Nightscapes
Aaron Ploog takes the original definition of photography, “drawing with light,” literally. The self-styled noctographer shoots after dark, using hand-held flashguns, strobe lights and other accents to augment the moon and starlight in his long-exposure West River scenes. The effects created by his technique, called light painting, can be subtle or dramatic, but there’s no digital trickery involved. See more at facebook.com/awakeatnightphoto.
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Ploog used a 7.5 hour exposure, his longest thus far, for this photo of an old Black HIlls cabin. An 8 second break was needed to change the camera battery. Red lighting was applied by hand to the exterior and yellow lighting to the interior. -
This rusty International was found hiding in the tall grasses just east of Spearfish. "On this nearly full moon night, I refrained from using any funky colored accent lighting this time, just the natural beauty of moonlight and stars," Ploog says. -
A leaning house west of Belle Fourche. -
"Old farm houses are perhaps my favorite subject to bring to life," says Ploog. "In this case I flashed the interior with yellow strobes and a dash of green on the exterior foreground." -
A black and white rendering of the night sky above Mount Rushmore. -
This shaft house is one of few left from the Black Hills gold mining industry. "This beast of a structure still has the monstrous cable hoists intact but the whole thing is quickly eroding," says Ploog. Ploog used a four hour exposure with the celestial equator as backdrop. -
Wharf Mine in Lead. -
Ploog illuminated this old water tower at the base and used himself as a shadowy model. -
Colored lighting was applied by hand for this long exposure shot taken northwest of Spearfish. -
A splash of light and a 45 minute exposure was used for this windmill shot – no Photoshop required. -
"This rugged old chap made the long haul all the way from the Rockies to its final resting place under the pines of Spearfish Canyon," says Ploog. "A fine place to grow old, if I may say so myself." Cab lighting and headlights applied by LEDs. -
A simple strobe was applied to the front of this truck with the half moon illuminating the background.
Photo Galleries
Nightscapes
Aaron Ploog takes the original definition of photography, “drawing with light,” literally.
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