Nighttime landscape photography - Everyone should do this!!!

[@stewartcarter5861]

This looks a lot of fun. I’ve worked in a forest for nearly 20 years and never thought about photographing it like this. I will now!

[@jimmywestphoto]

Suzannah is fantastic! Been following her channel for a while and It's always so calm watching her.

[@lonnieclemens8028]

The tree image at 2:06 is really nice. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@millymucci]

must try this some day, very exciting and fun approach to woodlands! and thank you for introducing Suzannah, 'enjoying her creative mindset and photography, now on her channel. 🌳

[@paulseymour7485]

Wow !!! So interesting and what a neat set of new opportunities to explore.

[@rigbyphoto]

Apologies if I'm missing it but I can't see any link to Suzanna's work in the description.

[@veivoli]

@rigbyphoto Agreed, and it should be there, but it took me less than a minute to find her channel. How is *your* search fu? Edit: fix tyop.

[@rigbyphoto]

@@veivoli I hoped my comment would serve to politely remind Nigel to give Suzzana the credit he mentioned in the vlog. Which he now has.

[@veivoli]

@@rigbyphoto There was a link in the video, but that wasn't very useful. I found it after my earlier reply, but it was after midnight and I should have been in bed! You were absolutely right, of course.

[@rigbyphoto]

@@veivoli 👍

[@dominiclester3232]

There now is a link to her KZbin channel, just under the square space link...

[@Jake-vt4ow]

Totally agree with you, Nigel! Shooting all kinds of photography is great for fresh insights into landscapes. Great experiment, and glad to see this lovely work.

[@jimtrull683]

Thanks for sharing something a little different Nigel. I have never tried getting out in the woodland at night like this. It’s always nice to try new camera techniques like ICM, multiple exposures and ideas like this to keep things fresh.

[@daviddyephotography]

Is here a link to Suzanna's work and the headtorch> I've been looking for a good, strong yet simple headtorch, there you go the one you like the least, I liked the most,the "wise"? image at 11:13 I felt was the most artistic and the image before it at 10:41 my second fav. the others felt to chaotic and busy for me. Tech. question in processing did you hold your blacks back as it flet the images where lcking a true black in the shadows, YES could be youtube, so I was wondering.

[@jonnyroids1482]

Amazing video, this has given me a few ideas when I go out in the evenings in autumn and winter. Have a lovely week.

[@edwinaaitken401]

Fab images and such great fun. I love my nighttime photography.

[@robertlee8980]

Awesome video, and nice to see you paring with Suzanna. She is awesome!

[@LeiserSchleicher]

This is a brilliant idea for woodland photography in the summer. I'm going to try it out this weekend and in my vacation. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@danielspenner3683]

Best video in quite some time. Awesome images and a really unique idea.

[@scarcesense6449]

My favourite photo thus far this year has been using a simplified version of this technique. It was hand held rather than a long exposure and my headlamp was used more like an off axis flash that created layers of shadows across the foreground log and bushes leading into the shimmering lake under the twilight sky. It's certainly fun to play around with your own light source.

[@Wklambert]

Interesting. I've used the full moon and long exposures to take night time photos before, but I haven't painted the scene with light. Might have to give it a go and see what happens 😁

[@LodestonePhotography]

Wise, that one takes the cake for me! Definitely going to have to give this a try in the Oregon coast range. Thanks for the great video!

[@jamesv.wilkerson30]

I 3D printed gel holders to put on the torch. That way I could control the color of the light and gain even more artistic control.

[@paulpokrywka1945]

Here in the States we are not allow to light paint in National Parks and probably not is other Parks as well. One needs to check weather or not lighting is allowed where you want to photograph.

[@JamesParshall-gk4mx]

The National Park Service manages 423 individual units. These 423 also include Monuments, Preserves, Reserves, Lakeshores, Rivers, Parkways, Historical Parks, Battlefields, Forests, and other designations. In 417 of these places, you may use artificial lighting, including light painting.

[@timrosenburgh8597]

Enjoyed the video as usual Nigel. This is something that i have never tried and i am glad that you made this video thanks to Suzannah. And now it's something i am going to try. Great image's for your first attempt and i thought the wise one was really good too with the tree and the follage lit up. Look forward to another on of these.

[@johnpollock6996]

That looks like a lot of fun. It just so happens that I was doing a variant of this a week ago indoors with some small potted cactus plants. I used a 3-stop ND filter, f16, ISO 100, and eventually got decent shots at 13-15 seconds. Using the filter outdoors should buy you more useful time during your summertime late sunsets as far north as you are. I would look forward to trying this soon, but with temperatures at sunset running about 100F/38C, I will wait several months. Thanks for the great ideas.

