London at night is a fantastic shooting gallery. you can just meander through alleys and along busy thoroughfares and find a million worthy subjects. i had been scheming all week to catch someone with the stereotypical red phonebooth, and this young lady awaiting a taxi seemed perfect. we chatted a bit as i shot while she kept her eye on the road for approaching cabs (it's always nice to have your models be a bit distracted). if your camera comes armed with a flash, you can create a nice effect at night or in dimlight by popping the flash, but then keeping the shutter of your camera open for a second or two. sometimes you have to set the shutter manually to stay open for 1-2 seconds, or sometimes the camera has it's own AUTO setting for nighttime flash shots to burn in the ambient light. either way, the "shutter-drag" allows the nightlight - from streetlamps, car headlights, cigarettes, whatever - to 'burn' in to your shot in the background, while the pop from your flash makes a crisp image in the foreground. if you MOVE the camera while you're shooting, it will add even more motion to the image. experiment! it'll turn out different every time.
© dominic arizona bonuccelli
back to EUROPE 2 gallery