Tag: night photography

November 21st – Thank goodness it’s Friday. Another dreadful, rain sodden commute, but peculiarly, it’s still not getting to me.

Having to nip back to Walsall Wood, I stopped to capture the lights and madness of the traffic.

I normally dread the sadness and loss I feel at this time of year. This time, it’s just not arrived. This pleases and puzzles me. But there is something beautiful about the lights and the water, I guess…

November 18th – I tried an experiment tonight, but it didn’t work that well. 15 second exposures off a tripod of the canal at Clayhanger using a tripod. The old camera used to give really great results with this, but this one seems not be as good, if I’m honest.

These photos were taken in almost total darkness.

November 17th – Ah, that Late Night Feelings thing again. I found myself at Walsall Station, in the early evening – not as a passenger but waiting for one, helping a beginner commuter by travelling together in the evening Walsall traffic.

I love the lights of this station at night. It started raining soon after, and made for a wet, hard commute come. Not a good start for a beginner…

November 14th – Home at a more normal time, but I couldn’t resist this quick shot. As I slid home on autopilot once more, a house in Green Lane, High Heath is ready for Christmas.

Seems a bit previous to me, but best wishes for the Christmas spirit and thanks for putting a smile on my face…

November 13th – A miserable, headache-coloured commute to work found me at work on a rush job until very late; I returned on wet tarmac in light drizzle through somnambulant suburbs. I was exhausted.

Green lane felt desolate, and matched what I felt, and by the time I got to the top of the Black Cock Bridge, I barely had the energy to push on into Brownhills.

I love cycling late at night, but I did this run very much on autopilot…

November 7th – It had been an awful day with two dreadful commutes, on in heavy rain, the other in a wet darkness inhabited by very, very crazy traffic. Heading towards Brownhills over Anchor Bridge I stopped for a breather and realised I had a good angle on the new flats. I realise the architecture is a love/hate thing but I really like them, but they’re almost impossible to get a decent photo of.

This didn’t come out too badly.

November 6th – I returned home in light but penetrating drizzle in early evening, and again, hopped the canal for a bit of light relief. Canal cycling at night requires good lights and can be mentally demanding, but I do enjoy it, as much for the chance to spot a fox or two as anything.

At Catshill Junction I thought I’d give the camera a go on the tripod. I’ve not done much night photography with this one yet, and and I’m quite pleased with the results, even though rain was getting on the lens.

Those LED streetlights in Chandlers Keep give a wonderfully ghostly white light.

November 5th – Bonfire night, and by chance I passed the Black Cock pub when their bonfire was well underway. I’ve never tried photographing a bonfire before, and these were handheld shots. It was an impressive burn-up and I was quite pleased with the results.

I’m not really into fireworks, but a bonfire always warms the soul as well as the skin.

November 4th – The darkness hasn’t seemed to affect me as much this year as it normally does, or indeed, as badly as I expected. It normally makes me weary, depressed and listless. Maybe because we’ve had such a fine autumn and summer, I don’t feel it this year at all.

Of course, it makes for a change to habits. The days of casually throwing a jacket into the bag are over, as are the days of fingerless gloves. Warm hats, thermals and scarves will soon be on the agenda. 

Lights are clean and fully operational, and at certain times, the hi-viz is on (although one has to consider that in low sun or bright days it’s worse than dark clothing for visibility).

Here at Green lane in pitch dark, the advantage and necessity of good ligts is clear. This image taken without a flash.

That’s a Hope R4 on low, by the way.