Night Hero
Creating a Night Hero Part 2
Welcome to this week's edition of The Carty Method Magazine!
In our latest photo assignment, we challenged photographers to create a Hero image at Night within their niche.
This assignment required photographers to shoot a horizontal hero shot at Night.
Excited to see some stellar hero shots from this week's Photo of the Week winners?
Let’s dive in!
Assignment Brief
CARTY gives a tight brief at the end of his photo review shows which tells us shooters what we have to shoot exactly for the following weeks review.
Here is this assignment exactly how he shares it.
“This weeks Assignment: Create a Night Photography Hero Image.”
"Make a striking image in low-light conditions, whether it’s a portrait, a place, or a product.
Portrait shooters can use artificial light to create a dynamic nighttime scene,
Places shooters can photograph the beauty of a city or landscape at night,
Things shooters can highlight a product illuminated in a dramatic way."
This is a Horizontal assignment.
Mats Karlsson
What inspired the concept behind your Night Hero image? Did you draw from any specific memories, stories, or influences while creating it?
I wanted to create a close portrait scene and showing a bit of the surroundings in the dark.
I just wanted to create a cozy winter-like feeling.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while shooting in low light for this assignment, and how did you overcome it?
The street lights helped me to show the background and also to give a contrast to the subject.
The challenge was to get the balance right between the light on the subject and the light in the darker surroundings.
I was a mixed light situation to handle.
How did you decide on the lighting setup or composition for your shot? Were there any unexpected discoveries during the process?
We were moving around, trying different places, so I wanted to keep things kind of light, so I brought a portable flash with a small soft box on a stand to light the subject.
Had to get it pretty close with the flash to get enough light as it is not that strong.
As usual trial and error is my way of getting the result I want, until I get more experience.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from this assignment that you’ll carry into future low-light photography projects?
Every shoot gets you more experience.
On this shoot I gained more experience with handling street light that was yellow, handling the flash on a stand on a windy night and I also tried different settings on the camera and flash to get the photo.
If you were to create another Night Hero image, how would you approach it differently next time? Are there techniques or ideas you didn’t get to explore this time around?
I would try even more settings, like longer exposure and lower ISO.
I shot with ISO 1600 if I recall right, which the camera (Canon R6) can handle pretty good.
But I would like to try longer exposures on a less windy night.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: matskarlssonphotography
Substack: Mats Karlsson
Website: Mats Karlsson Photography
Marco Novaes
What inspired the concept behind your Night Hero image? Did you draw from any specific memories, stories, or influences while creating it?
This image is the result of two elements coming together: the challenge of creating a technically well-executed night shot and a touch of 'courage'.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while shooting in low light for this assignment, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest technical challenge was finding a lighting setup that complemented the natural light of the location, rather than competing with it.
I believe I was able to achieve this by experimenting with different options and fine-tuning the adjustments.
How did you decide on the lighting setup or composition for your shot? Were there any unexpected discoveries during the process?
The main reason I chose a setup with just a speedlite and an octabox was its portability.
Since I was in 'street photography' mode, I needed to stay agile and lightweight.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from this assignment that you’ll carry into future low-light photography projects?
The biggest technical challenge was finding a lighting setup that complemented the natural light of the location, rather than competing with it.
I believe I was able to achieve this by experimenting with different options and fine-tuning the adjustments.
If you were to create another Night Hero image, how would you approach it differently next time? Are there techniques or ideas you didn’t get to explore this time around?
Portrait photography at night and outdoors is both challenging and rewarding.
It requires practice, careful planning, and ideally, at least one assistant.
Managing all the details on my own can be overwhelming at times, and I know I still have a lot to learn in these situations.
But it’s definitely a challenge I’m excited to tackle.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: clicksbymarco
Website: marconavaes.ca
Jennifer Grace
What inspired the concept behind your Night Hero image? Did you draw from any specific memories, stories, or influences while creating it?
I've been wanting to shoot in this location for a long time and since it's the holidays and there's a tree there, I thought it was good timing.
I decided it would be great to include the holiday Starbucks cup to try my hand out at some commercial photography.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while shooting in low light for this assignment, and how did you overcome it?
Getting the city to show up in the background, getting my light just right so it matched the entire scene and didn't look overdone.
How did you decide on the lighting setup or composition for your shot? Were there any unexpected discoveries during the process?
