Vennel Nights

A night-time composition captures this iconic Edinburgh close with an eerie feel. The old stone walls and iron railings of the close are warmly lit by heritage streetlamps, and the blue floodlit Edinburgh Castle looms above. The castle is only illuminated from the rear like this at certain times of the year (more frequently over the Christmas period) which is hard to predict, so it’s a tricky shot to make line up.

The combination of cool castle lighting and warm foreground tones creates a rich colour contrast. Blue hour after sunset is the ideal window when the sky retains enough colour to give this more depth to the frame – this is conveniently at a more sociable time in the winter months, which is also when the castle is typically more likely to be illuminated at the rear. The Vennel is a busy public thoroughfare, however a long exposure can help the moving foot traffic to disappear into the frame.