Good Night

Market Liquor, Mojave, 2024

Twenty years ago I made images at night using an 8/10” view camera. Using such a beast was most challenging, with even the slightest breeze capable of ruining an image due to the bellows flapping in the wind. Add to this the exceptionally long exposures and limitations a large format brings and people would often ask why, until that is, they seen a large print. If you got it right with large format, nothing came close in terms of quality and detail.

These days things are different. Cameras are a fraction of the weight, with sensor sizes so big, and ISO functions so super-dooper that exposure times are reduced dramatically and night work becomes far less challenging. One thing that hasn’t changed is focusing in low light, in fact its more difficult, especially with a digital viewer. But there will always be some challenge.

When all said and done, the technical side is much easier with digital. But it won’t make a bad image into a good one as some would have you believe..