How To Photograph Low Light Urban Landscapes
-
Loading... - Jennifer Wood
- 24 Feb 2022
- 675 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Mike Will is most definitely nocturnal and seems to find his creativity when the sun goes down. So when the majority of us have the urge to hibernate and settle in for the evening Mike is doing the exact opposite and will be getting ready to go out into the urban landscape and hit the streets with his camera. ‘I love the process of shooting, of getting out and exploring,’ he says.
Mike is a renowned photographer in the industry, and has been a Sony European Imaging Ambassador since 2018. Although Mike started his photography journey as a hobby, his images soon got noticed on social media and his profession took hold. ‘I started taking images in 2016 and was instantly drawn to shooting at night. I just kind of found it really exciting to bring a city to life.’ he explains.
‘People walk around the city at night and especially in the winter, it can feel very dark, but there’s this kind of electric vibrant feel that I want to capture when the light drops.’ As well as shooting urban city scenes Mike has also travelled the globe, touring with DJs and shooting music festivals. ‘I love music festivals and the buzz of being on stage with an artist is just amazing. When you’re on tour with them the whole environment is pretty inspiring.’
Previously and during the earlier days of his photography career Mike was also a professional ice hockey player and even represented Team GB in ice hockey at the World Championships. Although he loved playing ice hockey it was the coronavirus pandemic that finally cemented his decision to just focus on photography. ‘Due to Covid, the ice hockey season was sadly cancelled. I had everything set up for my photography career so I decided to make the full-time switch then,’ he explains.
The power of social media
To get noticed in the industry and to continue to showcase what he is doing now Mike uses a range of social media channels to his advantage. He has a large and loyal following and for good reason – Mike’s persona is as much a part of his business as his photography with exciting and enticing video content that he presents, whether that be showing how he took a shot, approached a scene, or unveiling new kit. His social media channels are packed full of tips and tricks and worth exploring for any photographer interested in low-light photography.
When questioned about how he began his career he says that he started out by posting on Instagram, and from there his following grew. ‘The social media platform gave me a place to showcase my work, and then I got noticed by major brands and my career took off.’ Mike makes it sound effortlessly simple, however it’s obvious that he has got to where he is through hard work and talent. ‘I’m driven and I love what I do,’ he confirms. ‘Therefore I’m happy to put the time in.’
Look out
When it comes to taking images on the streets and looking for the perfect subject Mike is always on the hunt for strong compositions and something of interest. ‘Symmetry,’ he says. ‘I’m very drawn to symmetry, and I always look for leading lines.’ Mike shoots the majority of his images in a portrait composition and has a great eye for placing elements in the scene to draw the eye through.
As for his favourite time of day to shoot, Mike likes to start at sunset and then go into the night. ‘At sunset I want to capture that nice burn in the sky, then from there it moves into the blue hour and then obviously into the night.’ Mike is also a fan of taking images in foggy conditions. ‘You can get these epic fog conditions if the street lights are on,’ he says. ‘I’d say go out about an hour or 45 minutes before the sunrise and it’s just the most crazy, and incredible lightning with the fog around – it just looks epic.’
Figure it out
To engage with his audience and to add something extra to his images Mike often includes a figure in the scene. ‘It helps with the scale,’ he says. ‘And it makes the image relatable as well. If the person is in the right position with a wideangle lens, you can also make the scale of the scene seem more dramatic,’ he explains.
Often the figure in the setting will be Mike himself dressed in distinctive urban clothing that matches the setting. It is no coincidence that the elements in the scene blend together perfectly to create Mike’s vision of how he wants to see and explore the city environment.
Mike will also often capture stillness and movement in one shot. For example the figure in the scene will be still but movement from a bus, a car driving past or from an additional light source will add some colourful movement. When asked how he achieves the two effects together Mike replies, ‘I try to do them in one shot, and if I have the patience, I will!’ Mike advises that the person in the scene may need to stay still for one or two seconds. Of course though, as many photographers will know, the perfect conditions can’t always be achieved in one shot and when this is the case Mike blends multiple images together using Photoshop. Read More…
