“Night descends on the city sprawl
Blanketing everything in a coal black shawl
Save for eerie shadows cast by dim street lights
Dancing on people attracted by the neon sights
Midnight heralds the witching hour
When raw spirits flow and minds turn sour
Caution cast to the wind and inhibitions flee
Creatures of the night caught up in drunken revelry”
- Barry Williams
Minutes to midnight on a Friday, the streets along the Singapore River are descended upon by a myriad of characters, creatures of the night that bask in the pale moonlight.
On the night I decided to go light, with just my trusty Leica M slung round my neck, a fast 50 mounted, a couple of rolls of Tri-x in the pocket.
A compact flash came along for the trip as well, as my intention was to capture raw energy of the scenes that night.
Shooting with a flash allowed for quick reaction to get that shot, as the scene unfolded. It allowed for the fleeting moment in the dark to be frozen, which otherwise wouldn’t have been possible even with a fast lens.
I was fortunate that night there weren’t any confrontational episodes, which shooting this way usually attracts
Gear used: Leica M4 + Canon 50mm F1.2 + Nikon SB-30 flash + Kodak Tri-x 400
Photographer: Ernest Lew
Flickr