I decided to bring a 36 inch softbox and one light setup since I was walking.
I figured the 36 inch would give me choices as far as headshot or full body.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from this assignment that you’ll carry into future low-light photography projects?
Take extra time to carry the equipment you need.
Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.
If you were to create another Night Hero image, how would you approach it differently next time? Are there techniques or ideas you didn’t get to explore this time around?
I would turn off my modeling light to prevent the small bit of ghosting I got and I will increase my light power and decrease my ISO.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: jengracephotos
Website: jengracephotography.com
Ian Martin
What inspired the concept behind your Night Hero image? Did you draw from any specific memories, stories, or influences while creating it?
This ended up being a spur-of-the-moment image.
I set out with a different concept in mind and as I was testing locations I noticed the flight path and tried to lean into it.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while shooting in low light for this assignment, and how did you overcome it?
Surprisingly, finding a location without street lights! I wanted buildings in the background and finding a location with low enough ambient light for the shutter speed required was challenging.
How did you decide on the lighting setup or composition for your shot? Were there any unexpected discoveries during the process?
I used constant lighting and a long shutter speed for this composition.
Within 60 seconds I used a light bar to selectively highlight portions of the car while preventing stray light entering the lens.
My goal was to avoid composites and create the effect with a single exposure.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from this assignment that you’ll carry into future low-light photography projects?
You have to move fast for this lighting method!
Even with a long shutter speed its easy to get dark spots from your legs/feet.
If you were to create another Night Hero image, how would you approach it differently next time? Are there techniques or ideas you didn’t get to explore this time around?
For the next Night Hero image I'll focus on incorporating a city skyline into the composition.
Otherwise, I might try light painting with a drone to create a "halo" effect over the vehicle.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: ianmartin.photos
Website: ianmartin.photos
Khaligraphy
What was the biggest challenge you faced while shooting in low light for this assignment, and how did you overcome it?
I find shooting in low light scenarios easy.
It's no different than working in a studio setting.
The challenge was keeping warm enough to enjoy the session.
How did you decide on the lighting setup or composition for your shot? Were there any unexpected discoveries during the process?
We have various light displays installed throughout the city, and I want to attempt to implement them into the session.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from this assignment that you’ll carry into future low-light photography projects?
A previous lesson I can pass on is to never forget your tripod if you're shooting in a low light scenario.
If you were to create another Night Hero image, how would you approach it differently next time? Are there techniques or ideas you didn’t get to explore this time around?
Always have an idea of what you're attempting to convey and sharing that idea with your subjects and team.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: khaligraphy
Website: khaligraphy.art
Best In Show
Mike Lilly
What inspired the concept behind your Night Hero image? Did you draw from any specific memories, stories, or influences while creating it?
Personally, I really love shooting at night.
My inspiration for this shot was the scene itself, trying to capture all of the elements that I could see & feel being there, translating that into a single 2-dimensional image.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while shooting in low light for this assignment, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge in this case was the size of the sensor and it's ability to capture light.
Since I have a fixed aperture, I needed to slow my shutter & raise ISO to accommodate.
How did you decide on the lighting setup or composition for your shot? Were there any unexpected discoveries during the process?
All light is existing/ambient. compositionally I wanted to create a photo showcasing this beautiful building from a truly unique perspective.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned from this assignment that you’ll carry into future low-light photography projects?
That night hero photography is very useful in my chosen niche, and to really get it right.. one needs to slow down.
Look, listen & FEEL the shot.
If you were to create another Night Hero image, how would you approach it differently next time? Are there techniques or ideas you didn’t get to explore this time around?
I try to approach EVERY shot individually, I like to vary the use of both flying cameras & their land-based counterparts.
So, next time, maybe I'll use the land-camera & a tripod..maybe not.
The "shot" usually tells me.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram: mike_lilly_photo
Website: Clipthesky.com
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Carty is a Pro Photographer, Director, and Educator based in Toronto, CA.
His goal is to educate and connect a global network of visual creators.
👉🏾 Mindset Shifts and Immersive Pro Education on YouTube 👈🏾
Learn more about him and see his work at 👉🏾 SteveCarty.com
Join his photographer’s community 👉🏾 TheCartyMethod.com/community
Work with Him 👉🏾 theCartyMethod.com
The Carty Method Instagram @TheCartyMethod