THIS month Kirkbymoorside Camera Club sheds some light on working in low-light conditions.

With film when the light levels started to drop you had only two choices, either reach for your tripod so you could shoot longer exposures without camera shake or attach a flash gun. If you didn’t have them with you, you could only put your camera away and capture the image in your memory.

With modern digital cameras there is often no need to stop shooting at this time. They have shake-reduction in-built so you can shoot longer exposures without the fear of camera movement, the ISO (c.f. film speed) can be increased thereby reducing the exposure time needed and they have a flash built in.

The following images show a few examples, most are taken hand held with no additional illumination, some used a tripod and others some additional artificial lighting.

Those who are interested in photography and finding out more about the club, can go along to one of the meetings or visit kirkbymoorside-camera-club.co.uk

Julie Cowdy - Golden Physallis

This study was set up indoors and captured with the use of a tripod. I chose this subject because I love all the intricate details on the lantern-like seed pod. The golden glow was emphasised with some extra back lighting to make a contrast with the black background.

Richard Harrison - The Rat Pack Spectacular

Frank Sinatra at the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas. Well not quite. But it was a tribute show to the original rat pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.) Fast-paced, colourful and highly-entertaining with many of the old favourites, including My way. This performance was at The Whitby Pavilion and part of a nationwide tour that began earlier this year. Six members of the club were invited to record the event.

Joyce Kingman - New Bond Street

In the early hours one night last December I had the chance to photograph the Christmas lights in London. I was pleased with this picture in New Bond Street. There were very few people about and recent rain gave reflections on the wet cobbles, leading the eye through the arches.

Barrie Tuck - Whitby

This image was taken looking down the Whitby steps on a late summer evening just before sun down. The light was at its best and the sunset backlit the few remaining clouds.

Harry Kingman - St Petersburg

Our ship was berthed at the English Embankment, almost in the centre of St Petersburg. Around midnight the bridges over the River Neva open to allow the passage of large barges and with it being Saturday wedding celebrations were in full flow around the city.

Mike Ward - Above Rosedale

Aurora Borealis is a spectacular natural phenomenon which can occasionally be seen in a clear winter’s night sky. But not this night. A 30 second exposure taken over the kilns in Rosedale on a cold, frosty night in February 2015, a tripod was used.

Tim Thornton - Himba Baby in Hut

Taken in a hut in a Himba village in Namibia, the hut was in complete darkness apart from the light streaming through the open doorway.

David Ireland - Keld Head Pond in autumn mist

This picture was taken on a cold November evening just before the sun started to set. The rising mist helped produce some beautiful pastel shades that were reflected in the pond.