Mini Challenge #140 -- After Dark

ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
edited April 28, 2012 in The Dgrin Challenges
Welcome to Round #140 of the Dgrin Mini-Challenges.

This challenge is open to any Dgrin member. It will run from now through Tuesday, April 17 at 9 pm EDT. (2 weeks)

The topic ready for your interpretation: After Dark

Your Judge:
-ghinson (Greg)

We've done this topic once before, 2-1/2 years ago. Danny Seidman hosted it and posted some inspiring images. I learned a lot from that challenge by simply learning to copy his techniques--Thanks Danny! Looking back at the thread, I am embarrassed by my own entry and am excited to show now what I learned.

As Danny wrote then: "As day turns to night, a whole new array of photographic opportunities present themselves. This is a time that calls for experimentation and creativity that often yields highly unique photographs. It seems all too common that photographers will pack up their gear and head home once the sun has set and darkness moves in. For those of you who have stayed behind, I’d love to see what you’ve produced."

Most of my shots are celestials. But you are welcome to make the subject whatever you'd like as long as it's apparent that you were shooting under the conditions of night, that is anything from twilight to midnight to twilight. Light painting would be great to see. And, if possible avoid repeating photos from the thread from 2009, which is located here:

Mini Challenge #83 -- Nighttime

Now, for some examples...

Lyrid meteor shower
4547899492_4c181964d0_b.jpg
This photo was picked up by Nat Geo and is currently being used by NASA. The latter link will give you more info about catching the next show on April 21.

Night Skies over Sesachacha Pond, Nantucket
4891481804_c2022a2225_b.jpg

Sesachacha in Moonlight
5109983549_abd49893d6_b.jpg

Sankaty Star Trails
5329589467_d71959bf48_b.jpg

Milestone Road and Orionid meteor
5985071674_f88fc30795_b.jpg

Serengheti Stars (Nantucket moors)
4031917328_29aea5df2c_b.jpg

Milky Way over a Misty Harbor
6109085830_f204fd4b79_b.jpg



OUR UN-OFFICIAL GENERAL RULES

1. Have fun sharing and seeing what others share!

2. The host supplies a topic and you post 1-3 images. The host judges the winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd) and is not eligible to enter. The 1st place winner then chooses the next topic, judges the winner and then passes on the baton to the new champion.

3. Any photo you have taken is eligible, regardless of when taken or camera used.

4. Any amount of post-processing is allowed.

5. The winner has up to three days (72 hours) to begin a new mini-challenge, or the honor goes to the #2 finisher and so forth.

Guidelines:

1. Enter 1-3 photos and put them in a single post.

2. Embed your image in the thread.

3. Also try and resize your photos prior to posting so they're sized appropriately for viewing without having to scroll (~800-1024 pixels on the longest side works best.)

4. Give each image you enter a title.

5. Enjoy discussion with members about their images, don't let this just be an entry thread!

6. Don't be hesitant, share'em and enter!
uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
ackdoc.com
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Comments

  • dave6253dave6253 Registered Users Posts: 229 Major grins
    edited April 3, 2012
    Great theme!
    I think I'll just quote ic4u from her reply to the host of the 2009 contest...
    ic4U
    I think you just won your own contest WOW!
    __________________
    Karin
  • PedalGirlPedalGirl Registered Users Posts: 794 Major grins
    edited April 3, 2012
    I'm not all that proficient at the night time stuff yet... but when in San Diego I couldn't help trying my hand at the skyline after dark.
    1. From Coronado
    IMG0866-L.jpg

