After Dark

The earth’s northern hemisphere is most distance from the sun during the night of December 21 to 22. The day of the winter solstice marks the shortest day here, and thus the longest night of the year; while in the southern hemisphere it marks the longest day and thus the shortest night.

Nighttime is a popular theme in painting, and its representation has always proven to be a technical challenge. In photography, it also offers many new motifs and (technical) possibilities. Light sources become islands, the shadows even blacker, contours appear like silhouettes. Long exposures bring to light things we cannot see with the naked eye. The night writes its own stories, and so do our LFI Gallery users.

1. TC Lin
“I find Taipei in Taiwan even more fascinating by night than by day. On my way to the underground I stumbled across this scene quite by chance: I was drawn by the interplay of the colours, the pink balloons with the green of the entranceway, and the perfect light. The scene gave the impression of a midnight heist, though the employees were simply trying to get the balloons into the truck as quickly as possible.”

2. Esteban Garcia
“I took this picture of the Berlin TV tower on a quiet night. I was drawn by its light breaking through the mist. From my perspective, at a steep angle, I emphasised the striking geometry and the impressive height of the tower. For me, this image combines modernity with timelessness. I hope it inspires others to look at the beauty of urban structures from new perspectives.” 

3. Yihong Wan
“Edinburgh, in the UK is also known as the “City of the Dead”. It has a very special charm that combines historical significance with fascinating Scottish culture. I love wandering through the misty streets with my camera. The interplay of light and shadow in such conditions creates a captivating atmosphere.”

4. Bobby Anwar
“There were fireworks happening on the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, and it was rather dark. People were moving here and there, and I realised that the contrast between the silhouettes and the fireworks was captivating, so I photographed the scene. While the picture triggers an “inner sparkle” within me, it also conveys a feeling of loneliness.”

5. Victor Tang
“This photo reminds me of a science fiction scene. I took it by chance in my home town of Chongqing. The city is bordered by two rivers, and at night some of the people who live there head out to the water to go fishing.” 

6. Ryder Collins
“This picture was taken around midnight at Halloween in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Seattle, Washington. The men were listening to loud music coming from the car, smoking and drinking; I just had to take their picture. I think the photo accurately reflects the special energy of that night. That’s what I love about photography – being able to capture the mood of an entire night in just one image.”

7. Eric Wong
“I took this picture on the Charles Bridge in Prague. It was a very busy autumn evening, and a lot of people were walking there. The atmosphere was special: the crowd on the bridge while the artist was in his own world as he drew. The light from his headlamp against the warm ambient light further emphasised the contrast.”

8. Raymond Chan
“In January this year, my wife and I were in Takayama, Japan. We were wandering through the city’s alleyways, when I noticed this scene. I waited for the perfect moment, when this magical silhouette appeared in the window. This picture is very special to me.”

9. Diwen Hu
“This photo was taken on a very humid, summer evening in Beijing. I saw the two cooks sitting in the light coming from the kitchen, playing Chinese chess on a home-made board. At times the two were still as statues, at times they chatted and laughed gaily. The kitchen in which they both work, is also their home. This picture shows the reality of many travelling cooks. Here, like is many other big cities in China, there are many people who move to the city in search of work.  While they work very hard all day, they pursue their leisure activities and hobbies at night, so as to counter their often tough living situations with a bit of fun.”

10. Jesper Andersen
“I love taking pictures against the sun or the light. That was also the trigger for this picture: because of the shadows in the snow, the completely white landscape suddenly became very rich in contrasts, almost black and white. The photo was taken in Sweden in the small ski resort of Mulsjö, where skiing is sometimes possible in the evening. Halfway down the slope, I turned round, saw the beautiful light and just waited for the right moment.”

11. Andrei Furnea 
“This picture was taken on a misty, winter morning in Cluj-Napoca, Rumania. I liked the way the mist distorted the frozen colours, and how the light on the railway platform merged with the morning twilight. The icing on the cake was the train that pulled in for the one person who was waiting for it. It was like metaphorical proof that lonely people are not alone after all.”

12. Yutaka Kurahashi
“This photo shows a tree house hotel in the jungle in Nago, Okinawa, Japan. Only one group can stay there each night. Many special techniques were used to avoid damaging the tree and the surrounding nature. Any insects that enter the house are released alive. Even as a child I dreamt of spending the night in a tree house. When I look at the picture now, I remember the excitement I felt on my way to the tree house, the thrill of seeing it for the first time, the sense of calm I felt when I touched the mother tree, and the safety I felt, as though I was merging with the tree and the house.”

13. Leo Kwok
“As a travel and street photographer, I’m always looking to capture spontaneous moments, that provoke reflection or touch the emotions. During a Christmas holiday with my family in Vienna, Austria, we visited the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. I watched my wife and son as they were lighting the candles, their facial expressions and gestures, the warm light and the tangible connections between the two of them, and with the surroundings – it was one of those moments that I had to capture with my camera.”

14. Chris West
“I took this picture at Botallack in Cornwall on the south-west tip of England. It was around one in the morning, when the Milky Way is at its most beautiful. It shows the two engine rooms of the Botallack mines, and I’m holding a lantern to light myself and the building. The photograph conveys a sense of mystery, danger and exploration.”