Prowl along the canal
A dark winter evening walk along Manchester’s canal paths is not for everyone. It can be desolate, dingy and a little unnerving.
But I went with my camera to capture some of the urban canalside atmosphere. I left my tripod behind and relied on slow exposure speeds and the pools of man-made light.
At times it was just too dark, but there was still a lot to see… apart from many other human souls.
Click first image to see gallery
mikeosbornphoto 
You must have a good camera to get such wonderful shots without noise.
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Thank you very much, Diana. Yes, it’s my old Fuji X-E1. They’re pretty robust even with high ISOs.
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You’re very brave. The photos have a sinister feeling, but I Iike the one with the weeds and of the graffiti. Stay safe. And warm.
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Thank you, Bunty. It possibly isn’t something for the faint-hearted, but I wanted to capture some of that mood and atmosphere. I live close to the canal but at night it’s mostly seen from the comfort of home!
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Some lovely dark and moody shots, Mike. I like the pools of light, but it’s the smaller details – the cobwebs in “Lit by Yellow”, for example – that really stand out. Great work (although be careful, prowling the back alleys of Manchesterford!)
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Thank you Richard! There are far edgier parts of the city centre waterways to explore. Say no more :)
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I love cities at night. they take on such different characters. I used to spend hours walking around the City of London at night, eerie, quiet, soulful, chilling, peaceful….best time ever
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They do feel very different after dark, Cindy. The canal here can be a bit of a foreboding place – I must confess that I didn’t go beyond a certain point!
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It looks like a scene of The Fall… (scary)
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To be honest it got to a point where I didn’t want to go any further…
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You’re a hero!
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Ha! It was more heroic taking a number of misfires in the dark. My poor camera was starved of light!
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The human eye sees more than a lens. It’s sometimes frustrating, when you see a great photo moment.
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It really is. But I decided against other equipment to help the lens see more – I had to make use of what was available.
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With great photos as a result!
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Thanks Koos, glad that you like them :)
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Very different look at the canals. Eerie even. Interesting though to see them this way.
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Thank you Lee. Yes, they can be daunting places. Some would advise avoiding them altogether after nightfall :/
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