Night Photography on Film in Los Angeles

[@max-mkl]

Willem even brought out the purple hoodie that’s what I call dedication! Fun project

[@willysheepskin]

So rad that phenomenons like this exist out there, and especially rad when someone notices and decides to photograph em! 7:03 is a zinger of note! Out of curiousity, cus I feel like I've seen you doing this in the past, why not cover the lens when a car cruises by and then continue exposing once its left frame? Risk of camera shake? Or just that in that scene by the time you'd have seen the car it would already be too late to cover? Banger video as always man, stellar weekend when there's a Wheelem and a Willem video back to back ahah!

[@Rei-gy3eo]

If you're ever in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, you'll see plenty of purple lights! I feel like 1/5 of the lights on most major highways are doing this. Every time I go back, there are more and I wonder how many years until it's a legitimate hazard.

[@plantmanp]

Town & Country born and raised!!

[@mw1nachos]

Orlando also!

[@dedequintero8833]

Cocoa FL also

[@MessyBunGarage]

Pretty much all of Florida is covered in these lights. Tons on the treasure coast too.

[@Anon54387]

Phoenix, AZ has a lot of them because apparently the yellow filter expands at a different rate than the LED behind it so with the high heat the expansion is more and they fall off more.

[@Miranda-zq3du]

yayyyyy night photography classic from willem!! get those purple street lights 💜

[@hank7838]

4:44 we've never heard Willem reach this pitch

[@ohmwai]

Happens at 4:50 too lol

[@thearchive64]

@13:48

[@adelinebouwhuis7651]

Your night time long exposure work is the stuff of dreams. Such an inspiration!

[@horatiueduard]

I enjoyed the video, and I gotta say, your squeaky voice when seeing a pet, that's a good addition. Keep it going!

[@bobsykes]

Willem, you have an amazing eye for finding things like this and how you compose your photos. These are fantastic! ✌

[@noahtremblay5263]

This video felt therapeutic - Love this project!

[@Whateverworksman93]

I love the dedication to getting that shot of the bridge without any light trails. A man possessed.

[@Ajidirekt]

The magic of light! Thank you.

[@shanestorozukphotography]

This is such a great project. Loved the pedestrian overpass shots and the vintage bridge frames with the light trails. FYI, we have a shit ton of purple LED street lights up in Vancouver, BC! One last thing....were your exposure times including reciprocity failure calculations? Great video as always Willlem

[@degracesam]

Such an interesting subject matter. You made me realize that there was one right by my house in Durham NC when I lived there. Always wondered why it was the lone purple light!

[@trippwilsonphoto]

They're all over the New Orleans metro area. I didn't even realize they were special till you started this series a while back.

[@GimmeSomeAdventure]

very cool project, i love the simplicity, these LEDS fail and turn purple, i want to hunt down and collect the photos of these lights! very cool. and who doesn't love a little night photography!

[@davidlowcher]

This one gives OG Willem in Jersey vibes. Love to see it bruv!

[@hank7838]

I would be so down for a mini book project with all the blue lights

[@Dadiary_ko]

The night light magic 😊 thank you for sharing your amazing photography 😊

[@cansayil330]

I love the creativity! Keep it up Willem

[@TomKaszuba]

A thoroughly enjoyable video experience. Also……inspirational.

[@prettiestflacko]

Willem when is the photo book coming out? Will you announce the release date in advance? I’m paranoid I’m gonna miss the boat and it will sell out. I’ve been anticipating it for a while

[@nclrnld]

I liked that video and I love this project ! Such a nice (and pretty crazy) idea ! Can’t wait to see more about that !

[@darwyn2lion]

Something about the look and feel of this video was different but so refreshing. Keep up the great work.

[@donbetosoy]

I really liked the light streaks left by the cars on the Hill Bridge, but that shoot on the pedestrian bridge snake ramp is awesome.

[@bren.nan_]

there's a lot of these purple lights in the Phoenix area. it's pretty cool cuz you'll sometimes see whole rows of purple lights down some streets. definitely gonna keep an eye out for some cool shots next time im driving through the area

[@developingtank]

I like the feeling of being your friend in your car being driven around while you share with me your knowledge on the most niche topic ever. 😂🙌

[@Kokorba6iqta]

Another incredibly inspiring video and project!

[@caffreycameron]

Absolutely Love this Willem! This photo project is so cool and interesting

[@kenvp_photo]

We have some of these purple / blue street lights & parking lot lights but here in NJ they are in this color spectrum on purpose from what I’ve been told. They seem to be popular with lower end dollar stores.

[@ryanpatrickyoung508]

youre such an amazing photographer!

