After Hours, a photo from British Columbia, Western

Photographer's Note

Vancouver by night. This is the view from the Granville Street bridge, looking down on False Creek and the downtown area after sunset. I don't want to brag, but this week "The Economist" magazine named Vancouver as the world's most livable city, for the fifth year in a row. I don't know what it means, but it sure sounds good!

I had to do a lot of processing on this to get rid of the red/orange glow from the street lights and get it to look something like it does to the naked eye. Expsoure was 10 seconds.

Wandering_Dan, InasiaJones, zeca, grandklaus, bakes888, jjcordier, robiuk, keribar, jhm, Floydian, cobbydale, josepmarin, pierrefonds, Dyerco, john_c, delkoo, gneufeld, ChrisJ, euryan, AiresSantos, darrasin, Gerrit, Tue, linask, NickVu, Yffic, wishlist, doubay, hispic has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Wandering_Dan (3449) 2007-08-24 21:10

Nice to see Vancouver when it isn't raining! :-) I love twilight shots, and this is a really nice one. I especially like the way the sky is still glowing while all the buildings and the bridge are all lit up. My eye keeps going back to the cloud patterns.

Did you plan for the post-processing at the time you took the picture? I can't tell that any was done - which is the way it should be.

InasiaJones (29324) 2007-08-24 21:22

Hi Alvin,

The "bluest and goldest" nightshot, a quintessential combination in perfect balance.

I really appreciate to see these details in the sky where light still persist. But all these warm and glowing lights are just fabulous and steal the show. The correction of orange glow is very well done, and nothing is visible, except a pleasing result.

Have a great weekend!

André

zeca (19762) 2007-08-24 21:29

A precious picture, Alvin! What a nice sharpness! Wow! Beautiful city line! Vancouver is a wonderful city and your post shows it all! A postcard for sure!
Regards,
Zeca

grandklaus (423) 2007-08-24 21:54

hello Alvin,
you really made a good job on this picture,
the colors are so brilliant and "true" and every detail is here
thank you for this view of your "cool" city
au revoir
JEFF

bakes888 (18499) 2007-08-24 22:19

Hi Alvin. Don’t want to brag?? Yeah right ;-). Having recently visited Vancouver I can say I love the city also. Great photo. Well composed, captured and presented. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

jjcordier (62280) 2007-08-24 22:21

Superbe travail! L'équilibre des couleurs et la luminosité sont excellentes, la composition très bonne et le PP très bien dosé. Bravo, Alvin!
Amicalement
JJ

robiuk (10805) 2007-08-24 22:35

Wow!
You shoud look into selling this
one to the Tourist board as a postcard!
Excellent compo with a fantastic clarity.
Good saturated colours and amazing contrast
between the blue sky and yellow palette of
the city lights.
Have a great day Alvin,
Robi

KostasKon (0) 2007-08-24 23:30

Excellent nightshot!!!
The colors and the lightness are perfect, the POV is great and the sharpness is excellent.
Congratulations!!!
Kostas.

keribar (43841) 2007-08-24 23:44

A question for you Alvin ..
When you eat a meal, do you leave the best part for the end or do you eat it on the first place ? Me personally I leave it for the good end, but I know well that others don't.
So I wanted to tell you that although it will not be the last picture I open today, I wish it was the last one. You really know how to take picture that impress people, and you are not a lazy guy. Always on the move at the best hour.
Have a great week-end - Izzet

jhm (122410) 2007-08-25 0:28

Hello Alvin,

I like the enlightenment of the buildings with the fantastic gold colour.
Also the excellent reflections make this picture very attractive, you took this picture during the blue hour, this gives always a excellent result.
Thanks for sharing.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

hatti52 (12784) 2007-08-25 1:11

Hi Alvin,
Excellent night shot
Wonderful colours,sharpness and details
congrats

Floydian (30970) 2007-08-25 1:31

When i was in Vancouver i enjoyed ever minute of it, so i can imagine what The Economist means by that.
Your view here is wonderful, not only the light on the city but also those waves of light in the blue sky...that's really striking instead of a nice deep blue hour photo.
The warm reflections tones from the bridge in the water is a nice barrier to the left side of the image which has less light than the right side but it compensates it very well.
The light on the skyline looks very natural, for that you did an excellent job here...
Have a nice weekend, Henk

cobbydale (1958) 2007-08-25 2:20

Wow - stunning shot Alvin. This is a classic example of a good nighttime shot - the colours, the lighting and the incredible sharpness! Adding to my faves.
cheers
Leon

crhieatt (5355) 2007-08-25 2:36

Alvin,
I can well see where all those "mirror building" shots come from now; that was my first impression - glass kingdom - a lot of light, and a lot of reflection here, even in the night.

