Weekly Competition #231 - Low Light Competition

Many thanks for all the entries, especially considering my belated setting of the competition. A few entries are pushing the definition of low-light a bit, and although I was not very specific in what I was looking for, I think everyone with a camera has a good idea of what constitutes low-light.

With cameras like the K5 so capable in low-light, a tripod is not an indispensible bit of kit any more, and there seem to be very few images here that have utilised one,which has been a bit unexpected but most welcome. It has been very difficult to pick my winners, and I hope my comments are fair and relevant. They are just my opinions, and I hope some of them will be seen in the constructive manner in which they are meant.



Mevagissey by John Riley.
A really pretty harbour scene, and one that benefits I think from the lack of people in the photograph. It somehow makes it more tranquil. Lovely reflections in the water, and there is still detail in the darker areas. It is however perhaps a bit tightly cropped; with the boats this is perhaps inevitable, but the tops of the waterfront buildings being cut off does make the scene seem a bit cramped in my opinion. I think zooming out a touch, so the top of all the waterfront building were included in the frame, would have improved the composition. A lovely image nonetheless.

Chariots of fire by Noelcmn.
An interesting shot, but there is something very strange going on with the sky and the trees in the background. I would guess this has happened in processing. There is also evidence of camera shake, especially on the charioteer's helmet, so I am assuming that it was taken hand-held. Getting a hand-held shot at 1/10 sec is not easy, it's a shame you didn't have a tripod with you! Composition wise, I think it may have been better to take the shot from further to the right, but this may of course not have been possible.

Waiting for the Blade Runner by AxelLuther
Great sci-fi feel to this shot, the title is very apt! One of my favourite movies of all time. I love the colours. It looks especially good large. My only (minor) criticism is that the stars are very slightly blurred; I would perhaps have cloned in sharper ones, but it's still a great image. My only minor criticism (only in terms of this comp) is that a lot of the impact comes from the processing, rather than the available light.

Farewell Lizzie by johnwhit
I am not so sure this is a low-light shot rather than a bad light shot, but given the subject, and it's movement obviously, I suspect this is probably as low-light as you can get with a moving locomotive and still get a good shot. And, given the conditions, it has come out very well indeed. I love the plume of smoke, and the composition is very good; I love the arched bridge in the background. A bit more contrast in he smoke would have perhaps made the shot a bit more dramatic, but it's a great image given the conditions.

Surrey dawn by GlynM
You were up early for this one, Glyn! I really like the receding lines of trees in the mist, and there's the fact that there is some detail in the trees too. The line of clouds through the sun is great. I think it could perhaps have done with a grad filter on the sky, to give it a touch more colour and contrast. The streaks of yellow look slightly burned out to me? It's a lovely image, but I think there's more to be had from it.

Chicago in London by mudge
Very colourful, and I really like the people in the shot. Composition wise, I wish the top of the building and more of the pavement was in the shot, but I suspect this was not possible, though I have never tried an Optio. I think in terms of ISO you were pushing the camera to it's limits, and it's come out pretty well. It's a shame about the white van; without it (and the no entry sign, which would be easy enough to clone out) the image could have been taken any time in the last 50 years. If I lived anywhere nearby I would be tempted to revisit this place with a K5. If the area is safe, of course.

Down river by Frogherder
I like the building on the right of the picture, the lights on it are great, it's just a shame they have resulted in the large milky expanse in the water in front of it. This unfortunately spoils the image for me. I was with another photographer once who did not like the reflections in a canal, so he threw a huge rock into it before he took the picture, and the ripples reflecting the light looked far more interesting than the previous shot he had taken, which this image reminds me of. Perhaps being further to your left on the bridge, and including more of the building on the right, would also draw the eye away from this area.

Newhaven harbour by PeterMac
Don't want to be blunt, Peter, but I can't really see that a shot taken at f8, ISO 100, and 1/100 sec fits into the theme low-light, even given the wide latitude I am allowing in this comp? As far as the image itself goes, I like the light on the lighthouse, but to be honest don't think this is a particularly photogenic subject, certainly not with the bland concrete piers and the industrial buildings in the distance. The clouds are very nice, though. I think this image would work far better in mono.

