Large Format Night Photography 

For me, the donut shop image is of a time and place. Look at the phone booth and the ice machine framing it all. The real test of the exposure is the full range of tonality in that trash can on the right. Very nice. Lots of challenges but it turned out in the end. One tip on shooting at night is to get a red LED rear bike light that has a flashing mode. They attach easily to one tripod leg without getting in the way and may keep you from getting yourself run over because people are too busy on their phones to be paying attention to where you are in relation to where they think they ought to be driving.

This is what I like the most in film photography, you are ready to spend two hours in the middle of the night just to take a picture🔥

A black cardboard disc to hold in front of the lens when the cars pass, and a stopwatch that you can stop timing when you hold the disc in front of the lens.

Nothing hits quite like a fresh made donut and hot chocolate from Donut Dip at 3AM. One of the few things I miss from out there.

This works perfect at 1.5x. And we don't respond because we don't watch shorts and aren't on instagram. But keep what you are doing, because you are the best film channel on RU-vid.

I think the BW was a great choice and took this beyond what could be considered ‘cliche’ . I enjoyed your process. A lot of those thoughts and ‘annoyances’ I’ve experienced while shooting some of my night work back in 2017

6/4/23 My curiosity got me about shooting a 4 x 5 View camera at night. When I was in the Navy going to Navy Photo A School or first camera was a 4x5 Graphic Press camera with about a 30lb wooden tripod that I used to take some nighttime lite power plant photos at night like you the exposers were long, but the meter spot readings were bases for my exposed, I also did a few longer than due to reciprocity of the BW sheet film. The negative looked great and like you stated just having the larger negative 4 x 5 size was way ahead of any 135 negatives in comparison, towards the end of the training we switched to a Canon EM-1 which had more automation built-in. Like you I used 135 and med formats depending on my needs, My favorite for 35m m was the Konica Auto reflex T series and the Mamiya original 645, the twin lenses were Mamiya 330 and the Yashica Mat 124G

I really admire you dedication. I have to up my game. I hope Nick is watching!

Fantastic image of a very 'photographic' building.

Wow at 13'20" or so the Bloom's wall of adds: I can see the old Eumig building from my house! Eumig, rest in peace!

Dig that “Photo” building at the end.

Really appreciate your style and presentation of your photographic experiences and technical knowledge. Looking forward to watching all your videos. Best of luck.

The thumbnail image for this video stopped me in my tracks, not only because I have an affinity for neon and the vibes of Americana evoked by diner architecture of this era (which I associate, rightly or wrongly, with a kinder and gentler time), but also because I almost immediately realized this type of urban scene is not what I've typically seen you photograph. You've a keen eye for composition in any case, and I appreciate seeing it turned toward the architecture of a city, even with all the uncomfortable stares that can accompany that when photographing with unavoidably conspicuous gear, which no doubt adds to the process a layer of complexity and self-awareness as opposed to shooting in the quiet solemnity of a field. And while I rarely comment on videos, since I'm doing so, I want to express that one of the things I appreciate about your channel is that you've got talent tempered by humility.

B&W works well with the night locations. Makes me want to go out and shoot at night again Make a west coast trip soon

The Donut Dip BW is awsome... GR8. 😉

Nice work, as usual. I love shooting urban nightscapes so it was cool to see you return to this.

Great video Robbie, one of your best yet and certainly my favourite so far.

Great shots. Love the photog bldg That is so special. Stay safe..

Can’t wait to see how that shot turned out in color! I used to be a strict “color only” shooter for reasons I don’t even remember at this point. But your videos brought me back to my love of black and white photography

Excellent Photography first of all ... and super video. Congrats

Beautiful work! And it’s great how honest you are about the struggle of composing at night on 4x5, it’s what we all go through.

Love the print! Best donuts in Massachusetts, IMO. That whole Springfield/Holyoke area can be a little dicey, like most cities though, don't go down a strange alley looking for crack and you probably won't get stabbed. Probably, lol.

Donut dip! What a great video!

Always inspiring to watch your videos - just what I needed to start off the weekend 🙂

Getting your Nick Carver on! Great stuff Robbie

I enjoy the video as always. All of the images turned out great.

Very nice photos and video content, Robbie. I do like your creativity content, and I am very inspired to go out and shoot some film every time I watch your channel.

In your video, I love all of your images. The last one in particular is a great city scene at night! Thank you so much for sharing!

Such an amazing exposure of the donut shop. Pretty amazing how well exposed the highlights and shadows are

I'm glad to finally have an episode to match the lovely photo of a donut shop we got from the Patreon! I did some night shooting over the summer when visiting family but I haven't done anything recently. Probably should rectify that sometime

Love it even learned a new word ! Noctivagant as in Nocturnal nice... images are banging brother.

Superb image !!!

Awesome video as usual Robbie. I loved the shot of the photo ads! Really cool scene

My favorite RU-vidr hands down! I sincerely enjoy your in depth arsenal of such cool gear and am always excited to see what camera and film you’re using as of late. Most recently I’ve been shooting a lot of expired 220 film because your video from a little while ago gave me inspiration. Keep up the stellar work and great editing!

I do dig your process of doing night pics ... I am always overwhelmed by night shots!!!

Beautiful shot!! Love this!!

A way to focus on the wall of the photo supply shop is to put a LED flashlight (or two) in the image. Once the focus is right, you take it away and take your shot.

Nice work Robbie. Try doing as N.Caver, construction helmet and Yellow vest. KB

Love all those shots and your channel!

Very cool photos, man, really enjoy your style!

This night foto-walk made me so inspired! Will try to take my Yashica 124 and try some noctivagant:)

Nice shot like always buddy love your videos That's is a Banger 💪

4x5 at night, I never tried that! Great photos. Greetings from Germany!

