All images by Simon Åslund. Used with Creative Commons permission.
Nighttime is one of the most inspiring times to shoot, as we’ve seen in a lot of impressive works we’ve previously featured. Today, we bring yet another series to inspire everyone to seek their own nighttime visions and bring them to life. In his Night Series, Simon Åslund takes us to some of the most captivating night strolls caught on camera, full of mood, colors, and atmosphere.
Between 2017 and 2018, the Stockholm-based photographer and graphic designer roamed his city and the province of Dalarna to begin Night Series both in digital using Fujifilm X100F, and film using a Canon A-1 with Kodak Portra 400. Here, we see a variety of urban settings, yet all of them are enveloped by a mysterious and cinematic mood made possible by nighttime. City lights in various colors light up the scenes, which become extra dreamy with the addition of fog.
It’s not too different from the approach we’ve seen in works like those of Mark Broyer and his After Dark and What the Fog series. However, rather than unmasking a city to reveal its alternate persona, Night Series adds a lone character in many of the photos, as if to complete a story set at night.
The colors are definitely at play in this ongoing series. As expected, the film set gives a more timeless and retro vibe, while the digital set has a cleaner and modern look. It’s almost follows a “then and now” narrative, if you want to take a look at that direction. However you look at it, the colors play a big part in setting the mood for each photo. Vibrant or fiery in some and calming in the others, these hues help paint the stories we’re free to imagine out of these nighttime scenes.
Don’t forget to check out Simon Åslund’s website, Instagram, and Behance portfolio if you want to stay updated with Night Series and see his other photography projects.