Night photographers; need help

[Karl Johnston]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/3237379962_162da5a84b.jpg?v=0
http://flickr.com/photos/karljohnston/show/with/3237379962/(bigger res)

Above is my attempt at making foregrounds more interesting and lit up, but it's a difficult subject to master.

I need more exciting foregrounds, this is done with an external flash positioned about 30 degrees to the left of the image.

What're some good ideas that night fotographers use for creating images where the foregrounds are naturally well lit, but don't look artifical?

[kenny44]

you could try "painting with light" - get a torch and shine it over the foreground during a long exposure (10 seconds+). the light should be less harsh compared to a flash.

this also gives you somewhat more control over what parts of the foreground to light up, creating a more even spread of light.

might take a bit of practice, but you can get some great results.

BTW, where was this photo taken? Do you simply walk out of your front door to be greeted by this amazing scene?

[Karl Johnston]

this photo was taken at 4mile lake, northern alberta. It's actually 6 miles long, and i'm about 6kms from the nearest town. Walked about 30 kms in 4 feet deep of snow to get it ;) below me is a lake about 2 feet deep in the summer.

I'm going to take your word for it, I have a biiig industrial 10 000 candle power flashlight I'm making some homemade diffusers and honeycombs, hope to get some gels at the store later on too.

Cheers for the tip

[kenny44]

good luck! do a bit of Google searching if you want some more ideas/techniques for this - i've come across a few articles that go into detail about how it's done

[dgpilot]

Very beautiful :)