    2. Forth of July 2011 ~ San Clemente, CA
    IMG1270-L.jpg

    3. Tiller Days
    i-MLbg6MC-L.jpg
    Pho-tog-ra-pher (n) 1. One who practices photography 2. one obsessed with capturing life with their camera. 3. One who eats, sleeps and breathes photographs. 4. One who sees the world in 4x6.
    www.lisaspeakmanphotography.com
  • PedalGirlPedalGirl Registered Users Posts: 794 Major grins
    edited April 3, 2012
    BTW, Greg, your photos are awe inspiring. One of these days I'm gonna take a trip to somewhere dark and try my hand at shooting the stars.... but I know they won't be like yours. Just awesome!
    Pho-tog-ra-pher (n) 1. One who practices photography 2. one obsessed with capturing life with their camera. 3. One who eats, sleeps and breathes photographs. 4. One who sees the world in 4x6.
    www.lisaspeakmanphotography.com
  • byoshibyoshi Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited April 4, 2012
    Most of my after dark shots are cityscapes/architecture. Here are three around my home in SoCal.

    1. Downtown Los Angeles
    Downtown-Los-Angeles-1-L.jpg

    2. Long Beach waterfront Pano
    LB-harbor-waterfront-L.jpg

    3. Vincent Thomas Bridge, San Pedro
    vincent-thomas-bridge-san-L.jpg
    Landscape and Nature photography
    site - http://www.bay-photography.com/
    blog - http://bayphotos.blogspot.com/
  • ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited April 4, 2012
    PedalGirl wrote: »
    One of these days I'm gonna take a trip to somewhere dark and try my hand at shooting the stars....

    I feel so lucky to live someplace dark! The night skies here can be incredible.

    In several of my example photos, when you see the rim of color above the horizon, colors that almost make the photos look like combined sunset/starscape photos, those colors and light are ambient light from Cape Cod, which is 30 miles to the north. So, if I am out on a moonless night, and photograph looking north, I will get that light along my horizon. If I look up, I just see the infinity of stars. I cannot imagine seeing all of that if I were on the Cape (which still is not metropolitan) and had to look up through that light pollution!
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
  • KinkajouKinkajou Registered Users Posts: 1,240 Major grins
    edited April 4, 2012
    I'm also learning to work with the dark and to just let things happen... it's been fun (and a little scary!), especially in a social setting. The last two images were from a wedding where the pocket wizards AND the STE2 crapped out. Oy. Creativity, here we come!

    Window
    120330Co-op013-L.jpg

    Swingin'
    111008S-J397-Final-L.jpg

    Hands in the air
    111008S-J369-Final-L.jpg
    Webpage

    Spread the love! Go comment on something!
  • ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited April 6, 2012
    Where is that hippy truck? I've seen that somewhere before...
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
  • doingcooldoingcool Registered Users Posts: 265 Major grins
    edited April 6, 2012
  • DsrtVWDsrtVW Registered Users Posts: 1,991 Major grins
    edited April 6, 2012
    Long Exposure
    672991716_SnrJW-XL.jpg

    Lake Tahoe under Full Moon
    779763538_6xDzC-XL.jpg

    San Francisco Twilight
    805982736_4pvQD-XL.jpg
    Chris K. NANPA Member
    http://kadvantage.smugmug.com/
  • PedalGirlPedalGirl Registered Users Posts: 794 Major grins
    edited April 7, 2012
    DsrtVW wrote: »
    779763538_6xDzC-200.jpg

    Tahoe is one of my favorite places...and this is amazing!
    Pho-tog-ra-pher (n) 1. One who practices photography 2. one obsessed with capturing life with their camera. 3. One who eats, sleeps and breathes photographs. 4. One who sees the world in 4x6.
    www.lisaspeakmanphotography.com
  • billseyebillseye Registered Users Posts: 847 Major grins
    edited April 7, 2012
    Hard to pick my favorites for this mini.... For today, at least these three are speaking to me:

    After dark at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
    20120219Disney-Hall-232HDR-L.jpg

    Sir Edward Scissorhands by Lamplight
    PAD-February-17-L.jpg

    San Diego Skyline from Harbor Island
    20120216Harbor-Island-L.jpg
    Bill Banning

    Check out billseye photos on SmugMug
  • Alans GrinAlans Grin Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
    edited April 8, 2012
    Just joining in the fun ...