[@PPYTAO]

Beautiful shots, Willem. Though that's no surprise, your shots are always great! thank you for documenting and sharing your journey :)

[@mathispyt8603]

Breaking persona at 4:45 "oh my god a baby kitten" i love it

[@neglectedloves]

05:21 and 06:23 🙌🏻 and 16:09 is brilliant 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@agffth]

Thank you for solving this mystery for me. My town has quite a few of these. One neighborhood has probably a dozen. I thought it was some kind of new tech and there was a benefit I didn’t know about.

[@renze1122]

your videos is awesome as always 🥹🥹🚥🚦

[@LightLeakBrothers]

It's refreshing to see your photography and manual transmission in America :-)

[@somephotovideos]

There are quite a few purple street lights here in Council Bluffs, Iowa (across the river from Omaha). Many along I-80 between the Madison Ave. and 24th St. exits.

[@mw1nachos]

This man gives us an epic 911 vlog and then this the next day! 🔥

[@Jsoberon]

Ever since you first mentioned in that other video, I have noticed a lot of them. They may be rare in California, but out in the Miami/South Florida area, they're everywhere.

[@kevysterj]

Real nice Todd Hido vibes on that window photo

[@joeysepulveda8265]

The GOAT Willem strikes again! 🙂‍↕️

[@JoosshhST]

That 1927 bridge picture was worth the effort!

[@pablovermerris6616]

Super nice video! What metering app do you use?

[@JustJakesVids]

Mannnn, just so good! A perfect video in a world of KZbin that is getting so saturated with just crap, simple content like this is the one! (As a viewer.. definitely not simply to create im sure)

[@bulletfingrz]

the fact you use 400 ISO is what inspire me to take photos like this.

[@CBruya]

Found half a parking lot and a Taco Bell in Portland with these lights, made me think of this project!! Never had noticed them before

[@MikeLikesChannel]

Off topic but is your speedometer stuck at 0? Brilliant photos as always 👍

[@LooseCharm]

because of the way that I watch KZbin videos, I don’t really get a comment on videos but in this case I had to figure it out anyway great video, loved it, learned so much... beautiful photos as always... thanks for sharing!

[@just_eirik]

That was so interesting! The photos turned out fantastic too! Don’t know how much editing you do in post but however you make your photos, they’re turning out so good.

[@Hotshot2414]

Oh my god a baby kitten!

[@alsanova]

So many great photos you've taken! 👌🔥🔥 Btw, I have not seen any purple street lights in UK yet, but yeah I have seen several failing already (flashing, due to faulty driver).

[@blvkey]

I been wondering about this! In San Diego its always a one off of purple on the freeway

[@clarencesmith]

I think the golden car lights add to the bridge shots. LA Lakers ya know.

[@doublenegative4real]

really great concept for a photo series

[@Government_Username]

The Beek at it again!!!

[@Elric24]

Fascinating! Just drove back from a shoot late at night yesterday and drove by purple street lights and wondered why they were like that. Heres my answer, haha!

[@josephlopez4735]

Discreet car flex, driving stick while talking to the camera 🤣🔥

[@PurpleSkittle285]

These are on every highway in CT for miles and miles with it being harder to find the white lights. If you are planning a trip back to NY hop on over to CT for all the purple light you could think of!

[@hittheboof1084]

I really admire your commitment to get the exact shot that you want lol you burned through a whole roll of 120 film, but the shot is gorgeous! Also that last location is right down the street from me in Pasadena lmao

[@KaiserGreaves]

Lovely shots! What light metre app do you use??

[@tk1.0]

this is really great

[@JacobManess-t4u]

Ah so dope! Love projects like this. What cable release do you use for the mamiya 7?

[@michaellong9526]

Re your long exposures and intruding cars. Could you set it on bulb and cover the lens when cars show up and then just count the time actually open to get your full exposure???

[@mkiv20v]

forgive me if this is an ignorant question but regarding the long exposure at 10:35 , would it be possible to pause the exposure (like by putting an object in front of the lens such as a dark cloth/cover) letting the cars pass and then removing the cover to resume the exposure to avoid light trails ? I understand this would be like a double exposure and you would have to account for reciprocity failure, but just a thought lol. Awesome video !

[@GuyRicheyGibbons]

Loved the vid. I enjoyed the vids a lot back in the day when you filmed at 24fps. No need to change it unless you feel the same way. :) thanks for making these vids

[@ariesangel2223]

don't know if you've been to utah but I saw a purple light in downtown slc last weekend.

