Mastering Fine Art and Night Photography: From Street Scenes to Large-Format Prints
Albert Bridge at Night, London - Black & White Photo by Andrew Prokos is a black and white photo of the lights of the Victorian-era Albert Bridge in London reflected in the waters of the Thames River at night. Limited edition fine art prints are available up to 80 inches in width. Andrew utilizes the latest cameras to capture multiple high-definition images, which are seamlessly merged to produce fine art prints with an unparalleled level definition, sharpness and tonality even at the largest sizes.
The Craft of Large-Format Fine Art Photography
Andrew captures his high-definition fine art images using the latest 100mp medium-format cameras. This allows him to capture an astonishing level of detail in the prints he produces for collectors around the world. Each limited edition print is signed and numbered and is sold with a Certificate of Authenticity (“COA”). The COA states the date of creation, edition number, and other relevant information about the artwork. We use archival materials to create prints with superior tonality and longevity.
Available Print Specifications:
| Photo ID | Print Sizes (Inches) | Edition Type |
|---|---|---|
| BWUKLNDALBRNT-9660 | 27x30, 36x40, 45x50, 54x60, 65x72, 72x80 | Limited edition print |
Tips for Shooting Street Photography with B&W Film
Searching for texture in black and white is, I think, key to getting a great picture. Finding angles, leading lines, and people deep in thought is a favorite pastime. Looking for a sense of scale in a scene can also really add a wow factor to your images especially in black and white.
- Capturing Reflections: Looking into glass can produce some lovely alternative takes and reflections – almost like double exposures.
- Finding Texture: Searching for texture in black and white is key to getting a great picture.
- Sense of Scale: The incredible office buildings tower over the space and make the people become silhouettes.
I’d also say that if you’re not happy with a scan from the lab, there’s nothing wrong with bringing back some of the highlights in Photoshop or re-scanning it yourself. There’s usually more detail than you think, and picking out specific details really helps to make the image better.
The Logistics of Shooting Night Photography on Film
Night photography is a fairly slow and laborious process. Film definitely pushes you to pre-visualize and to slow down even more. You’ll think about every decision before clicking the shutter. There’s a series of benefits to photographing night with film: the exciting uncertainty of shooting on analog can push you to pre-visualize, challenge yourself and add a dash of nostalgia to your photographic experience.
Overcoming Reciprocity Failure
The main logistical obstacle is reciprocity failure. The ISO of film is less pliable than a digital sensor. Film is optimized for the ISO it is rated for and can suffer from reciprocity failure during long exposures at very low light levels. A film’s emulsion is made up of a layer of silver halide chemicals that “react” to light. The longer an exposure, the less sensitive the film’s silver halide layer becomes to light.
Development and Contrast Control
Another issue is controlling the highlights of night images on film. Because we are inherently overexposing most scenes to get more detail in the dark shadows, we need to be careful not to blow out our highlights. The old adage of exposing for the shadows and developing for the highlights is the key to success. In moonlight, the best technique is to reduce the development time by about 10 percent.