    Brighton Eye

    IMG4110-XL.jpg

    Brighton Pier

    IMG4080-XL.jpg

    Evening Light

    IMG8660-Edit-XL.jpg
  • grandmaRgrandmaR Registered Users Posts: 1,939 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2012
    I'm not anything like as good as you guys. Wonderful photos

    100_9810.JPG
    Hampton Inn in Nashville TN 2011 with Kodak DX6490

    and two from Belize in 1998 the moon with a point and shoot film camera
    x19980308-190830141_19.JPG

    and a sting ray on a night dive at Hol Chan also with a film camera which I lost on a dive in Cozumel
    672895-sting_ray_Ambergris_Cay.jpg
    “"..an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." G.K. Chesterton”
  • richterslrichtersl Registered Users Posts: 3,322 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2012
    Alans Grin wrote: »
    Just joining in the fun ...

    Evening Light

    IMG8660-Edit-S.jpg

    I love this one!!!!
  • red_zonered_zone Registered Users Posts: 533 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2012
    Here are my entries - I think each has seen the regular challenges, but are fun!

    Camping
    DSC0127-L.jpg

    Backyard Party
    DSC8783-L.jpg

    Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
    DSC9457-L.jpg
    ________________________________________________
    Jake
  • hschlessphotohschlessphoto Registered Users Posts: 207 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2012
    These photos are unreal. I think I just found a new branch of photography to explore if I can get anything like these shots.
    www.hankschlessphoto.com

    Follow me on Instagram! @hankschlessphoto

    Nikon D90, 85mm f/1.8, 18-70mm f/3.5, 70-300mm f/4.5, Nikon SB-800, MX-600 tripod
  • Alans GrinAlans Grin Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2012
    richtersl wrote: »
    I love this one!!!!

    Thanks Linda

    Alan
  • senorjaxsenorjax Registered Users Posts: 298 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2012
    This is a tough one for me to narrow down to three, I love shooting at night. Don't have any fresh ones this time so we'll be dredging up some archived shots.

    SE Oregon river in flood stage. 89.1 seconds exposure. Sure glad it wasn't 89.2, that may have ruined it. :D
    12449a-XL.jpg

    Late night hula hoopin'
    889037343_Xvy5b-XL.jpg

    Probly just shouldn't put a title on this one
    852881270_ceter-XL.jpg
    Jay
  • chrisdgchrisdg Registered Users Posts: 366 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2012
    #1
    371872964_jKFSm-XL-1.jpg

    #2 - the Pantheon, looking out.
    Italy-1888-X2.jpg

    #3 - the Thames
    359134282_onxC9-XL.jpg

    #4 - the Bonfire
    400914091_q67FB-XL-1.jpg
    -Chris D.
    http://www.facebook.com/cdgImagery (concert photography)
    http://www.cdgimagery.com (concert photography)
    http://chrisdg.smugmug.com (everything else)

  • chrismoorechrismoore Registered Users Posts: 1,083 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2012
    Beyond the Invisible
    This is an offbeat area of Death Valley with Joshua trees everywhere! We took advantage of the clear night sky to photograph the milky way which was present in all its glory. Single exposure 14mm f/2.8 ISO 3200. I used a pocket flashlight to paint a touch of light on the tree. Thanks for looking!

    i-fCNnLfD-O.jpg
  • DsrtVWDsrtVW Registered Users Posts: 1,991 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2012
    ghinson wrote: »
    Where is that hippy truck? I've seen that somewhere before...
    Salvation Mountain @ Slab City CA. That is the best shot of Leonard's old truck I have seen
    Chris K. NANPA Member
    http://kadvantage.smugmug.com/
  • A-1 BossA-1 Boss Registered Users Posts: 120 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2012
    Night Skiing at Brighton Ut.
    5569315623_00912e83e0_b.jpg

    Pine Valley Mountain

    5575192634_9459dcfdeb_b.jpg

    Ventura Pier
    6918023543_be0060a2e7_b.jpg
  • michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2012
    Gosh darn it! :D

    I shot in twilight and darkness for so many years that I actually had problems getting used to adequate, much less bright light. Not that I have many good ones, I'm trying to decide between people stuff, cityscapes, fireworks, just fire or just weird. The one thing I'm certain I don't have are star shots. In the sky, at least.

