When I first saw this week’s theme, set by our new host Sofia, I grumbled a little on the inside. Low light is when I put my camera away. But then I had an idea…
First a quick note, for those who are counting: Today Slovenia won silver in ski-jumping team event! This is medal #7 for Slovenia. Now it’s two gold, three silver and two bronze. Hurrah!
It comes on the exact day when 38 years prior Slovenian Jure Franko won silver for Yugoslavia in giant slalom, its only medal, at the Sarajevo Olympic Games.
As I wrote eight years ago in the post What were you doing 30 years ago? nobody even knew it was Valentine’s Day. So we will let it be.
The low light idea was this: I remember what happened the last time I went to town, to buy Christmas presents. Instead of putting my camera away at dusk, I kept clicking some more and later on the screen was pleasantly surprised by the results.
This camera is quite an upgrade from my former point-and-shoot, which was quite an upgrade from my first digital camera, a bulky Canon. Here are three occasions when the light was low, each shot with a different camera.
#1: Canon PowerShot A520
This was a winter afternoon in 2013 by the Orbetello lagoon.
#2: Nikon Coolpix L840
Val d’Orcia is elusive. Every time I visit, the light is really low. This was in March 2015 when mom was on a visit. The first photo is from Pienza, the second from Vignoni Alto.
#3: Nikon D5000 + Tamron 55-200 mm
And these are the surprising shots from last December before I bought some presents in Orbetello.
For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Sofia at Photographias: Low light
This day in my blogging history
2015: Our leaders promised us a world where the trains ran on time. But the trains were not supposed to run on time. We were supposed to spend time waiting in train stations. Talking to people, while waiting in the train stations. Falling in love with total strangers in train stations. Now all the trains run on time, and no one has the chance. —Christopher Chandler
An Embarrassment of Riches 
Adorable, Manja. I like the way you connected low light and Valentine’s Day. It’s so much easier for someone to fall in love in low light where we all look filmy and gauzy.
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Ahhh, you took that thought to a whole new level. 🙂 Thanks, Marsha. You’re right, of course.
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I’m Always Write! 🤪
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Hahha!! Write you are!
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🙂
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Those are lovely low light images, Manja. The one with your current camera that’s really colorful is gorgeous. You made that shot hand-held?
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Yes, Deborah, all hand-held. Sometimes I set the camera on some flat surface but not that time. I have never used the… what is it called? Stand? Thank you!
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That’s awesome!!
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I love the texture of the sky. It looks particularly good in the low light 🙂
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Thank you, Not Pam. Lots of sky over here. Also in the night when it’s full of stars.
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Those first couple of the water are beautiful, Manja, but Bestia made me fall about laughing. How can a dog look so impatient? Did Amore cook something special for this evening? Happy Valentine’s!
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Hihih, thanks, Jo. No, we don’t really pay attention to this day much. To me he looks quite thoughtful… a little pensive. 😀
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Bestia in the car is the winner photo! I picture him leaning on the horn and gunning the engine: “No more photos! We gotta go!”
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Hihih, thanks, Lois. To me he looks like a thoughtful man who has momentarily changed into a dog.
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Great gallery of low light Manja. I love betias photo best 🙂
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Thanks, bushboy. He is such a model. 😀 To me he looks like a man who has momentarily changed into a dog.
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👍😂
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*bestia!!!
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Lots of love here…I’m smiling.(k)
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Thank you, K. Good to hear!
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I don’t know why you were worring about this! New camera will help but it is you that make the shots and you do them well 🙂
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Thank you, Sofia. I worry because I’m dead with manual settings. 😀 I just click and hope for the best. Luckily I take lots of photos… I appreciate such a theme that makes me expand my comfort zone a little.
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Nice take on the challenge. All your images are lovely but Bestia is simply adorable. 😁
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Thank you, Pepper. 🙂 Yes, that photo is hard to beat.
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This is wonderful, Manja. I love that final quote! Fabulous. The trains are not supposed to run on time. What would Mussolini say about that?? Your photo gallery is a delight, too.
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Hihih, where did you find Mussolini, Patti? Was he famous to run trains on time? I find that hard to believe. No fear of that in Italy. I’m glad you like the quote and photos too. Thank you!
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Great idea for the challenge to reflect how your different cameras have coped with low light conditions. You should consider not putting it away in future, as those shots of Ortobello are lovely!
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Thank you, Sarah. 🙂 I’m pretty sure it will always be near. Even though it has gotten quite heavy.
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Oh, just love these, Manja – glad you did not put your camera away! The first images of birds and water are gorgeous – but I must agree – bestia driving is my favourite!
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Thank you, Leya. Bestia always wins. 😉 Yesterday I took a photo of the first tree half in bloom. It’s starting!!
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It’s starting! In two months it will be here as well!
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So interesting! And I just love the mirror photo with two Manjas. Not enough of you!
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Haha, thank you, Carol Ann. Don’t know about that, one is plenty already. 😉
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Lovely Valentine’s Day commemoration!
I have been surprised by low-light captures in the past … I am always delighted how what we see with the naked eye is so different through a camera lens.
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Thank you, Ju-Lyn. 🙂 I think I’m so reluctant to take low light photos for this reason, yes. They are so different compared to how it really was.
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Excellent. Some dogs drive as well as some people! Or is it the other way around?! 😉
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Haha! That’s the question. 😀 Thank you, John. To me he looks like trying to decide whether to have another coffee.
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Your current camera captures light beautifully–with the aid of the photographer of course! Well done.
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Thank you, Anne. 🙂 I’m glad you say so. I’m surprised at the greens. Compared to my older cameras they are much more yellow. I need to see if I can fix this. My daytime, sunny photos look like taken in the 70’s. 😀
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Lol, I grumbled a bit too at the challenge initially, But thats what challenges are for, and then we realize we know more than we think we do, or have photos of scenarios that would work. A beautiful collection. The one of Pienza brought back some memories. So pretty. And while I love the phots of the lagoon, my favorite was of the back sheep. Donna
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Thank you, Donna. 🙂 I’m glad you got to see Pienza as well. I find the sheep mighty cute, especially the young ones.
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Hello Manja! I’ve come here for some light reading just to sandwich you in between all the war-watching on the news. And I’m glad I did! Love the dusk shots. I love taking night shots, once I’ve got the settings right anyway. Aren’t you photogenic? Love the double shot of you in the mosaic mirrors. It’s sort of Snow Queen meets Jackie O’Nassis.
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Hihhi, Jackie O!!! Oh my, thank you, Sunra Nina. 😀 Which Snow Queen do you have in mind? I never have my settings right. 😀 Thanks, I hope I made a good sandwich.
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Oh, just generic snow queen because of the glacial style mosaic, but very much thawed out and warmer. iI you had smiled, the illusion would have vanished 🙂
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