“Wherever there is light, one can photograph.” – Alfred Steiglitz

“A ninja knows where he is going, just saying.” – Friend

During the winter here in Oregon the days are short and the nights are long, so if you live in a place like this you might as well learn how to photograph at night. I used to go out randomly with my camera and tweet something along the lines of, “Night Photog Ninja”. As in, I’m on the prowl looking for good night photography spots.

I rarely knew where I was going at first. There was an idea about what part of town I wanted to be in but nothing specific. I’d just drive and if I saw something that looked good or like a challenge, then I’d set up and shoot away. Back then it was more intuitive. I was less concerned with immediately getting the correct aperture, exposure time, or meter reading. I’d shoot, squint at the LCD screen in the dark, and then make adjustments from there. Combine this with cold fingertips, cold breath, the prospect of rain, and the randomness of it and it was a fun adventure.

These two photos were shot on the same night. The fog was perfect but clear above the glassy water. The timing was luck but the composition hoped for and delivered.

How about you? What night photos of yours would you share?