Temple Bar at night, Dublin, Ireland, a photo from Dublin, South

Photographer's Note

This is Dublin's well known and touristy Temple Bar district, which also contains the famous namesake pub.

It's a very artsy and creative district, containing a photography gallery, some art studios, many street musicians, and just a very eclectic free-spirited feel.

This was taken late one night after a drizzling rain had cleared most people off the streets. I've been a fan of night photography for a few years now because I just love the etheral light and the pleasant surprises it sometimes produces.

I'm also a fan of motion blur in some instances where it lends a sense of activity to a scene. So I like this photo of Dublin. My only regret in this photo is that someone was walking a straight line and it left more of a streak along the left side than anything of interest, but that's how it turned out... so that's how I present it.

I realize it's nothing special compositionally about this photo, but I think it's a good representation of Temple Bar and it shows a contrast to how Temple Bar is normally seen, packed sidewalk to sidewalk with pedestrians.

This was shot with a four second exposure at f/8. I bracketed other shots at two and six seconds. The frame at two seconds was two dark. The six second frame didn't look very much different than this, but I liked this one just a bit better.

PixelTerror, robiuk, Boo-Boo, duder, KevRyan, bfly, gelor, alper_ayhan has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Cormac (26529) 2005-05-05 10:47

Good night shot. I really like the blurred figures, mixed with the still figures. It adds that 4th dimension (time) to photos that are usually just one instant in time. The expures is good. I notice that it was shot on film, which burns in the highlights gracefully, unlike digital, which can have horrible prblems with blooming. Good work!

Cos (1562) 2005-05-05 11:09

Hi Todd,
I like the variation in the ghosts in this shot, there are some very interesting effects. The colour of the pub works really well for a low light level picture and the dampness brings out the detail of the cobbles nicely.
Regards, Sarah

AnimeshRay (9071) 2005-05-05 11:34

Excellent image, Todd. The mood of Dublin is captured well with brick lined pub, cobble stone streets, alleyway with dark shadows, bicycles, and ghosts of Dublin. Well done.
A

robiuk (10802) 2005-05-05 11:35

A very good one, Todd!
Quite long exposure here produced some nice motion effect on different spots. Good clarity and contrast to it. Colours well saturated.
It almost looks like as if it was taken at daylight and the sky was blackened in pp-ing. Therefore I would personally prefer it exposed a little bit less.
Have a good day,
Robi
PS. I like notes like this one! Very helpful for understanding results presented above them!

Boo-Boo (354) 2005-05-05 11:59

I love everything in this picture, specially the ghosts! Excelent job!
Regards,
Jorge

naxius (16685) 2005-05-05 13:03

Very good compo Todd, I like the way you have catched the motion of the people around this street.
Bravo!
Alexandre

green later ;o

sines (0) 2005-05-05 13:03

Hi Todd,

What a pub ! I like the way this picture show us bricks and pavement as if it was the same material. Moreover I think, that I have seen that very pub in a magazine lately...The name is "Today" or something (but I'm not really sure).
I would have liked to see the roof and less pavement. Anyway, it is a good shot.

By the way, did you paint the town red ?

Regards

summersun (4978) 2005-05-05 13:14

nice night shot, I like the ghost going through the image, and the atmosphere of this street. good lighting, sharpness and pov. I remember this pub being red, but it looks pink here. maybe it's just my monitor.
Vanessa

duder (359) 2005-05-06 1:34

Very nice detail and lighting for this shot. The motion blur is effective in giving the scene a feel of the busy nightlife that goes on here. Cheers.

greg64g (11193) 2005-05-06 2:28

Hi Todd,

Dublin and Ireland is a dream for me, i absoluty want to visit Ireland before that's too late. this must be a perfect place to watch a Rugby match and drink A glass of beer ! i love the night shoot and the colors and people who are moving...
Cheers
Greg

PixelTerror (96880) 2005-05-06 3:31

Hi Todd,
I love these old and richly decorated pubs, british or irish, using the good lighting of this one you got a very nice night photo, the ghosted people add some motion feeling, nice result !
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

donluicu (24676) 2005-05-06 7:03

Good shot, f this very animated quarter...
I went there last

KevRyan (22918) 2005-05-07 11:04

I like this one - I just posted a couple from this area! I think yours gives a really nice sense of the place - very good - I like to play with people traces too - good shooting!

best wishes

Kev

keribar (43841) 2005-05-09 13:20

This is real nice Todd, looks like a theater set: I like the colors and the ghostly look of the silhouettes which have
moved a little during your slow exposure.
I wish the sky was not completely black
and perhaps the guy at the left not so close to the border, but it is nice as it is too. Izzet Keribar

bfly (5767) 2005-06-15 14:31

hi Todd,
I think it is very clear and motion blurs came out beautiful because of that..lovely colors and composition as well..
Dublin is a city I want to see so much..thanks for the picture :)
brgds
fusun

clarita (654) 2005-07-01 22:43

i like nite lite shots too...great job in capturing the mood in this photo...streak or no streak.

gelor (3227) 2005-10-30 7:03

Voici une très belle photo de nuit. Malgré une longue exposition les parties fixes sont très nettes et les flous donnent du mouvement dans cette image. Merci pour le partage. Gérard

greg (2835) 2006-07-12 16:45

Nice mood you caught. Would be good if one of these translucent figures were somehow more prominent in the composition.

mphotographies (1976) 2006-08-09 2:58

Hey Todd,
I like the colours here, the Temple Bar's exterior, how lighting played a big role to enchance its facade. I was never good in "motion" blur though this gave me an idea that something should be seen besides the motion going on...good details are also seen in the cobbled steet scene. Cozy image!
I'll drink to this!
Cheers!
JHCris

lorienlorien (2086) 2007-01-01 9:51

What a lovely place to be...Thanks for sharing this nice photograph.
Happy New Year
Zeren