Lights at Night by Bahar Rismani
On a warm spring evening, the photographer ventured to the shoreline to capture the interplay of urban architecture and nocturnal light. By utilizing a tripod to stabilize a long two-second exposure at a narrow aperture, the photographer achieved a crisp, luminous reflection of the cityscape against the dark water. This image stands out for its technical precision and the serene, painterly quality of the light, which transforms a standard night scene into a compelling study of color and atmosphere. The deliberate choice of settings highlights the photographer's patience and keen eye for the quiet beauty found in nighttime environments.
Exposure 30sec @ f/18 | ISO 100 | Focal Length 87mm
Bahar Rismani
Born in 1982 in the Kurdish city of Mahabad, Iran, Bahar Rismani is a dedicated photographer with seven years of experience behind the lens. While she holds a degree in accounting, her true passion lies in documenting the rich cultural heritage of Kurdish women, specifically focusing on the preservation of traditional clothing through her portraiture. Her work serves as a vital visual archive, blending artistic expression with a commitment to safeguarding ancient customs that are at risk of fading from modern society.
Resonance Score Breakdown
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Expert Photography Reviews · 4
The Mirror of the Dark
Seneca once observed that we are often more afraid than hurt, and that we suffer more in imagination than in reality. He understood that the darkness of the mind is a far more formidable terrain than the darkness of the world.
Read the reflection →The Ink of the Night
Night is not merely the absence of the sun; it is a velvet canvas where the world finally exhales. When the heavy heat of the day dissolves, the shadows stretch their limbs, and the earth begins to hum a different, quieter frequency.
Read the reflection →Reviews & Comments
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Darkness here isn’t merely the absence of illumination; it’s a heavy, suffocating velvet that swallows the Mahabad shoreline. Those sharp, artificial streaks of light don’t invite us in—they resist, cutting through the void like a desperate, jagged incision. I’ve stared at these reflections until my eyes ached, feeling the cold, existential weight of that water. It’s a lonely, haunting geometry. Rismani doesn’t just capture a city; she forces the night to confess its own profound, hollow silence.
It’s technically competent, sure, but I find this obsession with f/18 sharpness exhausting. Why resolve every pixel of a reflection when you could let the light bleed? This approach is closer to a postcard than Hiroshi Sugimoto’s long-exposure theatres. I’m genuinely bored by the lack of risk here. What did Rismani choose not to resolve? By forcing clarity, she’s ignored the chaotic, liquid potential of the night. It’s a missed opportunity for true atmosphere.
At f/18, the diffraction limit begins to soften the fine resolution of the 18-135mm lens, yet it’s exactly what creates those sharp, star-like diffraction spikes on the city lights. It’s a calculated trade-off. I’m genuinely moved by how the long exposure turns the water into a perfect, low-pass filter for the cityscape’s color. It doesn’t just capture Mahabad; it renders the light as a physical substance, smoothing the chaos of the night into something serene.
Thirty seconds? That’s an eternity on the street. Cartier-Bresson would’ve laughed, but there’s a strange, hypnotic pull here. It’s not the decisive moment I usually hunt; it’s a long, breathless exhale. I’m actually leaning in, mesmerized by how those Mahabad lights bleed into the dark water. It’s painterly, sure, but it lacks the jagged pulse of a Winogrand frame. It’s beautiful, but it’s too still. I need the chaos of life to truly feel alive.