Ethereal Landscape Photos Captured During Pitch-Dark Nights

Don’t let these gorgeous, ethereal photos fool you - they were taken in the pitch-black darkness. For the past two years, British photographer Paul Thompson has pushed the boundaries of night photography using a large format camera. His images make up a series titled Moonlight, and they feature desolate views of the land and sea cloaked in beautiful, often-hazy colors. They’re moody, atmospheric, and feel like scenes from fantastical film.
Thompson’s locations are usually so dark that it’s impossible for him to see his camera when he opens the shutter. Because of this, it requires exposure times of up to two hours, and the results are unpredictable. He only attempts a picture once, and he doesn’t test how it might look beforehand. So, his photographs are at the mercy of the surrounding environment. Clouds and tides change over the course of a couple of hours, and Thompson is never sure how each image will unfold.
          Paul Tho