The Art of Architectural Photography 1-19-2014

Night architectural photography is especially challenging because the buildings frequently blend into the shadows and each other.  Of course, illuminating architecture at night with giant strobes has been done often enough by excellent photographers who have the massive lighting equipment trucked to the site. There are also smaller, more compact light fixtures used especially for night photography. However, I am glad for the ability of digital photography to provide the "lighting" via computer.  I am able to bring out various shadowy forms in Photoshop, Lightroom or a variety of other software applications.  However, too much manipulation can cause an artificial or forced image.  This sepia street photograph was taken outside a brightly lit tavern in Berlin.  The interior light from the oldest restaurant in the eastern part of the city cast some light onto the cobblestones and buildings.  The romantic antique street lights also created pools of light along the street and produced dramatic shafts of light against the darks.  Although the buildings fade into the dark sky, there are hints of solid form.  I still feel the magic of the Berlin night when I look at this photograph.

                                                                     Berlin, Germany
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