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Study in Light
Capturing artificial illumination

Most of the photos in this study were taken over a week in February 2001, in an attempt to refine my long-term exposure capturing techniques.

Initially thinking I'd merely be improving my photographic technique (and possibly my ability to stay awake until 07 am a few nights in a row), I ended up gaining a new philosophical vantage point as well (see image 'Tuomiokirkko Church II').

I hope you will enjoy this study in artificial light. I've tried to keep the subject matters diverse, and as always, you can get a larger version of any image by clicking on its thumbnail.


Cart
People who distribute free mail (typically junk mail) to apartment houses in Helsinki, Finland use carts of this kind. Parked outside a building entrance, the cart provided an interesting motif for an exposure.


Futurism
The illumination inside this pedestrian tunnel augmented its futuristic look.


Mobile welding
The blue arc light generated by a moving tram, as its power system gets in contact with the ice coating of the cables above, is well captured by this 6-second exposure.


Töölölahti Bay
Zooming in on one of the features at Töölölahti Bay, the Villa Kivi house of fine arts. The Töölölahti Bay (Tölöviken) is relatively central in Helsinki. Illuminated on all sides, its artificial lights give the lake . . More..


Two candles
Two candles set the ambiance at this family gathering. The underexposure enhanced the mood.


Kitchen lights
A selection of household items, bonded by illumination.


Cold shoulder
Cars passing by the edge of a bridge added colour to an otherwise fairly mundane motif.


Harbour dawn I
A sea harbour in the centre of Helsinki, just outside the presidential palace. The relatively tight composition augmented the overall view, in terms of the artificial illumination.


Tuomiokirkko (Domkyrkan) Church I
The central Tuomikirkko (Domkyrkan) church of Helsinki was originally finished in 1852 under Russian tzar Nicholas I. The church is fairly commonly seen on postcards, but this perspective of strong symmetry is a bit more unusual. The chief architect was t . . More..


Suspended
Suspended in a no-man's land between the outside and inside environment, this path of lights illuminates the rear entrance of the Opera House in Helsinki.


The Heureka Science Centre
The dome-shaped Verne theatre of the Heureka Science Centre in Vantaa, Finland, is one of the building's main characteristic features.


Street rails
Placing the camera right above a central tram rail achieved an interesting symmetry between the two sides of the street.


The park bench
An empty park bench by the shore of the Töölölahti Bay. The leftover bottle serves as evidence of an earlier weekend celebration.


Metal motion
A passing train leaves but a bright streak on this 3-second exposure of a railroad.


Suburban rattlesnake
A gas pump at a local gas station provided an interesting urban jungle motif.


Distribution
The beams of an old wooden house cast an interesting dispersing shadow pattern.


Villa in Vantaa
In the light of a lantern, the surrounding snow plateaus and bushes cast a strong pattern of shadows.


Study in shading
The ability to interpret topography through shading is an innate ability of the human brain. In the light of this lamp, the gradation conveys a strong sense of the microtopography.


Modern mosaic
This modern mosaic was found at Keflavik airport, Iceland.


Elevations of ice
The snow-covered platforms, together with the buildings lining the street, give this scene of a Helsinki harbour a strong sense of perspective and depth. Two ice breakers operating in the Baltic sea can be seen in the distance.


Dungeon
This gloomy image is of the entrance to Punttis, a 24h gym near the centre of Helsinki. Housed in a civilian population shelter used during World War 2, the twisting passage carved into rock leads into a bunker-like complex.


Morning blues
06 am one cold winter morning, while the mercury obstinately remained below -20 C, the artificial light blending with the early faint light of dawn, provided for crisp pictures with a pleasing palette. On a personal note, I nearly got into a serious accid . . More..


Harbour dawn II
Closeup of a ship in the harbour.


Tuomiokirkko (Domkyrkan) Church II
Early morning light, combined with the surrounding spotlights, bathe this scene of the Tuomiokirkko Church in a bright cyan hue. While I was photographing the large central Tuomikirkko (Domkyrkan) Church in a mostly deserted Helsinki at 05 am, I suddenly . . More..


Obscured
The thick fog strongly affects the character of the illumination of the adjacent floodlights, at the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki.


Skyline
The lights of the skyline at Helsinki's central Töölöölahti Bay (Tölöviken) are pronounced in this 10 second exposure. Note the soft gradations of colour in the bands of low clouds, reflecting the city lights.


Lantern
A more experimental angle on modern city architecture.


Finlandia Hall
The Finlandia concert hall (Finlandiatalo) in Helsinki, Finland, photographed from a classic angle.


Path of perspective
A wooden guardrail covered by frost glimmers under the street lamps.


Playing dare with dinosaurs
Mr Erkki Kurenniemi, one of the Heureka Science Centre's special researchers, proves to be too much of a mouthful for one of the centre's oldest inhabitants. Note the atypical lense flare reflection caused by the strong overhead spotlights.


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