What’s a Curbsider to do when the days rapidly become shorter and workdays extend far beyond sunset? If you’re like me, you don’t let a lack of daylight stand in your way. There are plenty of classic numbers out there to challenge you while the rest of the city slumbers.
Night shooting is a challenge. I have nowhere near the scope of equipment to do really great night photography, like my friend Patrick. Without such equipment you really can’t shoot the comprehensive set of photos you could during daylight hours. Still, I’ve been lucky enough to capture increasingly better night shots since I started practicing in November, including this Beetle.
I also should invest in a tripod for Christmas. Since I rely on using whatever lighting is available, it takes a while to capture an image. I never knew how unsteady my hand was until I started shooting at night.
In a way, night shooting is more exhilarating than capturing cars during the day. At night there are unique moments of opportunity, as when the headlamps of passing cars accentuate certain elements of even the most common classic, providing highlights you might otherwise have overlooked.
On the other hand, it’s cold and often wet outside, and sometimes a matter of trial and error. Many times I’ve walked away in disappointment that certain angles aren’t sufficiently lit to shoot; in fact, It’ll be a long time before anything I shoot after dark will become the subject of a full-on CC. Luckily, this 1962 Dynamic 88 keeps night watch at Children’s Hospital Oakland. I’ll be back to practice on it.
Meanwhile, I rely on solid ground to make sure I get at least one usable image out of the 12-to-15 shots I attempt while steadying the camera with my hands, on trashcans or on my car. Wish me luck as I slip into the cover of night over the next few months!
Wonderful shots, as always.
California is an old car paradise. And sometimes the roughest ones are the most strangely beautiful. That top shot of the old Dodge is haunting. Very nice work!
Just beautiful, thanks.
Do you use automatic functions on the camera? Or manual settings? How long do you normally set the exposure? Good shots, I love good night shots, they have a mystery to them.
The Corvair sedan with the era-correct rock wall behind it is a good one.
I’m working with at least 3 different cameras (including my cell phone camera in the case of the Dodge, Falcon and ’62 Olds). So far I’m just relying on trial and error and automatic shutter speed since I’m not (yet) spending extremely long periods of time on each car.
The only one where I used a different shutter speed was with the Beetle (set to Sports/Action). I think playing with shutter speed will come with, well, not being on my knees on soggy pavement. But Holiday Vacation starts next week, so I’ll have plenty of time to practice.
Pretty much I notice 1) A car is under a street lamp, therefore giving somewhat good lighting or 2) there’s enough parking space that I can point my head lamps or fog lamps at the car.
I’ve yet to even try shooting at night. Some of these are superb. I’m really liking the ones from the street level; the Buick is awesome. Do you just set it on the pavement? Remote?
Pretty much, set on pavement, click, and hope for the best. Wash, rinse, repeat until I’m satisfied (with adjusting the lens for light and exposure).
Great shots Laurence. I especially like the Corvair and ’56 Buick pics. They’d make a great CC calendar! I’ve been experimenting a bit with night shots since I got a nicer camera, but haven’t run across any CC-worthy cars at night yet.
Here’s a Jeep I shot a while back. Some of the colors offered on new Wranglers are pretty sharp. There’s a lime green and bright blue I’ve also seen on them.
These are art prints, Laurence. I can look at that Buick all day. And night.
If you take in the Buick photo for 20-30 seconds it appears it may come to life…
A 65 Falcon. Its on my bucket list.
Stunning pictures. The 72 Oldsmobile has a drama to it that I have never seen before. The Dodge looks like a down and out but still mysterious character from a noir film.
Count me as one that really likes the shot of the Buick and it’s not just because it’s of a Buick.
Your pictures are hauntingly beautiful. These have a beauty to them that is in someways reminiscent of O Winston Links steam railroad photos of the 50’s. Thanks for sharing.
Well said, it’s true. I have two books of O. Winston Link’s work. What’s more, he drove a big Buick with its trunk full of equipment down from NYC every weekend to get those shots.
I have one too; stunning work.
The lead photo of the ’63 Dodge is real art, the rest are great, too. I also liked the photo of the Falcon station wagon facing the late sun in an earlier post. Great work, and inspiring, too.
These are extremely well done Laurence! You’re making me want to get out one of my old film SLRs and try the same.
Outstanding work. I don’t think you need better equipment, these are great as is. I would put the Falcon shot on my wall.
As others have said, all those pics are good and the Falcon pic in particular is great. I just set it as the background wallpaper on my phone. 🙂
Really fantastic pictures! CC Night Shift.
I like the colors in this one, just mad that it came out so fuzzy.
Trust me, 95% of what I shoot has that same issue: It’ll look great on an LCD screen. I get home and… sigh…
Some beautiful shots there, Mr. Jones.
All interesting in their own way. What’s going in with that Beetle? It has quills? With a few light bulbs thrown in? Mysterious.
All light bulbs that are somehow connected and basically going through a random sequence. So that shot was the only one I got of it moving while there was a flashing sequence going on.
Thank you for the haunting 56 Buick image. It is on my desktop at home and at work. Please, keep up the nightime photography. It is mesmerizing.