Oliver Haslam on December 30, 2019, 7:02 pm

Photographer Uses iPhone 11 Pro Night Mode To Capture “40 Days Of Darkness” In Murmansk

Murmansk doesn’t see any sun from December into January, which makes it the perfect place to test the iPhone 11 Pro and Night Mode. So that’s exactly what photographer Amos Chapple did. And the results are pretty mind blowing.

Murmansk is the largest city in the Arctic circle which means it’s the kind of place you’re always going to find some amazing shots. But when you factor in the 40 days of night, you’re in for a treat.

As Chapple went about testing the iPhone 11 Pro’s photography prowess, the first thing that sprang to mind is the fact that high quality phone cameras make taking photos quicker and easier than ever before.

On the first morning I woke up in Murmansk, it really hit me what a revolution this generation of phone represents. I got out of bed and was rummaging through my travel case to try to find my toothpaste and toothbrush. It took me a solid couple of minutes. Then after I’d scrubbed up, I grabbed my phone and headed out the door.

As I walked down the corridor I remember thinking I’d just had more trouble organizing the equipment I needed to brush my teeth, than I had preparing for a 12-hour day of professional photography. No SD cards to check, no stacks of batteries to charge, no bag full of lenses… Total freedom.

That alone is a big reason that smartphone photography has become so popular. And as Chapple later found out, Night Mode has an almost witchcraft-like quality, too.

The iPhone’s Night Mode is the witchiest camera technology I’ve ever used. I still don’t understand it. I was shooting three second exposures made handheld, yet I never saw any movement blur. All of the shots I made were tack sharp.

Even more strange is that, whenever there was movement in the frame, like a person walking, or snow falling, the camera somehow froze, or only slightly blurred that movement, *while* it was soaking up light for a long exposure.

In our testing, Night Mode has created some great shots, but it’s also fired a few misses, too. But we’re not photographers with tripods so maybe this is one of those cases where if you know what you’re doing, you can create something pretty special.

The shots that Chapple was able to capture are gorgeous – be sure to check out the full photo essay for the complete experience.

(Source: PetaPixel)