Gothic Glory by davidtrout.
The exposure in this image is spot-on, I know from trying it myself how difficult it is to get detail inside a church without blowing out the stained-glass windows. Great use of the K5's excellent high ISO performance. I love the arches, but I think the image does lack a bit of punch.

Pearl Oriental Tower, Shanghai by Frogfish
A really interesting building, I must make an effort to go and see it next time I am in Shanghai, later this month in fact. This image looks over-processed to me, a lot of detail has been lost, especially in the background, and there is some pixelation in the sky. I am a bit surprised you entered this one, as I have seen some absolutely stunning pictures you have taken in Shanghai at night, and this imo is not anywhere near your best.

Fishing pond and pier by dannyh
I quite like the square crop, but I also think it could do with a bit cropped off the top to place the horizon on a third. The image is a bit noisy, and could perhaps do with some more noise reduction. I am assuming this was taken hand-held as you used 1600 ISO and 1/50th sec on the exposure. I think it would have looked better as a longer exposure, using a tripod or beanbag, at 100 ISO, as I think this type of image lends itself to the look you get from longer exposures, with some blurring of the water and sky. The lighting is a bit flat to work at the settings used imo. Nice image though.

Dreaming by gartmore
Nice mono image, I like the strange dangly bits in the window, and  how the dress seems to be floating in the air. Nice silvery tones in the image, too. The composition is good with her looking into the frame at the dress, and I like that we can't see her face, so have to imagine her expression. Great entry. The only slight distraction for me is the white bit (presumably another dress) next to the woman's right shoulder, which could perhaps be cloned out. Without exif information, and taken using artificial light, it's a bit difficult to judge the lighting conditions under which this shot was taken.

Stained Glass by paulgee20
I like shots of stained glass, they are very difficult to get right, and the exposure here is spot on. The exif info however does not really shout out low-light to me, and there seems to be some camera-shake evident, which is a bit surprising at 1/80 sec.

Coniston by stevesphotos
Almost a cliché, this image, as I have seen so many taken of this scene with an ND filter. I have never been there myself, and have often wondered if I do ever visit Coniston whether I could come up with a different take on this very photographed subject. Along these lines, my son has just suggested a person on the jetty, the idea of which I quite like, and do not recall having ever seen.
A very well taken and presented image, however, though I am not so keen on the blue tint; I am not sure if it is intentional or if the white balance is off, but I find it just a bit too blue for my taste. I think it needs to be a slightly more realistic n colour, but the danger then is that it just looks like yet another long exposure of Coniston jetty.

Beachhuts by stepahanie0812
I am a big fan of beach huts, they make very nice and quite graphic subjects, as in this shot. I am assuming this shot was taken at f40 to try and give a star-burst effect, which hasn't really worked as the sun is so bright. There is some detail in the sand, which I like, but I think the sun is too low and too bright for this to work without an ND grad filter. This would also allow some more of the detail in the interesting-looking clouds. If you have a program like Lightroom which allows you to add a graduated filter, I think this would improve the shot greatly.

Nightscape by Dr Mhuni
A very unusual shot, very graphic. I love how the clouds throw the box between the uprights into stark relief. The colour of the sky is lovely, and the stars too, though they do appear slightly soft. I am intrigued as to how the moon so high allows us to see so many stars in the sky. I am assuming it is the moon? Very nice image, though the clouds seem to have a slight pink tinge (could be my monitor though).

City of darkness by Rhoufi.
A very interesting, unusual and powerful image. The two dark figures give a sense of mystery, perhaps menace: the figure on the left could either be threatening the photographer or about to jump into the dark. I think the image would look even better with the person on the right cropped out, along with the dark area below the lowest step. The two figures look slightly OOF, no doubt as the shot was taken at 1/13 sec hand-held. This does not detract from the image at all though. It's great street photography. I suspect this is one of those images that people either love or hate. I love it. Nice work.