It's a lovely shot, well worth the PP efforts, which certainly aren't obvious. My mind wanys to rotate the image about 1 degree counter-clockwise!

Regards
Colin

jonathan_hart (21268) 2007-08-25 2:38

hello Alvin
good POV on Vancouver at the blue hour, nice colours, perfect exposition and sharpness, and good depth
beautiful photo :)
regards
jo

sebinho342 (19317) 2007-08-25 2:47

Beautiful view Alvin over Vancouver. I don't know how many minutes you worked on the picutre in PP but the result is great for sure .. and even greater that we can't see any artefact on it, seems totally natural.
Very good piece of work

PixelTerror (0) 2007-08-25 3:06

Hi Alvin,
That's a killer PoV you have there, one I would dream of, makes me wish to come again to Vancouver when I have a decent camera... superb blue hour picture with the frozen water and a sky blue enough to contribute to wide angle dynamism, just excellent Alvin !
Have a nice week end, JY

rbcy1974 (20758) 2007-08-25 3:21

Hello ALvin
Wow this is great, a very nice combination between the golden lights and the almost navy blue tones in the sky and water. I am curious to know what kind of post processing you doid here.
Regards
Daniel

josepmarin (55023) 2007-08-25 3:46

Hi Alvin,
It is true that this city seems to be very agreeably to live there. I like this capture at the blue hour, in a setting that it places the illuminated city aside, while it leaves to another side the sea, the bridge and the silhouette of the mountains in background, cut away on a still blue sky.
The sheens and reflections in the water add more interest and beauty to this photo, which there has a perfect, very well worn out exposure.
Friendly regards,
Josep

jplebrun (21208) 2007-08-25 4:40

Bonjour Alvin,
belle composition de nuit de la ville de Vancouver, photo claire et nette, la luminosité est parfaite, bravo, ;)
Salutations
Jean-Pierre

pierrefonds (48335) 2007-08-25 4:54

Hi Alvin,

A nice night photo of downtown Vancouver, the photo has a very good composition, DOF and nice colors. Thanks for sharing.

Pierre

tehanu_f (6896) 2007-08-25 4:58

I always relish looking at your excellent photos and this one is no exception. Totally professional, well-thought and shot as usual. Colours and the lights are just perfect.
Congrats.
Fusun

crckt (7216) 2007-08-25 6:30

Hi Alvin,
I don't know what PP you did, but the end result is just awesome! The reflections, and the color are just breathtaking.
Well done,
Shaeri

Fis2 (73084) 2007-08-25 6:32

Witaj Alvin!
Very interesting night shot. Good composition and frame. I like the colors and sharpness. Good job!
Regards
Krzysztof

Dyerco (10185) 2007-08-25 8:16

Great combination of blue and gold Alvin. You do the city proud. Did you change the white balance to get rid of the red/orange? Your shots always have such clarity. Its like the difference between a print on high gloss paper and mat paper.
Well done.
Phil

john_c (24662) 2007-08-25 8:54

Hi Alvin,
The blue hour glow is nicely captured here. Aside from the lovely reflections in the water, what catches my eye are the streaking clouds and dark hump of mountains in the distance. The clarity of detail is very good on the boats in the lower right...(I agree that Vancouver is likely the world's most livable city, but what does that say about us crazies who have fled the city for the suburbs and countryside...) Seriously, you are doing the city proud.
John

delkoo (68) 2007-08-25 9:34

hi alvin,
great night shot, very well balanced, the warm reflections are very appealing as well as the building's lights.

regards
didier

Nelu_Goia (3116) 2007-08-25 9:51

Oh my god,what a jewel,Alvin!
I can almost feel the effort you made to make it look perfect:)
What I mostly appreciate about you is that you have such a good technique that when you are done with the post processing nobody would tell you ever did it.
Thank you,
Nelu

gneufeld (15870) 2007-08-25 10:22

Hi Alvin,
Wow, another wonderful presentation from Vancouver. The colors, the detail, the depth of field, the overall composition is perfect. Great work, Alvin, and thanks for sharing. Gerald

drfl (1167) 2007-08-25 13:15

Excellent shot, I love the lights of the city and the blue of the eve. Well Done.

