Previously at Night: Ice Cream at Night - Michigan Street Bridge at Night - Buffalo at Night - Welcome to Buffalo

This will be a four part series of night photography around Buffalo, NY. Today, we are starting in East Aurora. The next three sequels will be Hamburg, Orchard Park, and Buffalo. We're also traveling back in time a bit to 2020 and some photos may date themselves as such. Can you spot them?

Nikon FM2n with 50mm f/1.8 Pancake35mm Film Camera Support this blog: Do you like my free content but are not ready to buy a photograph yet? Using my links (Amazon) to do your shopping helps me share more photographs and write the stories behind them.

For these night photography outings I loaded my Nikon FM2n with a roll of Kodak T-Max P3200 film. I like that specific camera for night photography because of its LED light meter that is very easy to see at night. On my other cameras, like the Nikon FE, I enjoy their analog match needle meters quite a bit but those become of limited value in the dark. And that's where the LED lights shine. I paired the camera with a fast 50mm f/1.8 lens to see through the night even better.

Let me get another technical detail out of the way right at the beginning. While I like the grain that film brings to the photography game I like it in measured doses. Based on my previous experience with this film, it came out of the developer rather thin when exposed at 3200. Setting my meter to 1600 and developing normally certainly worked much better for me. For this roll, I took things one step further. I exposed the roll at EI 800 (overexposed by 2 stops) and later developed for 1600 (1 stop pull) in Kodak XTOL. I'm quite happy with the results and will stick to this method in the future unless I absolutely need a higher ISO. However, it turns out 800 speed film and an f/1.8 lens are a great combo for night photography, whether black and white or color.

Rookies Sports Bar and Grill at DuskEast Aurora after Dark

Rookies Sports Bar and Grill at Dusk, Night Photography, East Aurora, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FM2n on Kodak T-Max P3200 Black and White Negative Film

Nights in the suburbs can be devoid of people even under normal circumstances but these photographs document September 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. I never went after documenting that period directly but the emptiness definitely crept into some of my photographs, like here, and you can definitely spot other clues about the times.

Aurora Theatre Showing Fifty Shades of Grey SweatpantsEast Aurora after Dark

Aurora Theatre Showing Fifty Shades of Grey Sweatpants, Night Photography, East Aurora, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FM2n on Kodak T-Max P3200 Black and White Negative Film

The Head over Heels Women's Boutique across the street was just about perfect for a night photograph. I definitely enjoyed the brightly lit shop window.

Head over Heels Women's Boutique after DarkEast Aurora after Dark

Head over Heels Women's Boutique after Dark, Night Photography, East Aurora, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FM2n on Kodak T-Max P3200 Black and White Negative Film

And we're going to close today off with an East Aurora classic, the Vidler's store. It opened in 1930 during the early days of the Great Depression and despite the odds made it and is a staple on today's East Aurora's Main Street. The first photo captures the store at dusk before things turned dark. In the background, you can see "Vidler on the Roof", or the store's long-time president Edward W. Vidler, welcoming you to the store from its rooftop.

Vidler's 5 & 10 at DuskEast Aurora after Dark

Vidler's 5 & 10 at Dusk, Night Photography, East Aurora, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FM2n on Kodak T-Max P3200 Black and White Negative Film

And then the night settled in. I always enjoy the one-figure clock when walking along the Main Street. Alright, it is not a clock but a thermometer but I always go through these thoughts. Too bad there was no illumination in the actual clock in the background, that would have made the photo even better. I don't know if that was just a malfunction or if it is never illuminated and now that I realized it I may have a new reason to revisit the location.

Vidler's 5 - 10 & $ at NightEast Aurora after Dark

Vidler's 5 - 10 & $ at Night, Night Photography, East Aurora, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FM2n on Kodak T-Max P3200 Black and White Negative Film

So there you have it, this has been Part 1 of Nights around Buffalo. I hope you'll be back for parts 2, 3, and 4. Thanks for stopping by!

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All posts in the Nights around Buffalo series: #1 Nights around Buffalo, East Aurora - to be continued

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