How to make a boring lamp post an interesting subject?
Here is a photograph from my night shots collection. I like it a lot because it has a totally boring subject: a lamp post… but the fact that it was taken at night with a long exposure makes it totally cool.
Imagine the same shot during the day: We would have a lonely lamp post under blue sky or if we are lucky, some crazy clouds. But, when you take the time to head out at night (when the sky is clear so that the stars can be seen), the story becomes completely different. Of course, you need the patience to wait around for 15 or more minutes to take the shot and if you have a camera like mine (I have a Canon 40D), wait as long for the camera to process the photo and become usable again! But, I think it is so worth it and I get totally excited when I come back from my night photography experiences because I usually have some unique shots.
Spinning stars, Trehet, France
To get this effect, I opened the shutter for about 17 minutes and left my camera on the floor under the lamp post. I love the results. 🙂