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A Night on the Town

Car lights at the corner of Lisbon & Ash Streets at night

A night on the town; That term conjures up images of drinks and laughter with friends. And while my evening both started and finished that way, this story is about the hour or so in between that was spent in the company of a camera.

I tend to think of myself as a nature photographer. Indeed, that’s how I cut my photographic teeth. However, I sort of accidentally found that there was a good following images of the city in which I live. And beyond that, I also found that I personally enjoyed showing off what this city has to offer. And without a doubt, the best time to highlight a city’s beauty is at night; or more specifically, at dusk. Dusk is that time that lasts for about a half hour after the sun goes down. It’s starting to get dark, so the city’s various lights are coming on. And this is what makes dusk photos so intriguing. All the different color temperatures of lights lend different colors to the image. Long exposures create light trails from passing cars. And you can begin to see colors and reflections in windows that just weren’t there during the daylight.

Lewiston City Hall at dusk as seen from Kennedy Park

Lewiston City Hall at dusk as seen from Kennedy Park

The other reason to photograph the city at dusk rather than when it becomes totally dark is that the deep cobalt blue of the shy records beautifully, and creates exquisite backdrops for the buildings. The sky becomes a deeper blue as it gets later, naturally. Also, the blue will be deeper if you are shooting away from the direction of the sun, since the western sky has more lightening effect from the sun that has already dipped below the horizon.

In addition to the aesthetic aspect, a deep blue sky as opposed to a black one creates less of a contrast between the deep sky and the any lights in the image. This makes it much easier to get a correct exposure in the camera.

Another aspect of photographing in the city after sundown is an unintended side effect. It seems walking around the downtown at night with a camera and tripod makes people want to talk to you. I met several people in the shot time I was out; some on the street, some in the park. One couple saw me shooting on the sidewalk and engaged me in a discussion about a “new” film camera they had just bought. They asked for advice and help with their new equipment. Unfortunately, being a film camera, I wasn’t much help, but I encouraged them to persue the hobby, even if it meant buying an inexpensive digital model.

SS. Peter and Paul Basilica at dusk as seen from Kennedy Park

SS. Peter and Paul Basilica at dusk as seen from Kennedy Park

Several people stopped to ask what I was photographing, and when I pointed to the lit up city hall, or the lighted spires of the Basilica, they always agreed that it was a beautiful sight. I was asked if I was shooting for the newspaper more than once, and a young Solmali boy asked if I was the paparrazzi, taking pictures for Hollywood. The camera just seems to bring out friendliness in people.

When I’m shooting in the downtown, especially at night, I find it important to not just look for and shoot the obvious subjects. Of course the beautiful City Hall simply beckons to have its photo taken. Heck, I could probably do a whole book on the beauty of its architecture. But right across the street are the windows of the library. Looking up at them reveals some interesting reflections of the lighted City Hall. Window reflections always make interesting photos, and  the colors these windows were reflecting were simply a photo waiting to happen. If I hadn’t looked up I wouldn’t have seen them. Now the task was to find the best spot to get the best image. After crossing the intersection a couple of times, all the while keeping an eye out for traffic, it turned out the best spot was right where I was when I first saw the image. It’s important not to just take the first shot you see, but sometimes it’s the best one.

City Hall reflected in Library window

City Hall reflected in Library window

So, after about an hour or so, I eventually made my way back to Fuel Restaurant and Lyceum Gallery where my wife and friends were carrying on with our usual Friday night frivolities and lively discussions. I’m not sure if they even knew I was gone. It’s a fun and inspiring place, filled with art and artists; a place I’m happy to call my “Cheers”; and a place I am happy and honored to share my work. Stop in some Friday evening and have a drink and a laugh and some great conversation… we might even talk about photography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It’s Not Over ’til it’s Over.

The sun dips below the horizon behind a ridge in Lisbon

Photographing a sunset can be rewarding. After all, the colors can be stupendous, and no two are ever alike. But even though the sun sets every day, there’s no guarantee of a great sunset every day. Many atmospheric conditions have to come together; don’t even ask me what they are, because I don’t know. I do know that some conditions have a better potential for a good show than others. For instance, having clouds in the sky is almost paramount; they give the setting sun something to reflect color off of as it sinks out of sight. But even with a cloudy sky sometimes a rewarding sunset just doesn’t materialize.

