Nightwatch: The Haunting Light Painted Nightscapes of Noel Kerns

November 4, 2013 10:41 AM

Nightwatch: The Haunting Light Painted Nightscapes of Noel Kerns: Dallas-based photographer Noel Kerns specializes in capturing haunting night scenes of ghost towns, decommissioned military bases, and industrial abandonments. His creative use of different colored lights combined with moon light helps these old abandoned places come alive as vivid nightscapes. [...] By very carefully planning out his shot and using flashlights, strobes and colored gels to strategically add light, Kerns captures the final product in-camera during exposures that last, on average, one to three minutes — very little, if any, post-production is done at all.

Noel Kerans on flickr, facebook

posted by Room 641-A (15 comments total)

My first reaction would be, "Agh, another HDR guy...", but it isn't - he's simply taking advantage of the naturally compressed dynamic range of the world at night (outside of lit signage).

I've done a bit of this, but he reminds me I haven't done enough. Wonderful shots.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:51 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

The lighting and location give the pics a Hopperesque vibe.

Also, anyone reminded of this game?
posted by ambivalentic at 11:00 AM on November 4, 2013

Warrior of the Nightlight
posted by hal9k at 11:01 AM on November 4, 2013

All of the shots are taken using either his Nikon D80 or D300

I looked up the specs of these cameras, and it says the longest shutter speed on these is 30 seconds. I guess he's using hacked firmware?
posted by 1970s Antihero at 11:04 AM on November 4, 2013

there's a bulb setting
posted by titus n. owl at 11:06 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

These look like they are out of a computer game. why? Are the games gotten so good or is it just unreal enough to match the uncanny valley look of computer games?
posted by TheLittlePrince at 11:18 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

1970s Antihero: "I guess he's using hacked firmware?"

There's bulb mode, and programmable external releases are available. My Canon records the correct exposure time as far as I've pushed it (four hours).
posted by notsnot at 11:20 AM on November 4, 2013

Balancing the ambient light with the added light would be where things get tricky I'd guess.
posted by Keith Talent at 11:22 AM on November 4, 2013

Looks like photos I have tried to take but failed utterly.
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 11:27 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

TheLittlePrince: These look like they are out of a computer game. why? Are the games gotten so good or is it just unreal enough to match the uncanny valley look of computer games?

I'd say it's a bit of both: computer game graphics have reached (near) picture perfection, but simply replicating reality makes for dull games (visually), so video game graphics are overly saturated, and the lighting is always just right. Then again, you can say the same thing for many modern movies, where capturing reality is not enough. You need to create a reality that is engaging enough to capture in the first place (and then manipulate it further).
posted by filthy light thief at 11:34 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

The Scottish version.
posted by Caskeum at 12:10 PM on November 4, 2013 [7 favorites]

I think they are gorgeous.
posted by Windigo at 12:45 PM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

I am full of so much want. I would love to own one of these. Especially the old diner/gas station/motel ones.
posted by Kitteh at 2:52 PM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

"he's simply taking advantage of the naturally compressed dynamic range of the world at night (outside of lit signage)."

Not really - it requires painting with torches or walking around with a hand-held flash and if your camera allows - multiple exposures. So in effect, he's able to control the dynamic range manually, by balancing the light/contrast within the composition of the image.

This is much easier with digital than it was with film - given that film's ability to record light changed with very long exposures (reciprocity failure) - it would impact the rendering of colour also (although in this situation, that's less of an issue). In addition, you'd sometimes only found you stuffed up after your film was processed.

The inverse law associated with these types of exposures give you really good control however, to run into a shot and spend lots of time fanning the various areas of the shot - minutes at a time - the effect is really amazing tonal gradation from light to dark.

Very nice work.
posted by a non e mouse at 8:59 PM on November 4, 2013

See also: Troy Paiva.
posted by Lazlo Nibble at 9:36 PM on November 4, 2013