SEQUINS-out of frame by ycleptrob
An intriguing experiment, and kudos for thinking of it and being able to set it up. I find the DOF too limited for it to really work, however, and if limited DOF is to be used, I would prefer the frame in focus rather than just a few of the sequins. Overall the image is perhaps a tad dark, too. There is of course the danger of blowing out the highlights with a different exposure, so fill light to bring out a bit more shadow detail would probably be the best way to achieve this. I would love to see an improved version of this, shot with a smaller aperture to give more DOF.

Dim by RPSLF
Nice image, I like the depressed looking statue atop the doom and gloom of stock reports. The dark shadow from the statue accentuates the gloomy tone of this image, which as it was obviously intentional to create this mood, works really well. I am not so keen on how the image has been cropped and placed over an OOF copy of the same image: the straight lines of the newspaper don't fit with the folds, which is especially noticeable directly below the figure. On a charcoal drawing, this would not be a problem, but with the straight lines of a photograph, it doesn't quite look right.

In the Dark by shopahilcann
It is in the dark, perhaps a bit underexposed, but the colours are lovely, and low lighting makes this image a bit abstract, which I really like. I would personally prefer to see a bit more of the flower, though, and perhaps the image to be a bit brighter overall. Surprisingly free of noise for ISO 1600 on a K20D, I am impressed!

breakfast by alteropa.
Nice idea, but I wish some of the jars had light directly on the contents, rather than just the lids. The light on the glass of lemonade is very nice; it's ashame it wasn't shining through some of the marmalade jars too. The bread basket is a bit too dark imo as well, and I find the Audi and Airbus shirts in the background totally out of context with the rest of the image. I would be tempted to get rid of the background completely, which, as it is quite dark anyway, could be done by just increasing the blacks in the image if you have Lightroom or similar.

Coniston by gwb67
The second entry of the same subject, which I suppose illustrates my point on stevesphotos entry that some images are very difficult as they can be seen almost as cliches. This image, like the other Coniston entry, is also very blue. The pier is too close to the right hand I think; it would be better more central, or on a third. Like wise I find the ducks too central. I also think the image would have worked better with the horizon on the bottom third, making more of those wonderful clouds. Lastly, as far as composition goes, I find the bottom area of the jetty being cut off half way up one of the supports makes the framing appear even more cramped. Perhaps the image would work better if it had been taken from further back?
Overall, the image is also very soft. As there is no exif, it's impossible to tell if this is due to camera-shake or the AF failing to get a good lock in dim light.
To be quite frank, I don't think this is anywhere near the standard of the four shots you have on your portfolio.

Heavenly Waymark by Frankie
A very seasonal entry, and very colourful. The relatively low noise levels in a shot taken at ISO 1600 show the capabilities of the K5 in low light very well. I am wondering however if large amounts of noise reduction is partly responsible for the softness in the image, especially the moon. I would prefer to see more of the church itself, or alternatively a lot less, showing off the stained glass window and the cross alone. As it is, I find the image a bit unbalanced, with the right-hand side of the church cut off.

Maggie by candlelight by JayGreenaway
Removed from comp as it was taken on a Canon.

The train now waiting by LancashireLad
I love the light on the side of the train, the puddles, and the dark undercarriage of the train. I think the dark area on the right could be cropped out, after first straightening the image, and a corresponding amount cropped off the bottom to keep the same ratio. It's a pity there is not a bit more light on the rear of the carriage, but no doubt this could not be helped. Perhaps a bit of fill light would help? This would also lighten the wheels a bit. My son wished there was someone boarding of getting on the train, which would certainly add something to what is a nice image as it is.

Once in a blue moon.... by TOZZA27
Very clever use of a telephoto lens to give a very narrow DOF. I really like how the only thing in focus is in front of the moon. It's a shame it's not pin-sharp, but I can appreciate how difficult that would have been. The image has a nice graphic quality, and the blue works very well with the moon being completely white. The dark bits of grass at the corners give almost a vignette effect, which whether intentional or not works very well. Very nicely done.