Burberry1 (6041) 2007-08-25 14:13

Excellent view,
-''- light,
-''- atmosphere of the big city!!!

Agnieszka

devimeuxbe (58557) 2007-08-25 14:14

Hi Alvin
very beautifull composition in the blue hour. The light is excellent, cropping is beautifull.
Excellent
Bertrand

izmirli (3864) 2007-08-25 14:20

merhaba dear alvin
magnificent night,sky and city.wonderful lights and reflections.well done.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

danyy (0) 2007-08-25 15:42

Bonjour Alvin,
voilà donc cette magnifique ville perdue au milieu de si prestigieux décors naturels. Une région très sauvage où l'homme peut toutefois développer son génie du modernisme.
L'expos est nickel, le cadrage et le POV bien choisi séduisent.
Best regards.
Daniel.

danielswalsh (13591) 2007-08-25 17:26

Great shot Alvin!

I could tell right from the thumbnail that this was taken from the Granville Island Bridge. The exposure is spot-on, with nothing overblown and/ or under-exposed. Realy sharp detail and a nice composition. I think an "Expodisc" might have saved you from all the pp work to get the correct white-balance Alvin (Expodis.com), it's what I use.

All the best!
- Dan

ChrisJ (86854) 2007-08-25 19:57

Hi Alvin

Missed this one. A fantastic colour contrast between the yellow lights & blue sky. A superb, high pov, overlooking the city & bridge. Excellent sharpness & contrast. Tfs!

partha (13775) 2007-08-25 21:35

Amazing shot. Terrific colour and composition. Great shot.
Regards.
partha

cessy (13647) 2007-08-26 2:27

awesome !! wonderful lighting and excellent details. the timing is perfect and so is the reflection
very good work, Alvin
have a nice sunday

euryan (8432) 2007-08-26 7:45

Excellent work with the PP. It is excellent because I can't tell that you have done anything, which is the mark of good PP. The colors look natural and the shot looks outstanding. I love the way you have composed this scene. The time of night was perfect to capture a blue sky, with just a bit of light fading over the mountain. I love it. I guess I'll have to move to Vancouver.
Regards,
Ryan

AiresSantos (56155) 2007-08-26 10:34

Hi Alvin,
Lovely night shot with amazing colours and great sharpness. I like how you framed the picture and managed the light
As usual well seen and done
Have a nice week
Aires

darrasin (2860) 2007-08-26 10:45

Hello Alvin! All that and free healthcare too! The end result of your efforts here pre and post-processing is fabulous. The angled marina area is well place in the frame. The long exposure produced a beautifully glassy effect on the water along with creating some interesting cloud streaks.

Well done!
Doug

Gerrit (43743) 2007-08-26 12:01

Hi Alvin.
Fantastic nightshot. The sharpness is amazing and the lights in the water beautiful.
Regards, Gerrit

MikiM (1924) 2007-08-26 12:11

HI Alvin,

If it took a lot of PP than I could say it is definitely wortht it.I like the blue hour and the wonderful golden view.
Thanks for sharing!
Have a nice week!

Miklós

CaptainJack (0) 2007-08-26 18:54

Stunning night scene Alvin. The lighter whisps of light in the sky combined with the clear reflections on the water really make this shot for me. I will definitely have to do some shooting from bridges when I am back in Vancouver this fall.

