Last Updated on 01/17/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
All images by Mark Broyer. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Towards the end of 2017, Hamburg-based art director, designer, and photographer Mark Broyer shared the latest snaps for his ongoing After Hours project. If you haven’t been following this series, I suggest to start now, especially if you’re into outstanding night photography. Now on its fourth installment, this body work remains strong in its vibrant rendition of Hamburg and Berlin’s streets late into the night.
If you’re new to this project, here’s a quick primer. Since 2016, Mark has been prowling the empty streets of his town with the goal of “trying to find beauty in the ordinary.” To many, there’s probably nothing special about a city in slumber. This body of work, however, proves this wrong. as it shows a colorful persona that seems to scream into the silence. See some of the photos from the first few After Hours installments here.
Meanwhile, the new installment is a mix of nighttime scenes from the streets of Hamburg and Berlin. While still as colorful and striking as the earlier sets, this one has a seemingly calmer mood to it. The hues still take center stage, but through a cooler and more cinematic palette. If the earliest photos were about taking in the town in rainbow-colored glasses, the latest ones seem to have transformed the cities into nostalgic movie sets.
There could be a number of possibilities for this slight difference. But I think this set mainly shows Mark’s improved control over his use of colors to convey a certain nighttime mood or aesthetic. It’s a subtle change, yet still very effective and attuned to his vision.
Liked this series? Don’t forget to check out Mark Broyer’s Behance portfolio and website to see the other volumes of After Hours and browse through his other photography projects.