All glory comes from daring to begin – Eugene F. Ware, American soldier There’s no better time for moonlight photography than when you are on holiday with a large territory you are free to wander over. Here’s a memorable evening at summer’s end with a cool southwester still about, as indicated in this well-clad group […]

Twilight has one simple and obvious advantage over night photography: you can see what you are doing. You can focus by eye or auto, and compose quickly. You have a wider range of exposure choices, to allow or prevent movement showing, for example, without the sacrifice in aperture selection that workable shutter times need at […]

Despite this corner being at evening’s end Gerry and I were happy for the uphill slog that began here, under a moonless, starry sky. By text message we had heard of the huge earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and remote though Te Hapu station (www.tehapu.co.nz) may be at the top left corner of the South […]

We waved the torch over nearby palms on our way back from Gilbert’s Beach, at Te Hapu (www.tehapu.co.nz), a remote cattle station in Golden Bay. On a wide angle lens it is easier to stop the stars, which were more visible with the moon being blotted out by a cloudbank. Having selected Direct sunlight light […]

The vacated frame and its variables: ghosting by pure moonlight

Further along the road less travelled; sometimes your first shot is the best one, sometimes your only one.

Warm colours from a sinking moon, plus colour contrast – but where’s the beef?

Palms, balm and moonlit calm; the issue of personal safety and the usefulness of a lighting assistant

Vertical grace and green against a starry sky; the search for critical focus

Streaks of unexpected colour on a moonless night; “It must be film!”

Simplicity and multiplicity; vertical frame with a wide angle

Simple imagery; it pays to look around the back

A seasonal opportunity by the full moon; adjusting computer screens and camera playback viewers

Close-ups by the hour at home; vertical frames and wan moonlight

Garden flowers in full spectrum colour at maximum aperture; torch-aided focus.

Fun with a torch in motion; colour temperature, cloudy skies, late moons

An orchard close-up and work for saints; slow film, depth of field and colour shifts

Strong contrasts in form and colour; perspective, light balancing and the winter moon

A cabbage tree lit up from an unlikely source; star movement, lens choice, colour casts

Striking blue moonlight under a black sky; f16 and depth of field

High contrast land, sea and sky; late moons, weariness and night safety

Blowing in the wind on a sandy shore; the perils of calendar picture selection

Time on the trot, subtle surf and a shadow; the frustrations of focus

Colourful star trails and a meteorite on film; digital disadvantages with extended exposures

At close range at night with medium format; a monochrome study in tints