Shooting film at night (or in the very late afternoon) is one of my all-time favourite photographic activities.
Who is this stranger on the tram, making his way home – or somewhere else – so late at night? What might people be talking about behind that brightly lit window in an otherwise dark building? What made this person take their car out at this time of night?
I love how much is left to the imagination. Finding the right light in the darkness and turning an otherwise ordinary moment into an interesting scene can be both challenging and a lot of fun.
I tend to go out on my little “night-time hunts” mostly between October and April, when the balance between light and darkness feels just right in Riga. Summers are simply too bright for this kind of photography. And blue hour, when the glowing sky adds another layer to the scene, is my absolute favourite.
These days, I shoot almost exclusively on 35mm Kodak Ultramax, mostly for financial reasons. My trusty Canon A-1 still serves me well after all these years. Sometimes I put it on a tripod; other times, I just hold my breath and shoot handheld.
The developing and scanning were expertly handled by Canadian Film Lab.
