NIGHT WALK - THE RESULTS

Following the GPN Night Walk on London's Embankment we're pleased to present a selection of images from the event.  Our chosen photographers have also taken the time to provide a brief commentary on the hows-and-whys of capturing their night shots.

With additional comments from event leader,  Stephen McKenna.

EDDIE CHUI:  "Apart from a few attempts on a holiday in Paris, this was my first attempt at night photography. Achieving the bus stream / Big Ben shot was such fun. Set up in the middle of the road traffic island the camera pointed at Big Ben from a tripod it was ok ok bus is coming. Here we go SNAP. Damn missed it. Try again. OK ok bus is coming - oh well that time I caught the tail end. This needs team work. I'll look through the camera and you tell me when bus is coming ok. Bus is coming , yes it is, almost there. Bored waiting look up - bus flies past - damn missed the bus again. Eventually the timing and team work happened hence the pic you now see and what fun."

Exp: 1.3

Aperture    f/22.0

Focal Length    18 mm

ISO Speed    800

Exposure Program    Aperture-priority AE


SMcK: The success of this shot is in the timing and the composition, both of which are spot on. The motion blur of the bus nicely dominates the left side of the shot but fades most politely to allow the full length of the Palace of Westminster clock tower to come through and fill the right of the image. 

NICOLAS CHINARDET: "As is often the case for interesting pictures, there is an element of serendipity here. What attracted me to the shot was the drawing and how it was standing out as if in a spotlight. But when I started to compose my shot I realised I had to try and include the shadowy figure of the photographer and those of the group of "artists" in the top right corner. Each "group" answering to the other. Their presence gives a little more meaning to what would otherwise have been just a picture of a drawing on a pavement.

When I got home I cropped the pic to focus it a bit more on the circle of light. I think it was portrait with bits of the millenium footpath and too much pavement. Ideally I would have liked to have everything in a neat square but that wasn't possible.

Oddly this is probably the picture I took on the night that got the biggest response. Personally, I find it  intriguing but it's not my favorite of that shoot and if i am honest I am not sure I see why people like it so much. I don't think the composition quite works.

I have a Canon 450D and it seems I was shooting in Manual."

Exposure     0.4

Aperture     f/5.6

ISO Speed  400

SMcK: Despite Nicolas's misgivings I think the composition for this shot couldn't be bettered.  There's an excellent sense of balance to it (or as Nicolas puts it more eloquently, 'each group 'answering' to the other'), a choreography almost. It has a narrative also, a sense of moment, which is very intriguing.

LAWRENCE LANG:  "Changing the focal length (or ‘zooming’) during long exposures can create interesting effects. This works particularly well for night scenes where there are multiple light sources.

The photo ‘Light Zoom’ was a manual, 10 second exposure with a 6.3 aperture value, ISO at 100 and supported by a monopod. The shot was created in the following way:

- set your focus, release the shutter and wait for 2 seconds, then

- zoom in a little & pause for a second, then repeat until the exposure ends (zoom in & pause; zoom in & pause; zoom in & pause).

In this example the focal length was changed from 105mm (telephoto) to 24mm (wide angle). Keep in mind that by reversing the zoom you’ll create a completely different result.

The number of increments and the amount of zoom can vary depending on the effect you want to achieve. It’s best to experiment. You’ll be surprised at the outcome!

You can also try:

- changing the focus as you zoom (this will create a dramatic bokeh effect where lights go from bulbs to bubbles of light)

- start with a mid-point focal length, then zoom forward and back (eg: start at 35mm, zoom forward to 24mm, and then back to 105mm)

- start the zoom before you release the shutter and pause for the last couple of seconds

- capturing moving lights with a long zoom exposure

- move the camera left/right/up/down when zooming or during the pause moment."

SMcK: Little wonder that Lawrence's very exciting shot was chosen as GPN's Photo of the Month.  It has a marvellous vibrancy and fizzes with a real sci-fi ambience,  and what a novel technique - focus-pulling on an extended exposure.  I bet we wish we'd all thought of that one!

ANDREW EASTWOOD:  "I hadn't photographed 'Ben' at night for over twenty years, when I first moved to London, so he was a lot younger then (not unlike myself).  As one of the most iconic sights he's a must for photographers to capture.  While walking to Westminster Bridge to photograph the whole of Ben I 'clocked' the illuminated Westminster tube entrance sign and there poking up erect behind it was Ben's head (well face),  He looked stunning and the combination of the two of them almost rubbing shoulders was unmissable."

Canon EOS 5D Mark 2
f.5.6
Exp. 1/6
Focal Length 35
ISO 800
Handheld

SMcK:  Excellent 'London' shot which would work well as a postcard.  Nice and sharp for a handheld capture also.  You can almost hear Ben's big dong in this shot, so to speak. 

LEIGH CARTER:  "The inspiration for this underpass shot came to me while looking around for something different to shot during the night walk. My camera was supported on a wall using a bean cushion and was originally a landscape image due to not having a tripod available. The first couple of shots were taken at 10 then 20 second delays but there were not enough people walking through to create a good effect. The third shot (this one) had a 30 second delay and worked perfectly. It was taken in manual with an aperture of F/22."


SMcK: Tourists in London are so prevalent that they tend to disappear from our view (apart from when they're blocking the pavement in front of us. Grrr.) and this evocative use of motion blur neatly encapsulates that relationship.  The tunnel location also provides a striking setting. 











GEOFF TITLEY:  "London Eye, the London icon of the new millennium. It is big, and it is bold. I think this image emphasises that boldness of the construction and the simplicity of the original idea – a wheel. From many vantage points in the city, the wheel is only partly visible above the roofs of buildings. This image refers to the other half of the wheel; the part of the wheel that is only visible when you are in its proximity."

f4.5, ISO 800, SS 0.3sec focal length 70mm

SMcK: "This is a very enjoyable abstract.  Full of colour and with a very apt, watery shimmer.  We could almost be looking at a distorted reflection in the river."

NEWS JUST IN:  WE ARE PLANNING A 'WINTER NIGHTS & CHRISTMAS LIGHTS' WALK FOR MID-DECEMBER AT THE CHRISTMAS FAYRE IN HYDE PARK.  WATCH THIS SPACE!