What we’re about
This is a collective of people who share a passion for night and long exposure photography.
This Meetup is about gathering in groups, small or large, to capture the night and share the outcome with each other. Online events for image studies, goals review, training, as well as self-assigned challenges round out the program. Education, respectful and constructive feedback, exhibition of images and socializing during and after our gatherings are all part of our activities.
We explore old, new, popular and exotic places in the greater Boston area, southern New Hampshire and Maine, Rhode Island, northern Connecticut and central Massachusetts and there are occasional field trips to places such as New York or Maine. Inner city nightscapes are as much part of our portfolio, as will be dark sky star, astro-landscape and Milky Way shoots or light painting opportunities.
The group was founded in 2013 and has been active continuously. We average roughly one event every week, and we even keep it alive throughout the winter. Photo shoots are most frequent, but we also have online lectures, individual challenges, conferences and public events and paid excursions. Browse our hundreds of "past meetups" to see what we have been doing.
Most standard meetups are free, membership dues will cover Meetup.com costs, minor group expenses and promotional means, invited lectures and trip organization expenses. There are also some paid events, as announced in those meetups, to provide services to learn from professionals in smaller groups with formal instructions, or to cover venue costs. You can sign up for this group for free and see if this is for you during the one month trial. If you pay right away, you still get 13 months of membership.
Night photography is exciting, presents the world in a truly different light and is serene and calming in many ways. However, it is also very different from daytime shooting, sometimes physically taxing and requires to watch out for yourself and others. All our meetups are conducted with adult and mature members, who provide safety through numbers, but you will always be responsible for your own safety.
We are looking forward to seizing the night with you!
Jürgen, GBNP Organizer
Find me online at https://LinkTr.ee/JMLobert/
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Full Moonrise from BU BridgeBoston University Bridge, Cambridge, MA
Let's go back to shoot the moon from the BU bridge! I am being a bit optimistic with this one. The cloud forecast is not favorable, so you'll have to watch the comments. But, if the clouds shift, we'll have a choice of shots over the city from different parts of the bridge or even from Memorial Drive.
This will be a full moon rising above the Boston skyline 4 minutes after sunset. If you want to shoot a moon streak, it'll be rising right through the blue hour.
The bridge is a quick walk from the MBTA Green Line via Boston University West Station or Boston University Central Station. For those who will be driving, the Magazine Beach is a short walk up Memorial Drive. To get there, you'd have to go past the BU Bridge and find a place to turn around. There is no access driving from the rotary at the bridge.
Setup:
We will meet on the bridge at 6:30 pm. I will try arriving earlier and suggest arriving early if you can to snag a spot to set up (and maybe get some sunset or blue hours shots). The bridge is a popular spot for photographers and otherwise has some crossing pedestrians and bikers. You can set up your tripod/camera from the stone railing (see attached photo) to avoid taking too much sidewalk space, but don't drop your gear into the Charles River! :) DO NOT BLOCK THE WALKWAY!Composition/Shooting:
You can attempt a range of various shots: single shots of the moon over the skyline, single shots of just the moon, or a moon streak (see Jurgen's blog post for more info). If you want to try the streak, plan on pressing the shutter at 7:11 - a 10-stop filter at F11 and ISO 100 should buy you close to 30 minutes of streak.Suggested equipment:
Zoom lenses of 200mm or greater to capture the telephoto views of the city/moon. Wide angle lenses for capturing the distant city skyline with the Charles River and the railroad bridge. Bring a 10-stop filter for a streak. And, of course, a sturdy tripod and spare batteries.After:
You can continue to shoot the moon and the city as night falls. (And the tracks under the bridge are where I shot my most awarded image.)Current forecast indicates clouds and temperatures in the 50s - again, watch the comments. It is possible that this will be canceled and replaced by a Monday meetup. (I probably can't make that, because it's my wife's birthday; Kevin probably can't make Sunday, because it's his wife's birthday.)
