Last Updated on 06/02/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
All images by Mark Broyer. Used with Creative Commons permission.
In our previous explorations of Mark Broyer’s beautiful night photography, we’ve seen what he has captured in the dreamy hours between dusk and dawn. In his After Hours series, the Hamburg-based photographer captured his city’s vibrant alter-ego as the rest of the city has gone quiet in sleep. Meanwhile, in his What the Fog series, the city seems to take on a more moody character during foggy nights. The most recent of this series takes us around the harbor, where the scenes were a little bit different but still eye-catching.
Previously, in the first installment of What the Fog, we had a good introduction to the city’s misty charm. With empty streets and bare corners just like what we’ve seen in After Hours, it looked less busy and more cinematic. The second installment seems to build on that just a teeny bit, adding some variety to colors in the scenes with some graffiti, bright lights, and other vibrant elements. For me, this gives it some sort of After Hours flavor; if the two sets had a lovechild, it would probably be this installment.
In this harbor “episode”, it also feels a little bit colder, and more foggy and wet. Maybe it’s because these images are probably taken after the rain, or maybe it’s because of the introduction of more water here and there. But I guess that’s just a little observation that makes this series feel like it’s got a moving narrative.
I personally like the direction Mark has been taking with this second series. Cities often take a different mood and character at night, and What the Fog is just one of the perspectives through which we can view and take street photography at night. Like After Hours, this is definitely one of the night photography series I think we should all be tuning in to.
Head to Mark Broyer’s website and Behance portfolio to give him some props for What the Fog and see the rest of his beautiful sets.