Weekly competition 372: Low light photography Competition

Low Light - weekly comp.

Thanks for entering this competition and sharing your photos. I've enjoyed viewing and commenting on all of them and have been delighted by the wide variety of subject matter. As usual it's important to make clear that the results are merely my personal opinions on the photos that most strike me - and not an attempt to select the 'best' images.

Ghosts by David Storm
For a handheld camera and one second exposure this is remarkably sharp. The bits that aren't supposed to move, like the floorboards, are holding out very well. The moving figures do have a ghostly look which gives the desired effect.


Zippos by AndrewA
The monopod has given the required support so this looks pretty sharp. I like the fact that my eyes are not assaulted by a myriad of pin prick lights as in so many night shots, particularly city scenes. I feel there is breathing space between the lights and it makes for a tidy image. The residue light in the sky is excellent. Glad you are back in the Pentax fold Andrew.

Within the wind tunnel by ForgottenHeritagePhotography
This is impressive Mat . If I've read this correctly it's a three-image vertical panorama and it works perfectly. You've managed to capture detail in even the darkest parts of the image without blowing the highlights. The fins and other shapes in the wind tunnel make an extremely attractive geometric image to my eyes.

Kiess Harbour by Caithness60
Atmospheric and moody, this ably captures the atmosphere of a wild and windy night in the far north. Just enough light to show detail and sufficient darkness to add mystery. It's an image that evokes a story line for me, one of a safe haven in a weather beaten environment. The colour pop? For me it works well, the warm lights welcoming the homecoming traveller from the bleak outdoors.

On the plate by timcx500e
Midland Railway Johnson 'Single' locomotive I believe. This is well handled by yourself; steady hand at low shutter speed, and by the K30, good IQ at 800 ISO. The colour is excellent and I like the way the passing sightseers are blurred. Had they been sharp they would have competed for the viewer's attention with the cab interior.

Hamburg Speicherstadt by Axel Luther
This is beautiful. Nothing blown in the highlights and detail in even in the darkest corners. The expanse of water reflecting the colourful lights avoids the risk of a black hole in the foreground had there been solid ground. The twilight sky makes a perfect top to the image. Itsx a high quality image that's a delight to view. No exif data is given but I'd be interested to know what ISO you were using Axel, and was this handheld or on a tripod?


Night rider by Billyspad
The detail in this is exceptionally good. Expert PP work has teased this out and thrown light into the darkest places in the motor bike while highlights have been carefully controlled. The PP treatment has produced an immensely viewable image, far beyond my basic Photoshop skills. This is an accomplished image, the result of good camera work accompanied by skill on the computer.

Singalonga Des by Ken2390
The only performance shots I 've done have been in daylight so I can only guess at the level of difficulty involved in achieving good results in these conditions. Some photographers on PUF are accomplished specialists in this field, I'm not one of them. I believe this is a good stab at the subject, especially considering you don't use Photoshop or equivalent. Some strange lighting effects on Des's forehead but that not surprising in the circumstances. Personally I would have chosen a higher ISO than 400.

Bridge over dappled water by Simonarron
Urban night shots such as this, especially with water to reflect the lights, are very popular with photographers. This fits the bill perfectly and includes some famous sights, including the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. As in Axel's photo the lighting is well under control but I feel the image is not absolutely sharp.

Dusk portrait by Daroni
You are correct, she is a beautiful model. This style of portraiture is refreshingly different from the conventional studio lit or sunlit window poses. The dusk light gives it mood and mystery and compels you to look more closely. I wonder if the bright patch of light, bottom right, should be cloned out, it draws the eye without adding anything to the picture.

Bryggen alleyway by arrondee
An effective use of the alleyway as a lead in to the receding figures. The lights on the right help with the effect by providing perspective to the scene while the wooden walls on the left make a fascinating back drop. I wonder if the area with the figures is a little too bright? Had this been darkened down and the figures silhouetted I'm sure an added air of mystery would have made this shot even better.

Northern lights by Paulb531
Talk about suffering for your art Paul. The freezing wait in the field was well worth the effort to get this wow-factor picture - what a sky. Snow on the mountain in the background helped to light this part of the scene and you've also managed to get some detail into the dark foreground. Well done.


Red or white by Drofmit
This eye catching image is from a simple idea and it works a treat. The dark background, presumably a table cover of some description, is neutral so it doesn't compete with the main elements in the picture. Perhaps a white cloth might have been more effective? Using the chandelier to project light through the glasses keeps it simple without having to set up complicated lighting systems. It has a feeling of spontaneity that I appreciate.

