NIGHT TIME MEGA BEAUTY CAPTURED

Winter, a time when light is diminished, it’s great time to revel in the beauty of night time. And, while night time is not such an easy time to take photos, a few exceptional photographers have mastered this art.

It takes special technical expertise, tools, and equipment, in addition to talent, to really mine the treasures of the night. It takes mastering the cocktail recipes for aperture and exposure. It takes a host of sensitivities to light and shadow, form and function. 

From starlight to moonlight, from twilight to dawn, we a grateful to the photographers who capture this beauty so we can see what we otherwise could not -- so we can savor it and admire it even in the light of daytime.

Photographer Cody Duncan works with autumn and winter night times that are way longer than most, since he shoots in northern Norway. Photographer Justin Ng captures the full arc of night time, from twilight through dawn, against a most beautiful backdrop in Indonesia and other places in Southeast Asia. They can even show you how to capture the beauty of night time. Check out their gorgeous photos and info below.

CODY DUNCAN

Photographer Cody Duncan captures winter time beautifully in Lofoten Islands, off the coast of Norway.

Here, time feels different than it does for most of the rest of the world. Daylight is fleeting. Long dark nights offer views of the breathtaking Aurora Borealis.

Landscapes appear to be magical fairylands, lit with polar lights. Snow-covered mountains rise up from the icy grey Norwegian Sea. They are kissed briefly by pink sunrises and sunsets, then rendered cool blue again.

Warm glows emanate from charming Rorbuer cottages in tranquil fishing villages.

Duncan is one of the most experienced photographers living and working on Lofoten today. Born and raised in sunny California, he first visiting the Islands as a young backpacker in 2001. He then traveled there more than 20 times before moving there in the winter of 2016. Cody now lives on Flakstadøy in western Lofoten.

Check out 68 North to see more of Duncan’s works. And check out his photography guides and workshops.

Duncan’s images and articles have been published by National Geographic, Lonely Planet Magazine, and more.

Duncan offers fabulous winter photo tours, where he will teach you how to capture night time, like you never have before.

JUSTIN NG

Twilight is one of the most beautiful times of day/night. It is, of course, the slice of time between day and night that somehow manages to deliver the best of both. And some places on earth get maximum twilight magic.

Mount Bromo, in Indonesia, is one of those twilight extraordinaire places. Photographer Justin Ng, knows it well. He’s captured some of the most beautiful twilight moments here.

Because there is no light pollution here, stars are easy to see, even at twilight. Here, the Milky Way looks like a beautiful beast.

Ng leads astrophotography adventures at Mount Bromo, so you can learn how to capture the incredible magnificence of this night sky and landscape.

Don’t let the twilight time of day fool you. Ng has you rising and shining before dawn. First, you will head up to the top of Mount Penanjakan, at about 9,088 feet above the sea, to get your first breathtaking view of the sunrise to the east of Mount Bromo, Mount Semeru and Mount Batok.

Once that’s done, you will ride, on horseback, up to the crater of Mount Bromo for a sunset shoot.

Finally, you can shoot Mount Bromo against the starry skies of deep dark night, using Ng’s proprietary astrophotography equipment and star chart. You’ll go until dawn.

If you are observing from other locations, download Ng’s mobile app or click here to use the web-based mobile astronomy tool.

Ng also masters the art of time with his time lapse photography and video. Check out his Mount Bromo Timelapse Movie, which won the Grand Prize in the World Photography Awards.

Self-taught, Ng is an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured on BBC, CNN, National Geographic, Space.com, among others. He is based in Singapore.

Every hour of the day has its own beauty, as does every age and every moment. Check out Beautiful Portraits of Time, a fine art photo series by Beth Moon, for yet another amazing set of views.

Read more about Night Beauty all this week on BeautifulNow. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

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Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Campfire below northern lights, Storsandnes, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
2. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Northern Lights over Horseid Beach, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
3. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Haukland Beach in winter, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
4. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Ytresand Beach Winter Sunrise, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
5. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Ray of light silhouette stormy mountain landscape, Vestvagoy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
6. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Summer ocean fog drifts over mountains of Skolmen at midnight, Unstad, Vestvågøy, Lofoten.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
7. Image: by Justin Ng. “Milky Way above Mount Bromo.” East Java, Indonesia.
8. Image: by Justin Ng. Meteor and the Milky Way above Mount Bromo. East Java, Indonesia.
9. Image: by Justin Ng. Mt. Bromo. East Java, Indonesia.
10. Image: by Justin Ng. “Large and small Magellanic clouds together with Canopus were captured during sunrise in Mount Bromo.” East Java, Indonesia.
11. Image: by Justin Ng. “Eta Aquarid Meteor Captured in Mount Bromo.” East Java, Indonesia.
12. Image: by Justin Ng. Still from “Mount Bromo Timelapse Movie.” East Java, Indonesia.
13. Image: by Justin Ng. “Milky Way above Temple.” Mount Bromo. East Java, Indonesia.
14. Image: by Justin Ng. “Mersing.” Malaysia. Mersing, Malaysia.
15. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Northern Lights over Olstind, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.
16. Image: by Cody Duncan. “Approaching rain showers over Sakrisøy and Olstind Mountain peaks, Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.” Lofoten Islands, Norway.