“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”

Edgar Allan Poe

Night image shot with 120 Holga

Night has always held a deep fascination for me. In the dark the world is a parallel universe. Streets, buildings, neighbourhoods, people, all take on a strange dreamlike appearance. The glow from streetlamps cast light patterns into black shadows that trick the eyes and confuse the senses.

Walking alone through the (mostly) deserted streets the city reveals itself in a different ‘light’. A beautiful underworld filled with interesting characters and dark corners.

This is what I aim to capture in my new photographic series.

The fork in the road in the above image is something I have been planning on shooting for a while. It is not far from where I live and I’ve always found it a visually interesting spot. To the left the road trails off into the pitch black night, while straight ahead the streetlamp provides a small moment of illumination before you are once again plunged into the dark. Stanley Park stretches along the right side (thick with trees) and it’s rare to see anyone walking this stretch of road in the wee hours.

It can be a frightening place or a peaceful escape from the constant bustle of downtown, depending on what mood you’re in. That’s the beauty of the world at night, it changes as we change.

This was again shot hand-held, about a 14 second exposure with ambient light using 400 film. (If you want to shoot night scenes with a Holga you must make sure you buy one with the ‘bulb’ setting. This will allow you to keep the shutter open for as long as you need.)

Tomorrow I send some more rolls off to the lab, I’m keeping my fingers crossed……

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