[@haveaniceday2208]

This is fantastic and so fun. Also, links to Susannah’s stuff would be great

[@chantallabelle8571]

My favorite one is the last one that you took also in autumn. It has a mysterious touch. Thank you for sharing this new concept!

[@nicknichols4249]

I'm hooked, I'm going out tonight and give it a try! Thanks!

[@FocusFlowBySuzannahMary]

Wonderful video, was great shooting with you. Your shots are on point 👌

[@sharonlee782]

My favourite was the wise. It’s very ethereal. But they are all beautiful. 😀

[@randyschwager84]

Interesting concept! Thanks for taking me along!

[@robertleem5643]

I've been doing this for just over 6 months and it's good fun, have got a few torches and a head torch where I can alter the beam, shorten it or widen it, just have to be careful of ground roots and other trip hazards

[@MLC48]

This is soooo exciting! I can't wait to try it out.

[@Focusing_on_the_light]

Great video and nice to Suzanne getting some credit for her great work.

[@NeonShores]

Would be a perfect use case for Live View Composite in my S5II. With that i can take my time painting the tree and get much more creative control.

[@nerrelloader4226]

Great to see you having fun with other genres Nigel. I think I would have liked to have seen a warmer glow to your Wise tree and not so blue; I think that would have added more richness. In saying that, I liked all of your images you showed us. I hope one day I'll get to the UK to explore some woodlands. Thanks for this video.

[@nicolasguillenc]

This is so interesting! I would love to give it a try

[@marioouellet2875]

This was so different and interesting. The video inspires me to try it myself. Thank you!

[@Raykenn1]

Enjoyed your video thanks for posting 👍

[@pbobhoskins2651]

Great video. I can recommend long exposure shots of running/white water at night lit by torch. I got a great shot last year of a cascading river running through forest. The contrast between the unmoving stoic trees and ethereal milky water is fantastic. My next experiment is to paint nighttime trees from different angles using different complimentary coloured head torches.

[@rtdphoto]

Definitely something to try. I played with light painting when I was a teenager and completely forgot about it.

[@luisfigueroa3300]

I never thought about night photography. Thanks for the idea. I live in the Mojave Desert and we have numerous Joshua trees that would make really nice spooky subjects. Keep them videos coming. 😊

[@13MoonsOverMayhem]

These are great! I would love to see some of those twisted trees lit with a blue or purple light for an even more ethereal look.

[@tjsinva]

Enjoy watching SusannahMary's channel. Carry on. 👍🥂

[@valerie_screws_around]

This is awesome, I gotta try this with film...

[@andy_simmo]

Until next Sunday! Yeah! 🎉

[@torstenwennberg4845]

Great video and so fun to try something new. Spooky but very cool! I don't think you mentioned anything about focus techniques in the dark. My guess is to pre-focus with the light on, and then switch to manual.

[@albert25hoo]

Hi Nigel, I like the way you boost your creativity in challenging projects. Very nice results also! I need to do something comparable in a poem project. The poem is about firefly's in the dark grass in a sultry summer evening. It is a mating dance, and this is a central theme in the poem. I choose for a double printing of firefly's with young dancing girls caught while jumping, expressing the fly's to seek a mate. But the firefly's are rare this time, so I choose a shot of pearl grass. Quite nice results with an internet photo of dancing girls. Now I have to plan a session with dance students to capture the jumping girls. Photographing firely's is something the like you did in this video. You vido from 3 weeks ago set me also thinking about swapping my Nikon Z6 for a Z6III, or is your advice for landscape photography to buy a Z8 or Z7III? Greeting you and succes with your camper van. Bert.

[@melvilib]

Side lighting works well.

[@jonmorgan-parker4209]

Hello guys beautiful images.🫶 In my opinion and liking . I prefer the Backlit images because they show a better depth of field 🤔🤔 Also, try diffusing the light with tracing paper or kitchen baking paper?

[@leoneldp]

I got the like number 1K 😅 I agree with the comments, the Wise shot was my favorite. The soft light on the ferns on screen right hand side is so beautiful!

[@phileo_ss]

I tried something similar when I went to shoot fireflies because I wanted something more interesting than a few green lines on an almost black background. I used the light on my phone and I think it worked quite well.

[@gavinheppenstall766]

Nice video Nigel. Lighting at night you could try a Z96 led panel they work great, adjustable brightness and they come with a 1/2 cto gel.

[@scarcesense6449]

Suzannah's channel: www.youtube.com/@SuzannahMary Direct link to her recent night landscape video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2HWmXpoqaaAY6s

[@Robert-R]

One thing I would recommend is getting some 1/2 CTO film and tape a piece to the front of your flashlight/torch. This will give it a warmer color as LED lights are too harsh. The LedLenser P7R (20-1000 lumens) is a good unit as it has 3 different levels of intensity and is rechargeable. The P7 (40-450 lumens) uses AAA batteries and is cheaper. They are really great quality.

