Downtown L.A.
Dec, 2014Views
307
Likes
Awards
Top Choice
Jaw Dropping
Superb Composition
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 2Top 30 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 20 rank week 3Top 20 rank week 2
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This mysterious photo brings back very happy memories. I vividly remember taking the photo on a beautiful evening in downtown Los Angeles. I was visiting the City of Angels by invitation of the luxury fashion brand Ralph Lauren after I had won a photo contest organized by them and they offered me the unique opportunity to be portrayed by the wonderful LA-based visual artist Alexa Meade. As a self-taught Dutch photographer who only started taking pictures one year ago, winning such an international contest and having the chance to meet a top-level creative artist who told me she had been inspired by my work was a very special honour for me. It inspired me tremendously and convinced me to take my photography skills to another, higher level. So, during my winner's trip in LA I made sure to take a lot of pictures including this one.Time
The photo was taken in the evening around 8.30 PM on December 10, 2014. I walked out of a hotel on a quiet South Grand Avenue. It had been quite warm during the daytime but in the evening the city cooled off with a mild, refreshing breeze in the air.Lighting
For me as a photographer, the night is my best friend. I love the way cities come alive at night when bright lights manage to transform dull daytime places into sparkling, intriguing pictures, such as this L.A. hotel garage alleyway. The beautiful contrasts between dark and light in this picture are created by the natural night sky, the lights from the hotel building and the bright light at the end of the tunnel coming from the hotel garage.Equipment
This photo was shot on a Sony A5000 mirrorless camera with a 16-50mm lens, without flash light. I did not use any other equipment.Inspiration
This photo was a 'lucky shot' taken spontaneously. On a dark evening, this bright light coming out of an alleyway from my left caught me by surprise. As I looked closer, I saw a man coming out of the garage. Looking back at the picture, I saw how the dark-light contrasts, the road to the garage running downhill, and the man's silhouette altogether had managed to create depth and suspense in the picture.Editing
Luckily, the photo did not require any post-processing.In my camera bag
As an emerging photographer, I happily take on the challenge 'out of necessity' to make beautiful pictures with a low budget. I keep it very simple and light only carrying my Sony A5000 camera, a spare battery, and an antistatic camera lens cleaning cloth. Occasionally, I take my tripod with me when I have a specific idea and location in mind, such as a series of panorama pictures at the beach I did recently. So, less is more for now and I have managed to do surprisingly well with this approach so far.Feedback
Los Angeles is a treasure trove to urban night photographers. It is typically a place where things come alive at night when the glow of the night sky and bright city lights come together and create a spectacularly stunning cityscape. While some photographers only shoot by day because of the natural light, I can highly recommend them to go out at night. Walking around in any city there are ample opportunities for some amazing shots if you are prepared to be surprised by the reflection of city lights creating a fantastic play of colors. You don't need any special gear, camera setting or composition; just look around and always remember to be curious. For me, this simple picture proves that beautiful things can be around the corner when you expect them least.
