Click for a larger image

A day or two after the great blizzard Nemo, I was outside in the evening and saw a thick fog caused by a 40 degree increase in temperature. I could also could hear the roar of the surf a couple of miles away. Sometimes it feels as though an evening or a scene has a magical quality. This was one of those nights. I grabbed my camera and headed down to the water.

This image was taken at about 9:30 pm down at a spot called Panic Point by some, and the rock in the distance is called Split Rock. The surf was pounding in and the waves seemed to be coming in incredibly fast. It was somewhere between fog and drizzle. As with most of my night photography, it is a bit hard to know when taking them exactly how they will come out. I love that.  To me, the water feels cloud-like and ethereal. I typically like to have pure whites and blacks in my images, but this one seemed to call out for being decidedly gray.

The image has quite a different feel from another, taken from a nearby spot on a clear, moon-lit night.

For the next month, I will be offering Split Rock Fog & Waves at a special price:

• $125 for 10″ x 15″ unframed (usually $175)
• $75 for  8″ x 12″ (usually $100)
• $40 for 5″ x 8″ (usually $60)

When purchasing this image, indicate the title “Split Rock Fog & Waves” and I will reflect the reduced price in the invoice.

– David

Technical Jiggery-Pokery:

• Canon 30D, 24mm lens
• ISO 1600
• 73 seconds at f4
• Taken in Weekapaug, RI

The Play of Light

 Where: 25 Urso Drive, Westerly, RI, then by the water in Weekapaug

When: 7pm-10pm (end time is flexible)

What do I need?

• A digital or camera that has a ‘bulb’ setting for long exposures
• A cable release – a mechanism that allows the shutter to stay open for long periods of time
• A tripod – to keep the image stable. Any tripod will do, but mini-tripods (< 12 inches high) will limit where you can shoot
• Clothing to be comfortable — I usually wear or bring pants/long sleeves

How to join: Send me a message via my contact form and include your phone number. We’ll connect up and confirm over the phone. You can also reach me directly over the phone at 401.439.5947 or on Twitter @theplayoflight.

How much does it cost: This workshop is free! I will be using this workshop as a pilot for future, fee-based ones. So come, have fun and we’ll teach each other along the way.

It should be a gorgeous night, and a great opportunity to experience the beach environment in a different way.

Please contact me if you have any questions, or would like to set a different date/time for a workshop.

This image, Self Portrait with L (Chicago) was taken under the Irving Park station on the Brown Line. Click on the image for a larger view. I had been at a party on the roof of the old Bell & Howell factory (now converted to loft apartments) with my friend and Czarina at The Catalyst Ranch, Eva, and was walking a different way back to the station when this scene presented itself. This is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image, which means that I took several exposures, each optimized to properly expose a different part of the image. The images were then pulled together in Photoshop, leaving the best of each exposure – a more dynamic tonal range. This was particularly important for this image, as the shadows were deep and the lights of the station quite bright. Exposures ranged from 5-22 seconds at f22. During the exposures, trains were passing above and in some case, cars were whizzing by.

One of the reasons I do night photography is that there are almost always unexpected elements. What surprised me with this one is that tucked into the image somewhere is a bit of a self-portrait (hence the title).

There were a number of great suggestions for locations to shoot, but it turned out that there was much less non-working time out there than I had thought, so to others who submitted, the next time I’m back in Chicago, if I shoot where you suggested, I’ll send you a print (the Chicago Night Photo Contest continues!)

For the next month, I will be offering this image at a special price:

• $125 for 10″ x 15″ unframed (usually $175)
• $75 for  8″ x 12″ (usually $100)
• $40 for 5″ x 8″ (usually $60)

When purchasing this image, indicate the title “Self Portrait with L” and I will reflect the reduced price in the invoice.

I will be posting some more images from the trip in a Chicago gallery, to be added soon.

That’s where you come in.

Let me know some interesting places to shoot at night, and if I actually shoot there and get some neat images, you’ll win a free print of it. The same archival quality print as I usually sell. What could be better than that? “I think this would be a cool place to take a night photo in Chicago, and oh, this photographer-guy is going to give me a free print of it!”

Send me a comment on this post, a tweet (attheplayoflight or follow me using the Twitter icon at the top right of this page) or an email, and you’ll be ‘entered’ into the contest. There will be a highly scientific process of determining the winner of course, but generally be thinking about places where there are multiple light sources, movement and generally a little action going on, whether animate or inanimate.

Here are a few shots I took when I was in Chicago in March of this year (click for a bigger look):

So drop me a line and be entered to win a free fine art photograph of Chicago!

When flying, I wish
to pluck the cotton-ball clouds
that hover below

Morning fog and sun
Mystery and clarity
Combined into one