Bats by Coker.
Amazing that you captured flying bats with a kit lens and built-in flash; it's a real shame the bats are not sharper. That you captured them at all though is amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing what you do with some more advanced equipment!

This is a Trick....Not a Treat by JudithAnn
Lovely colourful image, and I am really looking forward to hearing what the “trick” is. It's a bit non-seasonal, and I actually think it would work very well as a still-life without the face in the pumpkin... I really like the corn and other plants in the picture. If this was Halloween, this image could possibly win, but it's Xmas....

Shooting the shooter by Sandanista.
Good composition, and very nice conversion, but somehow this image does not have enough going on to keep my attention; perhaps it's because all the people in the picture are facing away from the camera. It could also be that the buildings look a bit bland; my eye keeps getting drawn to the darker building behind the cafe, which looks far more interesting. Technically, I can't fault the picture, but it just doesn't grab me.

Let Sleeping Cats Lie by Dr Orloff
Lovely portrait of your cat, I like the soft light. I would prefer a bit more light on the top of his head, but it is still a very nice picture. I do however find the dotted lines a bit distracting, and can't work out what they are?

Sunset by malcolmleader
Nice sky, but I find the composition a bit odd, just showing the tops of some cars. The windsock is nice, but there's not really enough here to grab my attention: the sky is very nice, but I think the composition would have worked better with less sky (there is a large dark area that does not do much for the image) and a bit more foreground. I think the image needs more than just the windsock to make it work.

Devon Chapel by alun
Another image, which judging by the exif, was not really taken in low-light. I also have to admit to being slightly confused by the description of the photograph as “A quiet and unspoilt south devon chapel”; it looks a bit of a derelict mess to me. I like that the outside is not overexposed, which can be difficult to achieve in this type of shot, but overall it does not really have enough interest imo.

The sun goes to bed too by AresenAl
Lovely image, good composition, and the pastel tones are beautiful. The sun looks great, and the fishing nets add a point of interest that lifts it beyond an ordinary sunset shot. Not much more I can say about it... great entry.


For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams.. by alexfilipov.
A good moon shot, I have seen a lot of these recently...not really a low-light image judging from the exif (ISO 80, f7.1, 1/160). The moon is pretty bright, these images are more about getting the exposure right to keep detail than anything else, so I don't really hink, in spite of obviously being taken at night, that it fits the theme of the comp.

I have chosen my winners based on the images that I most liked, and which I though made the best use of available low-light conditions when the shot was taken. After much deliberation, here are my winners....

1st Place Rhoufi
2nd Place ArsenAl
Joint 3rd Place AxelLuther and TOZZA27

There are a number of other shots that I really liked, so my list of Highly Commended images is perhaps a bit longer than usual

Gartmore
davidtrout
Dr Orloff
Dr Mhuni
JudithAnn
RPSLF

PS..
The edit was just to get the correct spacing between each comment...

Thank you for judging Aliengrove, what a good job and comments I think are very fair and much appreciated. In connecion with my photo-taken with a tripod actually, but forgot to put off the Shake reduction on the Camera. And could take it from a more right angle, but then the light was too much.

Congratulations to Rhoufi, ArsenAl, AxelLuther and TOZZA27.
Great shots.

Thank you Jon, not only for your expert judging, but also for selecting an excellent subject. Congrats to Rhoufi and the other podium people and thanks for my HC.
David

Many thanks Jon for another great competition subject, attracting a very encouraging number of entries, and of course your excellent reviews and judging.

Congratulations to our winners and everyone else for a wonderful diverse set of high quality images.

Glyn

Well done Jon and well done all the winners and indeed all the entrants - it was a really good competition. I look forward to the new subjects every week - I wonder what Rhoufi will have in store for us?

I think you deserve a HC for your extremely prompt and well considered judging AG. Rhoufi would have been my choice for the top spot had I been judging.