    Time to just decide: Concept :: Person :: City

    1) Dusk light
    DS24228-1-XL.jpg

    2) Chair
    1054698411_UbP6u-XL.jpg

    3) Something HKG
    920875926_M7DL8-XL-1.jpg
  • travelwaystravelways Registered Users Posts: 7,854 Major grins
    edited April 13, 2012
    Here is my contribution:

    1. Fitting the snow on Christmas night (Canada)

    ">:)" alt="Together we'll conquer the winter :)" />

    2. Silent Night (Germany)

    Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany, Europe Germany-Bavaria (Bayern)  - January

    3. Night time snacks (Guatemala)

    Night time snacks
    Tatiana - Seeing the world through my camera
    TravelwaysPhotos.com ...... Facebook
    VegasGreatAttractions.com
    Travelways.com
  • dave6253dave6253 Registered Users Posts: 229 Major grins
    edited April 15, 2012
    1. WWII Navajo Codetalkers Statue - Phoenix, Arizona
    SCHW5386-X2.jpg





    2. All Alone Under the Stars
    i-2L9h9Db-XL.jpg





    3. San Diego After Dark
    SCHW291920212223-X2.jpg
  • rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2012
    1 Mummified
    625445161_bfFnY-XL.jpg


    2 Companionship
    625610038_V3wjq-XL.jpg


    3 Jupiter
    BoysCamp2011230-XL.jpg
  • sapphire73sapphire73 Registered Users, Super Moderators Posts: 1,940 moderator
    edited April 17, 2012
    Greg, thank you for giving us such a great theme for this mini! Here are a few of my "after dark" shots...

    Cairnwood Mansion Gleaming (freezing rain covered the snow with a sheet of ice)
    i-zQJ8zCQ-L.jpg

    Bryn Athyn Cathedral
    i-zJQrcKn-L.jpg

    Before the Dawn in Hana (Maui, Hawaii)
    i-26fMV4N-L.jpg

    The first shot is another view of the building that I photographed for my "1912" entry.
  • ghinsonghinson Registered Users Posts: 933 Major grins
    edited April 18, 2012
    OK. Thread closed.

    I am on vacation this week. In a cottage, on the Chesapeake Bay. And I did not realize how dead this area is for wi-fi-, broadband, and even cell service.

    I cannot do this challenge justice judging and replying from a cell phone. So I am going to have to do it Saturday.

    So hang in there with me.

    Even lookkng through the pics on the iPhone however, I can tell I have my work cut out for me.

    Greg
    uosuıɥ ƃǝɹƃ
    ackdoc.com
  • grandmaRgrandmaR Registered Users Posts: 1,939 Major grins
    edited April 18, 2012
    ghinson wrote: »
    OK. Thread closed.

    I am on vacation this week. In a cottage, on the Chesapeake Bay. And I did not realize how dead this area is for wi-fi-, broadband, and even cell service.

    I cannot do this challenge justice judging and replying from a cell phone. So I am going to have to do it Saturday.

    So hang in there with me.

    Even lookkng through the pics on the iPhone however, I can tell I have my work cut out for me.

    Greg

    Blame it on Verizon and everyone going digital. That's the effect that changing over has on rural areas. Makes no difference in the city but down here .... I used to have an analog bag phone (with a big battery) on our boat with an antenna on top of the mast. I could call on it from the middle of the Bay. Now with those tiny cell phones, I have to be really close (too close) to land. People accept inferior service that is cheaper for the phone company because they have forgotten how it used to be

    Depending on where you are, some marinas have wi-fi and it is often free. I could probably tell you where if I knew which side of the Bay you are on. On my side, you could come to my house.
    “"..an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered." G.K. Chesterton”
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