Night Photography Archives - Page 16 of 36

August 31, 2016

Calm After the Storm

Today and tomorrow we are getting a tropical storm that’s dumping a bunch of rain in the Tampa area. That’s normal for this time of year. I look forward to getting outside to take pictures of the calm after the storm. This is an image I took a few weeks back after an afternoon thunderstorm. In the evening the clouds dissipate causing them to scatter like brushstrokes in the sky.

Sometimes we can tell that a storm is coming by the behavior of the birds. Where I live the houses form a circle around a stand of trees. The houses shield the trees from the winds and so birds will congregate as much a twenty-four hours before a storm. How they know is beyond me, I’m pretty sure they’re not watching the weather channel. Maybe the weather channel is watching them, you never know.

bridges from the gallery

This is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The surface of the road is four-hundred feet high and spans about eight miles over the entrance to the bay. When storms come through the wind can get high enough that they close it down. I’ve driven over the bridge in a tropical storm and it was an experience I won’t forget. However the next day the winds die down, the birds return to the shore and we all go about our business like it never even happened; summertime in Florida.

August 30, 2016

Riverhouse Reef and Grill

That building on the left is the Riverhouse Reef and Grill. I live near a crossroads of sorts, it’s a main thoroughfare between the two towns of Palmetto and Bradenton. As it happens the thoroughfare is really a couple of bridges over a river, and on each side of the river are marinas, parks and restaurants. All in all it’s a pretty nice place to explore and you don’t have to go too far to find a good waterfront restaurant.

Sometimes we’ll come to this place in Palmetto, other times we’ll go directly across the river to Pier 22 in Bradenton. We sit outside, why sit indoors when the weather is so good? Its rare that we go to an indoor restaurant with so many options. I’m not fanatical about eating outside but it’s rare we go out and eat indoors.

florida gallery

I took this shot at dusk from a concrete pier that used to be the main bridge between the two towns. Someone recently told me that the main bridge was destroyed in a hurricane back in the sixties and so now it’s just a fishing pier. It’s a nice place to walk at dusk and sunset, especially after eating too much at the Riverhouse Reef and Grill.

August 29, 2016August 29, 2016

Public Boat Dock

This is the public boat dock in Bradenton. Anyone with a boat can dock here and walk over to the restaurants nearby. I like coming here in the evening and rarely do I see anyone docked at night. Nevertheless I’ll sit on the steps and chill for a bit.

I took this at dusk when the waters of the river are still. During the day the wind and boats make the water choppy and so it never really looks this nice. I normally have my dog with me and we’ll both just sit here on the steps. Of course he likes coming because he gets to meet so many other dogs.

more images from bradenton

This is just one of those amazing scenes I see so much of in the summer. The clouds are normally dramatic and it contrasts well with the stillness of the water. If I didn’t have to wakeup so early I think I’d be out taking photos late into the night. Shooting scenes like this at night is a tonne of fun.

August 21, 2016

Moonset Over Three Bridges

This is from the other day when we had a full moon that set within minutes of the sunrise. For me, a full moon rising or setting is just as captivating as a sunset. But of course sunsets are easier since they happen every day. For a full moon you have to look up and remember the date, know the time when it rises and then hope there are no clouds. All these conditions combine to ensure I almost never capture it, …save for the other day. The weatherman on TV mentioned it would be good viewing which prompted me to get off the couch and get outside.

In order to make the moon look large I used a telephoto lens. I’m standing by a bridge pointing west as the moon was just about to set. Below it is three other bridges; the first is a train bridge, the second is a car bridge, and the third is the original bridge built over hundred years ago thats now a fishing pier. The telephoto lens makes them appear stacked and close together yet there is a good deal of distance between the first two bridges.

Manatee County gallery

Now that I managed to get a full moon I think I want to do it again. I just looked it up and the next full moon is on September 16th 2016. The moon will rise just after sunset (where I live in central Florida). In that case I’ll be pointing east so I have plenty of time to think about a composition. Hopefully the weather will be good. Now the wait begins.

August 16, 2016

Beyond the Shoreline

The other night I showed up at the beach at dusk. Sometimes when I’m taking photos things just happen and its good to be ready. In this case a woman was posing for photos on an adjacent pier about a hundred meters away. Her friend was taking pictures of her with his phone. It was getting dark so I set my ISO way up and took this shot.

The waters edge is a like a boundary into another world. For me, looking out over the water is like looking into the unknown. Standing at the edge of what we know and gazing beyond is an idea I sometimes think about.

If I’m honest I can find the unknown in my everyday life. Often I’m presented with challenges to overcome. When that happens its like looking into a gulf of uncertainty. I may know how to navigate but I’ve never been THERE before; there are risks. So the unknown is part of life, if not why be born in the first place. When we choose to go beyond what we know we are crossing out beyond the shoreline.

Images with Waves

So for me this image is a metaphor for gazing into the unknown of my own life. I suppose that’s why I get a little apprehensive when I look at it.