[@geebes2112]

Very interesting! I had assumed the purple lights were a drug use deterrent. Great documentation assignment

[@liamrjf]

It’s funny because walking home the other day I came across one at the local mall, all I was thinking was man I wish I had my camera on me 😂😭 awesome video 🔥

[@jasperkorth3572]

Nice video, great photos, and an awesome idea. Regarding the “issue” with the car light trails: would it maybe make sense to hold a piece of black cardboard or something similar in front of the lens whenever a car approaches? You’d keep the shutter open but essentially stop the exposure countdown, then let it continue once the car has passed and you can remove the cardboard. You know what I mean? So you would not have to „waste“ so many frames for such a nice shot! ☺️

[@fotoralf]

There was a time when people used to wear hats. They never had a prob with this. Paris-based panorama photographer Arnaud Frich used to carry a selection of pieces of black cardboard to dodge certain areas of the frame while doing long-time exposures - much like dodging and burning under an enlarger. We're talking an hour or more using a Nobles panoramic camera with its rotating lens.

[@darwyn2lion]

Dallas/Fort Worth has thousands of purple lights. Come anytime. Literally whole sections and neighborhoods

[@vkysnyimazik4100]

Cool shots! Tell me, please, what kind of camera do you have? What camera did you take the photo with?

[@Grainyhalos]

Mamiya 7, very expensive camera

[@vkysnyimazik4100]

@@Grainyhalos thank u

[@TaylorTheOtter]

In some areas here in the Netherlands we have green streetlights to be less harmful for the wildlife. Normal streetlights mess with the circadian rhythm of animals but apparently the green isn't as bad. The reason why I thought of that tho is that the same might be true for purple because there's this bike path between two cities that has these really cool street lights that also light a little sideways to show where the path ends. On one side they are green and on the other they are purple so depending on which city you're going to, you have a different color. It's cutting through a bunch of farmland and some nature reserves too so they'd usually use those wildlife friendly lights in these areas so if they're using purple too, I would assume it's also less harmful to the animals. Don't quote me on that though because I haven't fact checked it.

[@Thegrainsilouk]

Put some dark card over the lens (or baseball cap!) as the cars pass 👍

[@parkermillican]

I feel like you could throw the lens cap on and pause your timer to keep light trails off the frame? Ive not tried that, it may be to hard to anticipate

[@miguelbayonjacobson]

you've been getting me into run and gun night film photography, any tips on finding quick composition while on the go? guess it also depends on the lighting situations in each place

[@shallenfoto]

"who the hell is this'?!' lmao aye that shot @5:27 hits hawrd

[@timebert_]

really enjoy this project :)

[@wagen-haus]

really nice work man

[@mikcog]

Street lamps on the big island of Hawaii are all a gloomy yellow, apparently to minimize light pollution for the observatories on the mountain. I think I have seen some purple ones in Kona though.

[@WhoIsSerafin]

Since I drive throughout Orlando early in the morning I’ve been looking for the those bad lights. Have seen quite a few.

[@caschi9929]

What´s the name of the light meter app for long exposures? I didn´t get the name while you were speaking. Thanks

[@thealaris]

Ligh meter……

[@dkcarroll13]

Do more of these!

[@tombrooks5933]

really great vid on night photography, but wait...were you in the new to you 911...or the volvo....but any audi??? where did that come from?

[@diegojosesoriano]

Oh shit you actually came around to my neighborhood on the last set of lights! When you mentioned purple lights at the beginning of the video they were the first ones I thought of lol

[@ericklemus3853]

Inglewood had a whole street of these leading up to lax

[@mikemotorsport]

Try using a black card to block the lens and the exposure while the cars pass. Just make a light tight seal and then start counting when you take the card away again

[@mechaben]

Back with the action Bronson comment Would love to see you sneak in some 800t with these

[@Dylanwade_]

Cars showing up when I really need them not to, is my photography experience in a nutshell.

[@danielabrahamsson5769]

So in six months we will be seeing ” I bought a cheap Audi S5 and gonna manual swap it” over at Wheelem? 😊 Great viedo!

[@mabox24]

missed hiroshi sugimoto moment with that spring st bridge movie screening

[@Tectonicia]

My neighbourhood still has the same yellow streets from the 2000s. The LED lights are reserved for the highway in my country.

[@DakotaHusted]

So interesting to learn it’s just the bulbs dying. I had always thought it was to keep people from doing drugs because you can’t see your veins lol

[@KillerTacos54]

Incredible

[@JustinPhillip]

Driving stick in LA. Thats wild

[@linkexue7983]

nice shot at 6:59, dope!

[@FlanTravolta]

These purple street lights have been popping up all over the place here in Fort Worth and I fucking love them. I had no idea it wasn't intentional.

[@Kevins_Camera]

4:50 when i see another camera guy at my hired gigs.

[@W4LT3Rego]

4:45-4:52 what a whiplash of emotions lol

[@schalkwillmake]

Very curious, where did you meter for the 10:29 photo?

[@musa7606]

And here I thought these purple lights were supposed to be "low light pollution" lights... Next time try it with Lomo Purple! :)