Cheshire Squirrel by Perspicador
I suspect this was snatched in an instant as you walked through the woods,. Thank goodness you were alert and ready to shoot because wildlife has a habit of darting about and not waiting to pose for photographers. Of course this has its downside and in this case image sharpness is the victim. The OOF foliage works very well but the squirrel is also a little soft. But it's better to grab the shot and worry about the technicalities later. A slightly out of focus picture is better than no picture at all.

The streets of Tyldesley by John Riley
The evening light gives this a satisfyingly warm and cosy feel, just right for an 'our street' sort of picture. The street lamp, set against the fading light in the sky, is almost like a setting sun. Some may disagree but I like the glaring headlights of the car, they add drama.
I'm puzzled by some of the info in the EXIF. It states this was taken in July 2012 at about 7.15pm. Surely it would still have been full daylight at that time on a summer's evening. And when was the Q introduced? I thought it was more recent than that. Not that I know anything about Pentax cameras other than SLRs. Was the date and time adjusted when the camera was new John?

Catholic church interior by Noelcmn
The first things that attracted me to this picture were the colours; predominantly blue but the maroon pews make an extremely attractive combination. Despite the low light theme this has an airy feel to it but the EXIF makes it clear that you were working in challenging lighting conditions. The aperture of 3.5 seems a little generous. Because the camera was tripod mounted you could have stopped down more. This would have added more punch to the altar area and its attractive background to which the eye is drawn via the pattern of pews, window shapes and deep blue carpet.

Abbey Road by JAK
This is a lovely end of the day landscape with subtle colours and excellent composition. The watery sunset suits the mood while the colour in the sky is attractive without being over the top. The country road leading towards the distant abbey is an important feature in the composition. I seem to recall there Is another Abbey Road somewhere
It a peculiarity of geography in North Yorkshire but at certain times of the year the sun appears to set in the east, over the North Sea. In fact this is because the North Yorkshire coast line doesn't run straight north-south but is angled sharply north west.

Results:
1, Keiss Harbour by Caithness 60
2, Hamburgh speicherstadt by Axel Luther
=3 Night rider by Billyspad and Northern lights by Paulb531.
HCs: Abbey Road by JAK and Within the wind tunnel by Forgottenheritage photography.

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery

A great winner (compliments, William) and some sage comments, David.

And yes, looked at in the cold light of day my entry wasn't as ss sharp as it might have been. Doesn't say much for my tripod skills!

Superb winning shot....
I used to live up in Caithness....
and used to walk my dogs on the huge beach between here and Wick. This captures Keiss wonderfully...
takes me back to the "Lowlands beyond the Highlands" with good birdwatching to be had!
Shame about the beer, tho'!#

My money was on Zippo's or Dusk Portrait....
The variety of shots here has given me a lot of ideas...
now to try some as the nights draw in.

White would have been better for the only colour in my shot, admittedly...
but even the napkins matched the tablecloth!
However, I can recommend the food....
that wasn't neutral at all.

I really like the WG2 for its ease of use in this sort of situation...
and it is surprisingly controllable for such a little handful...



# With great beer produced just to the North that you couldn't get in Caithness...
used to have to get a barrel myself for parties!

Quite agree, superb winning shot, very atmospheric as noted by the judge. Congrats Caithness 60, and AxelLuther and Paulb531, and the other HM's. Fabulous challenge, stunning entries, so a hearty thanks to David for that and for judging and commenting, which as noted, is sage like!

Congrats to all the entries, some really good shots.
I'm impressed that people on here take the time to crit each and every shot. The sign of a good community. Thanks.

Well done to the winners and the judge ,thanks for the positive comments .
regards, tim.

David, you prompted me to check the date and time settings on my Q, and they are correct within a couple of minutes. I think the Q was available two years ago, and the date in the EXIF must also be correct. The ISO 3200 setting at f/1.9 and 1/50s also indicates that light was very low.

However, it was July, and I can only suppose that on that July day in 2012 there was some very wet and dark weather. Maybe that's what prompted me to go out and shoot some pictures.

Congratulations to William (Caithness 60) on a brilliant shot against some great entries. Well done to David for the judging and feedback.

Regards

Paul

Hi David - thanks for the great competition and such a detailed judging - congratulation to the winner as well. Regarding your question. Exif data missing as it is a combination of 5 pictures combined to one HDR. HDRs I always shoot with ISO 200. I used a tripod and I was actually standing on a bridge.
BW
Axel