sun goes down. If you've never shot at night, stop by this Muse University post on night photography to give you some starting tips. And then share your results in the Flickr pool. Show us what you found in the night! Be sure to include some info with your photo on how you captured the image (handheld? tripod with long exposure?) so we can all learn more.

Tomorrow, we start our 9 Days Of Inspiration with giveaways and special guest musings.  Make sure to visit the blog each day and leave some comment love.  We will be drawing the winners from the comments left during the entire 9 Days on all three muse pages and announcing them in a special *muse flash* on October 31. Make sure to visit and comment each day for more chances to win.

We are looking forward to seeing how you've wow'ed us with your INSPIRE US photos and words.  

See you in the night,
Kat