When living in a country where dark is so prevalent in the winter, one must be willing to accept and even embrace the night sky and the often stunning light that comes after sunset.
In St Andrews, the streets and buildings are illuminated not just by street lights but by displays specifically designed to accentuate the stunning nature of the architecture. In fact, in most towns and cities now there is always light after dark, ensuring that visitors – and photographers – can continue to enjoy the sights and get from A to B.
In recent years I have become increasingly fascinated by the moon and stars. For more than a year now I have been trying to really capture especially the stars, a feat much tricker than it may appear, and one that has left me with hundreds of shots of a mostly black sky. But I am learning with each attempt, and each night I stand in the cold and try to get it right.
Night can be a fascinating time to capture your favourite daytime spots – I hope you enjoy some of my efforts to do so!
Boston, Massachusetts, USA 🇺🇸
There is a lot to love about Boston at night, though I particularly love the winter lights. When I was young we used to drive into the city every December to see the Nutcracker ballet, and I recall with utter clarity the wonder of driving past the Common to see the trees festooned with lights and every lamppost adorned with a Christmas decorations. The ‘Christmas’ nature has widened to encompass all holidays, and the lights are still stunning.
Carcassonne, France 🇫🇷
I consider myself so lucky to have been able to visit Carcassonne and to have found a hotel in the newer part of the city with a spectacular view of the medieval town. At night, it was almost more magical than during the day.
Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴
As anyone who has routinely read my blog is aware, Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, second only to Boston. It is almost absurdly picturesque, both old town and new, and boasts some incredible Christmas decorations, particularly around the German Christmas market.
Marblehead, Massachusetts, USA 🇺🇸
Whenever I visit home, I make an effort to walk around the town at least two or three times each trip, and an evening wander home from dinner or a drink with a friend is a great opportunity to capture the town at night. I am also inevitably either welcomed back or given a send-off by the Logan Airport flight path, which passes almost directly over Marblehead, allowing for some great sky shots – who needs a drone when you have Aer Lingus?
Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
Night in the Caribbean can be a very different place than anywhere else; it is seldom quiet, and I find very seldom as dark as anywhere else. Perhaps because there are often many people about, perhaps due to reflection of the moon and stars off of the water, or perhaps something to do with the warmth.
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland 🏴
I have spent a great deal of time in St Andrews, after dark as well as before, and so I have hundreds of pictures of the town at night. These are just a few of my favourites.
The Moon at night 🌚
I defy anyone to take a walk at night during the full moon and not stop, just once, to wonder at it. I have become so obsessed with capturing the full moon that I even have it marked in my calendar. At this time of the year, near the equinox, the moon is often in the sky during the day and offers a perfect opportunity to capture it; but that is not the point of this post. Mankind has been fascinated with the moon for generations, even more so since we actually went there…I personally am continually surprised by how clear it can look even just to the naked eye.
And the stars… 🌌
Taking clear, atmospheric photos of the stars requires a spot with as little light pollution as possible, a tripod, plenty of time to try different settings, and some knowledge about how to edit the products of your time. I’m getting there, though I’ve got a way to go to equal some of the spectacular professional shots one sees online.
Finally, I’ll wrap up with a sequence of pictures I took one evening as the moon rose; I’ve mashed them all together, and I hope they provide even a touch of the awesome nature of the full moon.
The Wandering Medievalist 