[@southernsteve1]

I've done some light painting when trying to do night shots at the coast, not necessarily astro, and you need to watch for moths moving about in front of the torch. I wondered what it was all these strange squiggly lines across the images, finally worked out the light was reflecting off the moths wings 😖

[@conniequinton371]

That looked like fun!

[@chriscard6544]

I disagree with you, the Wise one is soooo beautiful, soft and eerie, best shot for my eyes.

[@phileo_ss]

Agreed. I thought it looked almost like a painting.

[@tammytrashbags]

I'm very fond of the nighttime 'wise' photo, actually - I feel like the ethereal quality of the light brings out the more sinewy quality of the bark, emphasising the organic twisting of the trunk until it almost looks like it could move. Obviously a very different mood to the autumn photo, but beautiful nonetheless. I think the relative absence of green compared to the other shots works to make the scene more ambiguous, like the tree could be living stone rather than wood - makes me want to try some black and white work at night in the forest!

[@ronnyjansson4207]

I actually think the “wise” is the best shot, not so much green popping around 😊

[@LauraF4848]

Me creeping around at night with camera, tripod, and lights, staring at the trees: This is so cool!😃The neighbors: What is she doing now?🙄🙄

[@juandiegogarciamarin5079]

nice video Nigel, thanks for share!!! one question about settings: white balance??? is different for the type of light?

[@lizardeyelizardeye1023]

This is so amazing

[@richardsamsung4612]

Interesting video...I saw from another photographer don't use LED lights, can't remember why. Hopefully you'll do more similar videos 🙏

[@NickHansonPhotography]

I'm here wish my friend Susanne, Susan, Susanna, so which is it Nigel 🤣

[@nikkia9506]

Thanks for making me Google whether midges are active at night 😅 (They're mostly dawn and dusk, but can nip at night or all day on dull days, for anyone else wondering 😄)

[@johannes_landgraf]

That's pretty cool. I think some of the images could actually benefit quite a bit from a wider aperture

[@SueFerreira75]

Such fun!

[@michaelmckeag960]

The moon is the bane of conventional nightscape photographers, but what about a moonlit forest scene? As for artificial lighting, perhaps a more diffuse source like one of the light panels used for low level lighting, especially one with variable color temperature. Perhaps this iPad would serve the purpose at least for some initial experiments. We live in the middle of an oak woodland; don’t need to travel far, though we share this landscape with cougar, a consideration. I will check out Suzanna’s work. Thanks for the introduction.

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

I have a quite powerful LED light that I use for night lighting but, unmodified, it casts a very blue light. To correct this, I’ve built a jury-rig of orange gel held by a cap of gaffers tape that slips over the end of the light.

[@nightscapejournals]

Awesome - great to see more people out shooting at night! Enjoyed that, Nigel. 👍

[@ian-robinson]

If the light is too harsh it’s good to have some baking paper sheets and a rubber band with you, with which you can diffuse the light and alter its strength.

[@paulmills8472]

You will get a much nicer light if you cover an led bulb / light source with a 205 half orange CTO gel ( widely available in sheet form online ). Cover the front of the torch with the gel and hold it in place with a rubber band. Then set your cameras white balance somewhere around 3500 - 4000K. The harsh blue of led is removed and editing your images becomes easier. Give it a try!

[@invader_viv]

Speaking of apple, one thing I wanted to try was stacking a full moon apple orchard with light painting the apples bright, and soft light in the leaves, with warm led light sunstars over the ground, but I'm always afraid of angry farmers and 10 gauge rock salt 😬

[@kevins8575]

It seems that there may be a large variety of lighting equipment to try. Flashes, snoots, reflectors, etc. borrowed from studio photography techniques

[@TinaBen14]

Great colab

[@petethornley7880]

Hi Nigel, I disagree with your ranking, 'wise' was the best of the 3 for me! Also forgive me if I missed it, but you didn't mention focusing? Is it just a case of manually focusing to infinity? Or do you light up the focal point enough with torches to grab focus?

[@RH1812]

Interesting stuff. May even try this in my back garden. In miniature

[@koenpijpersphotography]

You can use a red light Nigel, your eyes don’t nearly need as much adjusting. Great video:)

[@ravenfallsphotography6254]

I’m thinking it might be interesting merging several photos of the same composition, each painted with a different-colored light.

[@ianpinion4997]

It's an interesting choice of subject matter for a vlog, but compelling nonetheless. I have to be honest, it's not something I've ever considered doing before, but you have given me an idea. So long as I don't get arrested, after reports of strange activity in a local woodland reach the local constabulary, I might give it a go.

[@rappy90]

Couple questions! Did you do much editing in post, and an unusual question; since you typically do early morning photography and are out on location well before sunrise did you find it difficult to stay up to do these night time shots?