Very good Video! I like your nightshots! Please continue! Greetings from Hamburg, Germany! 😀👍

Great video, great photos too! 🙂

Great video as always, loved the look of the buildings at night in black & white!

Nice work.

14:46 digging this shot, love the good ol' light streak coming down the street and the F32 stars 🙂

Great video, Robbie! Would love to have that photo! Have a nice day!

Nice one! And I disagree that the composition could be better in the ads building shot. I think you pretty much aced it. As you did with the donut dip shot. 👌

Great video. Count me in!

Awesome shot!💯

Hey Robbie, enjoyed this one. Thanks 😊 G

Great shots ,love the old buildings too ,don't get nothing like that by us ,looking forward to seeing the other photos x

Thanks for this video. You inspired me to take out my 4x5 at night. Hope you don’t mind sending that image to Canada, I have a spot on my wall all ready!

Man these turned out nice!

I've always wanted to shoot that neon sign of the donut dip. You captured it so well - wow!

I would love to win this beautiful picture 😍

Thanks for a great video. I really like the photos you showed and enjoyed you talking about the thoughts and process taking them. It inspired me to take black and white city images at night apart from the once in color I have done before.

The shot of the ads and building is great. I liked it the most of all of them. You really make me want to wade into 4x5. Been shooting film since mid 90s, medium format since 99 with a small break...

Looks good, have to try it sometime in the spring. It's to cold now. 😆

a great picture

Love the shot, I want it!

Great as always bud.

Awesome, would love to see more of night large format photography!!

Great video as always 👍

love that video! i will try now also togo out and do nightshots with my 4x5. thx for inspiring

Considering all the things you said that were going wrong, the photos are great. Night photos on film are great. I’ve been keeping my eye out here for an interesting night scene.

Nice job on the photo. I have had the same thing happen - car drive right in my frame. I just left a comment and it disappeared so leaving another. Thank you

Nice video. I like that you go out of your comfort zone. I most likes the last one. But it can be nice to get the first as a print😊 or the last...

As always, awesome video. I get used to your Oxbow Archive Revisited vids, and then you pull urban photography at night out of the bag. Keeping us on our toes.

Nice photos. I am thinking that on the Smith’s photo, some front rise would have removed some of the street while showing more or the buildings.

Another nice video, Robbie. Your night photography turned out pretty darn good, something I really suck at.👍👍

Always love your work Robbie, hope I win the photo I love that shot of the donut shop. Blessings. If you are ever in the Cincinnati hit me up

Great video man!

Donut dip 🙏🏼

Love Nick Carver's work and his channel, but nobody can convince me that there is a more difficult place to shoot this type of subject matter, in terms of traffic, congestion, angles, lack of space, and parked vehicles, than the northeastern U.S. I know where I am, closer to NYC, many interesting signs and storefronts would require standing DIRECTLY in the middle of an intersection that is crazy busy, from 5am to midnight.........6 days a week...........and, I have noticed that many businesses with neon lights, turn their lights off after around 9pm..........if the lights are even working at all. Adding to all that, often, you can't really park (legally) nearby the location, so it often requires hauling camera and tripod 5 or 10 blocks. Fun times.

The sun stars you got on the image of the mural were also pretty wild. its not an effect I see too often! I like what they add to the shot.

Love the night photography and your bravery to take on the world spinning around you. I have some Cinestill 800T I just can't wait to try at night somewhere here in Atlanta area. Have been super psyched to use some vintage Fuji digital cameras I have acquired, doing some test shots with those, and then using my Pentax ME I inherited from my Aunt to not waste any of the expensive film hopefully. I learned and subscribed to your channel based on your review of the Pentax ME which I have watched several times !😁

Good lord, I'll give you a free haircut for that print.

Been by there and had many a fried food in that Hooters!

Dude I gotta shoot that wall next time I’m down there. That’s amazing. 🤙

Nice one mate :)

Great shots, I also would like to try out night photography on black and white eventually. Also very curious about that half frame accessory!

Robbie scampers around Springfield at night avoiding big trucks and the people in the shadows holding knives, and manages not to get hit by any of the many angry drivers out on the street. Top it all off scores about a half dozen bangers worth framing to boot. All on a 4x5 camera... did I mention he does this at night. Yup, that's some serious gunslinger shooting.

I was gonna ask if you had any issues focusing in the dark, but you answered it. I tried doing astro stuff on LF and that was pretty crazy. Dig the shots, man. That mural is really cool

Nice photos! Fun project! I'm curious to see how your half frame photo comes out, I've tried a couple of half frame shots with my Intrepid and used either max rise or fall to try to get the image circle somewhat centered. My 90mm has a little distortion in the corners so that takes care of that. I do like the 2x5 inch format for panos.

nice

Well.. I donut know what other option I've got than to try out some 4x5 night photography here soon, because these results are awesome.

I have recently started shooting 4x5 and have made quite a few videos. I have deleted most of them because I later realised that they sucked. :)

I'm professionally trained in photography and do RU-vid videos on the topic. Unfortunately I don't have the time I want to do RU-vid videos.

I would love one of your prints please .... great video as usual @timdobbsphoto

I'm glad you didn't get stabbed man. What we do for the art eh?

hey, I'm a random commenter!

Great Episode! how did you measure for exposure so precise?

I want the photo!

Looks like your video shows some homeless guy on the sidewalk around the corner from where you wanted to shoot that overpass in Springfield. I'd have been more worried about being bothered by that guy (and their friends) if you had set up there to shoot the underpass.

Comentario Random aqui :D

Are you and @grainyday brothers ?

Are you from MA ?