Well done to places and all hcs and good to see a well subscribed comp full of top quality images.

Thanks AG for the good judging and my HC. Congrats to the podium places and in particular to Rhoufi - an atmospheric photo that raises questions, which is always a good thing.

Congrats, very intriguing winner and my favourite, and to others mentioned. Nice to see a well subscribed competition again.

Excellent, detailed judging. The dotted lines were on the cushion, I was wondering whether to go colour to make it more obvious.

Thanks to AG - everything was perfect, the subject, the quality of reviews and the time it took..... There were so many good entries - so I am glad to ended-up on the podium. Congrat to Rhoufi - I looked very often and long at your image (and still do) - very special scene and mood. Congratulations to all other podium places and HC.......

Woo Hoo !!! Joint third with Axel will do me !! Thanks a million - glad you liked the shot - my sister`s neighbours over whose land I took the photo though I was some sort of weirdo out late at night with a monopod and camera setup.Very well done to Rhoufi - very evocative subject matter and great picture.
Nice one ArsenAl and Axel - well done all the others too - some I would be very envious of.............

Tony

Thanks for the excellent judging and congratulations to all the award winners. Please satisfy my curiosity Judith - was the face in the pumpkin a real cut out?

Thanks for the comments/advise. It never occured to me to throw a rock into the river, but then the good burgers of Leeds might well have objected as I was also probably a little inebriated at the time (my sons stag do)- I don't even recall taking the photo, it was there the next day

Thanks again

Bernard

Okay....I here it is....It was a photo of a shopping bag, which had a low light photo on it....that is why I said it was a trick...

Thank you very much to our Judge...a wonderful job well done.

Congrats to our winner.....and our other podium winners. Thank you for my HC too.

link

Congrats to all winners and HCs! Thanks for judging and for my 2nd place!

I have sent a note to Rhoufi to remind him it's time to set a new competition.

A very quick thank you so I get you all before you go to bed! Our morning here and I'm rushing out the door.

Thank you John and everyone, I will write a proper reply to night and tell you a bit about the photo.

And a new competition, hopefully tonight also.

I'm very chuffed about this win and more than a little amazed.

Thank you all

Rhoufi

Hi everyone,

I will posting the new competition within the next 4 hours. Remember we'er 10 hours in front of you guys, so we're asleep when you're awake - this delays the response. I've been in the country on work all day, so I'll just have dinner and get on with it )))

Hi Jonathan (Aliengrove) and everyone,

thank you very much for judging this competition. Low light photography is something I love and Paris provided the best backdrop.

City of Darkness was taken from the Ile de la Cité towards the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter. The subjects were 60-70m away across the Seine (hence the deep black at the bottom of the photo. I had a 70mm LTD Prime on the K-7 so for that distance I had to crop in from the 4672x3104 pixels of the RAW image to 2658x1747 pixels to achieve the final image. Any further enlargement revealed the limitations in the resolution and the motion blur. The left figure looks blurred because he was moving fairly fast and of course 1/13 sec is hard to hold. I pushed the camera to it's edge (ISO 1250, f2.4, 1/13sec). It was taken somewhere close to midnight. The whole night provided some of the best night photography I have ever had. This particular frame is one of four taken of the antics across the water. The others are more blurred or less dramatic. However, if you are interested in seeing the other frames (some closer cropped), they have been incorporated into a YouTube Video called "City of Darkness" with other images from the night's shoot. You can view it here:

View a video of Rhoufi's Paris night images

So this particular image is really at the limits of camera, lens and processing. Since then I have upgraded to a K-5 and a 50-135mm, f2.8, SDM zoom, and boy do I wish I had this combination on that night.

Thank you for your excellent critiques and for seeing something special in my photo.

Congratulations to the other placegetters - I particularly liked "Waiting for the Blade Runner" - the photo and title went so well together and the mood was so SiFi.

The edit was because I had the wrong name for the judge, sorry Jonathan

Thank you for your excellent comments. This was my first entry into such a competition and the feedback on my image is just what I need. Thanks again.