[@MichaelHafner-f4f]

hi Nigel. I love your channel and can`t thank you enough for your tips and inspiration. But a good reason why not everyone should do this is that animals are disturbed enough during the day in the woods by us humans (myself included). maybe it is better to leave nature alone at least during the night. just my opinion. cheers Michael

[@malchouse1640]

Amazing Mr D, question, how did you set your focus In the dark.

[@scarcesense6449]

It'll depend on your gear, but since I have a headlamp that can outshine my car's headlights at full power, I just crank it up to what I call "lighthouse mode", choose my focus point, half press shutter button and then switch back to manual focus to keep it locked in. Then you just have to readjust your exposure since you obviously won't be using lighthouse mode for the actual photo. Not-so-fun-fact: lighthouse mode gets so hot it melted a hole in my jacket when I put it in my pocket so you'll wanna be carefull when buying a ludicrous torch online.

[@jeffolson4731]

I should give this a try. I can think of several trees that would work better with this method than day night. Good to see @SuzannahMary

[@JanicevD]

Having trouble finding the link to the head torch. Sorry if it is right there and I'm missing it, but could you post?

[@hamsterneckliving]

11:19 very cool

[@smokey19bear]

These folks do some amazing night photo/light painting: www.youtube.com/@LightPaintingPhotography

[@ingabett]

Really enjoyed this video! This video started up a lot of ideas in my head, I’m certainly going to try it out, I have some really big oak trees in my garden, so I don’t have to go that far. I actually liked “Wise” the most. One question: do you keep the light still or do you move it around?

[@peteg330]

How did you focus Nigel? Did you light the tree up first to focus or was it guesswork?

[@myk1200s]

Nigel forgive me if you posted it, maybe I didn't see it but I was just curious about your lens, where you Useing a wide angel or what ❓

[@stevebrooks6144]

Couple of things, midges hate bright sun and wind, if you don't have that you will get midges. Another tip, from astronomy, use a red light, you can still see, but it won't ruin your night vision, so you can move about and only apply the light you won't when you need too

[@joetagg1961]

I have to disagree with you Nigel. The last pic you showed with the side lighting is my favorite! LOL. They are all excellent though.Thanks for sharing!.

[@snakezdewiggle6084]

Sorry, bit of a purist still. Not fan of digital yet. We use to do this kinda thing in town, when we were kids. Find a dark enough building, set the shutter locked open. Then with coloured torches write our names and words on the building, then release the shutter. Especially when there was a power outage. We would check the camera store for out of date film with the slowest iso. Did a series of back lit bush (yes, Aussie) back in the 80's. It was more so testing and learning. Including star trails made for an interesting composition.

[@josealeman8082]

If your camera had Live Composite it would be much easier to accomplish.

[@youritguy1]

So why not keep the light steady in just one spot, take the image then move over the light into another spot?

[@dw.in.michigan]

Great video. Thank you. If you're really wanting to explore this type of photography more, spend a day watching videos from Nightscape Images - Richard Tatti. Although he does astro landscape, his light painting is incredible, and the principles are going to be the same. Any one of his videos is a masterclass in nighttime fineart photography. As you discovered on your own, he will frequently mention that side lighting is best, and to try to avoid lighting from the same direction from which you are shooting, as it can flatten the image. With your woodland style, it would be great to see what more you can do with light painting.

[@spotable2]

Mate I have been doing that for a long time gives amazing results dosnt it.

[@hvyfknmtl]

with the edits. my instinct would have been to make the blacks blacker. so the dark was really dark. something especially noticeable when showing the photos in the LR window. So, asking completely without judgement, why did you choose to keep the blacks in the grey?

[@NigelDanson]

I often do that with my edits… when printing I slightly change them to match the paper

[@hvyfknmtl]

@@NigelDanson ah. makes sense. Thanks!

[@pixelpeter3883]

You must have been quite a bit out of your photographic comfort zone Nigel. I think I would prefer doing shots like this while there is still a bit of lingering light in the sky; that will reduce the 'black hole' effect you get while shooting in total darkness (but it'll certainly will limit your picturetaking time).

[@richardmitchell2257]

It’s funny how you guys call a flashlight a torch !!!!!

[@benrogers5837]

Before beginning you say this is more artificial than your normal style of landscape photography, but I could see an argument where this is actually less artificial than any dodging and burning done in post. It's a manual d&b with an artificial light vs an artificial d&b with the natural (but artificially augmented) light.

[@_._Stefan_._]

👍🏻

[@ElGrecoDaGeek]

I disagree the 4the image, “Wise,” was IMHO the best looking of the 4 images. The lighting was the most natural (not overly bright/artificial) and brought out all the textures in the bark and undergrowth. Almost ethereal.