Getting great sunset photos takes a little luck. It also takes a little planning, because by the time you see a great sky show, if you aren’t ready for it, it will likely be over before you get your gear and get to a good location. But probably more than either luck or planning, you have to have patience. Sometimes you can see a great sunset coming before it even gets started. But other times (probably more often) a sky that shows little or no promise can suddenly go crazy with color… and if you had already given up and packed it in you will miss it.

Such was the case with Sunday evening’s sunset. I had initially set up along a stream, looking westward. The sky was looking promising around 4:30; nice bands of clouds, sky reflecting on the water in front of me. I took a few test shots of the scene I wanted, then I turned my attention to some other water shots as I waited. Unfortunately, as time passed, more clouds rolled in and totally obscured the sun and horizon. Around 5:00 it didn’t look likely for a good sunset, at least from this location. So I packed up and headed to another location, up on a ridge about a mile away. When I got there I started walking along the road assessing the situation. From this vantage point I would have a good view of the sun as it dropped below the horizon. I had some foreground objects, in the form of snow fences, to add a little foreground interest. But what I didn’t have was a sky that looked like it held much potential to make my time there worthwhile. I took some shots anyway, trying different compositions with the fence and farm buildings, but they weren’t doing anything for me. By this time, about 5:15, the sun was just a little above the horizon, and behind some clouds. I started walking back to the car, about 200 feet away.

sunset over packard-littlefield ridge in lisbonAs I was walking the sunset gods must have felt my lament, because I looked over at the western sky one more time, but this time I saw something that gave me hope. I said to myself, “that could turn into something, maybe I’ll stick around.” And so I started walking back to my chosen spot and waited just a little longer. And that’s when it happened. Just as the sun came through the low-hanging cloud cover and reached the horizon, the sky began to light up. The clouds did what they were supposed to; reflect the warm colors of the setting sun. In the space of five minutes the sky went from boring to spectacular… and I had been ready to go home. I almost missed it.

While this was certainly not the most incredible sunset I have ever witnessed, my point is made; Never give up on a sunset just because you don’t think it will pan out. You’re there already anyway, so you might as well wait it out. And what’s more, even when you do get a good sunset,and you think it’s over, stick around. Sometimes the second act is just about to begin. Because it’s not over til it’s over.

Daniel J. Marquis Photography Home Page

 

 

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No Northern Lights; Oh Well

Fence and bare tree sillouetted against night sky

Lacking any anticipated Northern Lights, This bare tree and fence on a downward slope made an interesting composition.

So the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, was supposed to be quite visible to us here in Maine. That’s cool, I’ve seen the pictures. I’ve always wanted to see and photograph them myself. This seemed like a good opportunity. One problem; well, two really: First, the night time temps were around 10 degrees. Secondly, in order to see them well I would need to get out of the city away from the ambient light. I was thinking Turner perhaps.

So did I really want to see them? Yes. Did I really want to go out there in the cold and dark? No. But I knew I would be kicking myself  if woosed out and then saw all kinds of Northern Lights photos from Maine on Facebook the next day. So I bundled up and headed out to Turner with my camera and tripod.

About half way along Upper Street I found a side road that allowed me to get off the main road and gave me a perfect view to the north. So I parked and opened my thermos of hot cocoa and sat waiting and watching…. and nothing was happening.  I was getting updates by phone from my wife, who was back home snug and warm, checking up-to-the-minute updates on line. Her info said I should be seeing something… but still nothing.  You see where this is going.

Fence and bare tree sillouetted against night sky

Don’t forget to explore vertical options of the same subject. The pink glow on the horizon is from the glow of city lights back in Lewiston

Long story short, the lights never appeared. But I didn’t want to waste this trip. Kind of like ‘all dressed up and no place to go.’ So I started looking around. The sky was perfectly clear with a good half moon out illuminating the surroundings. So I decided to do a little experimenting with some night shots, which isn’t easy in below-freezing temps. First off you have to hold a flashlight while trying to set up the camera and get the correct settings. Then you have to “try” to see through the viewfinder to get a pleasing composition. Then set the proper focus manually because it’s too dark for auto focus… and then refocus every time you move the camera. And of course your fingers are getting more numb all the time, making it harder to push the necessary buttons.

So anyway, I didn’t get to see the Northern Lights. In fact, don’t ask me to get excited about the possibility any more because I just won’t be interested. But  I did come away with two or three interesting shots on a cold night that I couldn’t have gotten during the day. So the trip wasn’t a total waste.

…And I’m starting to get some feeling back in my thumb.

Daniel J. Marquis Photography Home Page

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