Bluejeans (64227) 2007-08-28 14:10

Ola Alvin que fantastica vista sobre a cidade de Vancover , gostei muito de ver as luzes e os reflexos sobre a agua , o ceu ficou muito bonito , e uma bela metropole !!!
Parabens!!!
Um abraço
Gonçalo

kensimage (8557) 2007-08-28 23:31

All that processing you did paid off beautifully, Alvin. I don't know what you started with, but it looks like a pretty natural twilight now, with perhaps a little extra saturation to create a magical look. Perfect timing (normal for you) with the color in the sky. I keep coming back to this one to look at it! Regards, Ken.

cherryripe (21015) 2007-08-29 10:01

Hi Alvin
Lovely blue-hour shot with the bridge well placed to the left and the boats leading to the bottom corner. Excellent details and pretty reflection. The wispy clouds add a lovely texture to the sky.
Regards
Nikki

leo61 (0) 2007-08-29 10:06

Hi Alvin!
I missed this one.It´s a fantastic nightshot with great contrast between the wonderful blue and the bridge and the city.An excellent exposure with amazing sharpness.
Regards,Leo

umbrellaphotos (1901) 2007-08-29 21:31

Hey Alvin,
This is a great image. I love the colours and the clarity you've captured. You, like always, have done wonderful work.

I think this image's next stop is in a travel brochure.

Brian

Ann75 (0) 2007-08-29 21:49

Hi Alvin,

What a POV and what a shot! Excellent light here and fantastic details. I love that the mountains are still visible. Great composition with amazing colours and a wonderful reflection on the water. Excellent work, Alvin!

Greetings,
Ann

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-08-30 0:47

Hi ALvin, woow!
what a great sharpness!
impressive!
is this a RAW file?
th details are incredibles...
great image!
ciao!
Valeria

jemaflor (68867) 2007-08-31 3:07

Hi Alvin,
Great night shot, perfect light capture, composition is well balanced, bravo !

Tue (25798) 2007-09-04 11:57

Hej Alvin,
A beautiful photo of Vancouver during blue hour. I love the contrast between the golden lights and the blue water and sky. The reflections in the water are superb too. Very well captured and thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

eza1701 (3345) 2007-09-06 0:21

Hi Alvin,

All your PP work certainly paid off here as this is a first class night shot. The level of detail is absolutely superb.

Best regards,
Paul.

toni_al (15873) 2007-09-06 14:12

Salut Alvin
Decidement ça doit etre une très belle ville, en tous cas cette image le fait penser, très belle.
@+
Toni

cdmonson (4301) 2007-09-11 9:38

Hi Alvin:

I got really jealous of you, Ann, and the other Vancouver TE'ers when I was in Halifax a couple weeks ago. My wife's cousins live right on the harbor with a great view across the water to the city, and I thought to myself, "Hmmm...I'm moving to Texas when I graduate...why?" You guys are lucky to live in such a beautiful city on the water. Your exposure is right on here, as is your timing in terms of the amount of light in the sky. Great job.

Clark

Yffic (6106) 2007-09-19 0:34

Hi Alvin.

What a stunning shot...
It's really lovely !!!

I put it in my favorites !!

Regards.

Yves

IgorDeleze (585) 2007-09-26 11:28

Hello Alvin,
Fabulous exposition form this night shot!
The lights reflexions are very nice.
Greetings.
Igor

wishlist (4133) 2007-09-27 6:43

Hi Alvin,
night shots are my favourites! I like this shot, I like the colours and shades and the contrast between the city-lights and the blue sky. Details are excellent and well visible and the colours are just beautiful.
If you had to do a lot pp this has been done in the best way as the result delivered in more then excellent!
Thanks for sharing

Igor

DLM (6479) 2007-10-03 13:45

Hi Alvin ,
All of your images are real nice , a real feast for my eyes, wonderful golden hues here.
TFS
Dave.

doubay (2091) 2007-10-10 7:21

Wow! What for a fantastic blue hour shot of a very impressive urban landscape. Lighting and colours look superb. My mother visited Vancouver last year and was enthused. It must be a very liveable city indeed.
Regards
Andreas

hispic (9619) 2007-12-24 0:40

Beautiful blue moment ! Splendid balance between the lights of the town and the evening sky. I also like the super-fine detail.
Merry Christmas !
Hisashi

vmukherjee (610) 2009-07-19 10:48