The vast gap between even the most sophisticated camera lens and the human eye is never more apparent than at night: Rich variations of cobalt sky collapse on film into a chalky black, detail is obliterated by shadow, and delicately hued objects are made garish by the sodium haze of street lamps. Since available light is scarce after dark, the camera's aperture has to be left open for long stretches. Several minutes -- or hours -- might be recorded in a single still image; ghostly traces of movement linger like smoke before the static backdrop of immobile objects, while the lights of moving cars leave streaking tracers as the vehicles race through the frame. At its best, a nocturnal photograph can reveal the immutable form of a place, the core that remains constant as... More >>>