August 15, 2016

Summer Evenings by the River

This water is normally choppy but just after sunset the breeze dies down and the water becomes like glass. That’s when I see all kinds of opportunities for compositions like this. It’s amazing how much difference an hour makes in the look and feel of a place like this. I love summer evenings by the river.

The spot where I’m standing is popular for Pokemon Go. Quite a few people show up here at night, more so than just a couple months ago. They create a festive atmosphere even if they are concentrating on their mobile screens. I haven’t tried the game myself but I have a feeling its just the beginning of a whole new wave in gaming. I should open up a hot dog stand here. I’ll have an app that they can use to buy the hot dogs even though they are standing right in front of me. It’ll be a big hit.

An hour or so earlier there were afternoon thunderstorms. After the storms move away they left small cloud remnants that collected the colors of dusk. You can see a little of that action going on here in shades of pink as the sun recedes well beyond the horizon.

night photography

I love how long the evenings are in summer. Pretty soon it will be autumn and it starts getting dark early again. But now its fun to be outside until well after dark; taking pictures, playing Pokemon or selling hot dogs with my new killer app.

August 14, 2016August 14, 2016

Waters Edge

I went to this point at the waters edge not sure what I’d shoot. I took a few shots of this or that but nothing really clicked (no pun intended). I was walking back to my car when I looked back to see this group of people talking at the waters edge. This ended up being the shot that I liked the most.

I suppose standing at the waters edge is a metaphor for a border between this world and the next. When we stand there we look out and contemplate. At least that’s how I interpret this scene. For all I know they could be talking about where to go for dinner. Anyway, in my photograph they are looking out in contemplation, that’s my story and i’m sticking to it.

Emerson Pont photos

This place is ten minutes from home and one of my favorite spots to go. Sometimes I come in the morning but mostly at dusk. There is an automated gate that closes just after sunset. I tend to linger and several times I’ve been asked to leave by the ranger. I will get permission one day to stay later so that I can get some clear shots of the night sky. But for the time being the shot will be of people in contemplation at the waters edge.

August 9, 2016

Bridge Reflection

I continue to look for reflections on water whenever I go out shooting. The most exquisite, at least for me are reflections on still water. This is a view of the DeSoto bridge in Bradenton. It’s one of two main bridges, but this one is due to be replaced. In the meantime I’ll continue taking pictures until they tear it down. When the water’s calm I go a little crazy capturing reflections.

If I may digress a little, reflections have a deeper meaning with respect to our psyches. I believe that how we perceive people, the world, even ourselves is based on reflections. Maybe that sounds deep but really it’s not. How we perceive is based on a reflection of our own makeup. I see things my way and you see things yours. So anyway, I suppose that might be one reason I like reflections. That, and they look cool.

bridge images from the gallery

Back to the bridge. I have no idea how they plan to replace this bridge. The traffic over it is enormous and it is a lifeline; the hospital is just on the other side off frame on the left. So you can’t just tear it down, seems to me you have to build another one, THEN tear it down. Those engineers have their work cut out for them. Let’s hope they reflect on it long and hard. Ahem.

August 1, 2016

Time to Chill

I never get tired of taking pictures of people fishing. I’m not sure why that is other than it’s a common pastime where I live. Maybe if I lived in a landlocked region it would be farmers. Nevertheless, my favorite time to catch someone fishing is when the light is softer in the sky. I think that time also generates a sort of tension with the people fishing because if they only have a few minutes left. But I am clueless when it comes to fishing so take that with a grain of salt.

I took this while standing next to the fishing pier at Fort DeSoto Park in St Petersburg Florida. I have several shots from here, each a different composition. Just like the fishermen, I know the light is about to end so I’m working feverishly looking for different compositions. I try get as many different shots from my outings because there is a lot of effort in just getting here.

Florida gallery

Maybe I was just projecting my own sense of urgency on the fishermen. Come to think about it, fishermen never seem rushed. If ever there were a group of people with time on their side its fishermen. Maybe that’s the draw of it, it takes you outside the daily grind and allows you time to slowdown and think. Again, I don’t really know but that’s what I imagine.

Maybe these are just all questions that don’t need to be answered and are just the product of too much coffee. I think its time to chill.

July 31, 2016

Acorn of Time

This is a panorama of Vancouver’s Coal Harbour. I took this from Stanley Park one night and I wasn’t alone. Not only is this a popular spot for photography, Vancouver has a lot of photographers. There were several other photographers out with their tripods composing their shots of this great city.

In this case I used three vertical eight-second exposures that I stitched together. I enjoy making panoramas with a full frame camera because of the amount of detail in the image. Whenever I print these I marvel at the smallest details.

Vancouver from the gallery

One reason photography is so fun for me is because I get to go back and look at a scene in quiet contemplation. At the time there may be a lot going on and it’s easy to miss things. But I tend to see more things later when looking at images. I’m like a chipmunk gathering acorns of time, holding them and then enjoying them later.

Anyway, I almost didn’t take this photo because it’s been done so many times before. But I’m glad I did, if for no other reason than I get to go back and enjoy the scene now.