What is Not Quite Light? Not Quite Light is a photography project started by Mancunian photographer Simon Buckley back in 2015. At the very beginning of the project Simon didn’t quite know what it would be or that he’d even still be doing it a decade later. It all began as a way of using photography to take his mind off personal issues back home as he navigated an uncertain time in his life working through a divorce.
When asked about the project, he told me ‘Not Quite Light is how I document the changing cityscape of Manchester. It’s about how the old city and new modern architecture coexist together.’ The Not Quite Light project isn’t just about stills photography though, although print sales from Simon’s late-night excursions help him earn a living. Not Quite Light is also the name of his photography podcast which goes out on Reform Radio.
Alongside his camera, Simon steps out into the darkness armed with a microphone and loves to record the early morning soundscapes from cars passing, rain falling and birds singing – these are just as atmospheric, peaceful and texture rich as his photographs. On his podcast he often talks through what he’s seeing and talks his photographic process out loud in real-time.
He’s sometimes joined by friends on photo walks to talk about the history of Manchester. I found it fascinating and is well worth a listen – you’ll find the podcast on his website notquitelight.com
How do you approach low light photography?
Simon confesses he’s been a slow adopter of digital but now loves what you can achieve when the camera isn’t restricted by the film ISO loaded into the camera. He told me that with his pictures he’s always trying to evoke emotion, speak to the future and create a unique piece of artwork rather than a carbon copy of the world.
Simon’s approach is minimalist, using a full-frame Nikon D850 DSLR paired with a 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens – you’ll find no fancy tilt-shift lenses here. He also has a more recent full-frame mirrorless Nikon Z6 which is lightweight and ideal for when he’s out scouting locations and travelling light. Simon uses a Manfrotto tripod to stabilise his shots for long exposures at night and uses a cable release to avoid camera-shake. He also has a spirit level to make sure his camera is perfectly straight so that vertical lines of buildings stay straight.
Many of Simon’s images have deep tones and rich colours and I was surprised to learn that his images aren’t an HDR (High Dynamic Range) composite but in fact use all of the detail from a single RAW file. He prefers to get the image as perfect as possible in-camera, shooting with a low ISO of 64 or 80 and a long exposure somewhere in the region of two minutes long.
Growing up in Bolton but living much of his life in Manchester, Simon has grown to know some of the best spots to take photos, though he often goes on long walks to scout out new vantage points, too. He told me, ‘I find it difficult to be a tourist in your own city and remember what there is to go and do, so I make an effort to get out and explore new locations in the city looking for interesting patterns, shapes and form.’ Simon also uses an app called Lumos which helps him to plan around where the sun and moon will rise and set, though he added, ‘sometimes I prefer to not know where the sun and moon are as that can all be part of the fun of working with the light you’re dealt with on the morning.’
Shooting predominantly at dawn I asked him about the blue hour, to which he replied, ‘I think it’s fitting that twilight is also often called the magic hour – it’s easy to lose track of time and can feel elastic. When I’m photographing buildings in this period, I’m aware that there are people inside sleeping, unaware of the world turning around them. I feel like I’m shooting in another world and it’s the perfect place for your mind to play tricks on you. Misty mornings and fables of ghost stories are fertile grounds for your mind to go wandering.’
Simon’s most viral photo is called ‘Rainstorm’ and is a soggy humdrum view across a busy Deansgate intersection in Manchester taken on an iPhone 6S back in 2019. It shows everyday life as people and cars try to get to their destinations in a heavy downpour while the industrial Manchester cityscape looms heavy in the background. Rainstorm is also coincidentally one of Simon’s most popular photos after going viral and selling many prints, though Simon was keen to point out that it was a bit of an aberration being taken on an iPhone and not the sort of photo that would fit into his project in its current form.
Speaking about the project, Simon revealed, ‘I was quite fortunate as an architect firm called 5 Plus Architects just so happened to be following me on social media way back in 2015 and got in touch and ended up commissioning me to put a book together which would show the contrast between their digital CGI mock-ups of buildings against how they actually look when they’re built against the mess of the world and that helped fund me for a year whilst I was still figuring out what the project would be.’
With the stormy weather giving a heavy atmosphere and slick reflections on the tarmac streets I asked Simon if inclement weather was preferential to his architectural shots to which he replied, ‘There’s an element of that and bad weather allows you to get pictures that others simply won’t get if you stayed warm and dry indoors. But my dream weather scenario is overcast or broken clouds which diffuse the sunlight. When I’ve nailed down a shoot date down I set my alarm and stick to it regardless of the weather. It’s all part of the fun and a roll of the dice – I never quite know what to expect.’
What have some of your sketchiest encounters been?
Roaming the streets at night isn’t perhaps the safest profession so I was sure that Simon must have had some interesting encounters over the past decade to which he revealed, ‘On a recent shoot around Plymouth Grove a group of three homeless people pushing a trolley missing a wheel came up to me and asked if I’d seen their missing wheel. I made a joke that I’d keep an eye out for it to keep it light and non-confrontational – fortunately they went on their way.’
‘The scariest encounter was when I was backed up against a wall by a middle-aged man who was paranoid and convinced that I was taking photos of him. There was a moment where I thought this could go really wrong but I eventually managed to deescalate the situation. In a hurry to get away I’d left my microphone behind and he came running up to the car with it to hand it back to express that he wasn’t a thief! It made me wary of going out at night for a few months’.
‘Aside from that I’ve been quite lucky to have very few bad encounters over the years and whilst shooting with a friend would be safer, I’ve learnt I really need to be on own to create my photos – there’s something about being isolated and on edge that heightens the senses and I find it helps me to create better art. I feel like I’m cheating if I’m accompanied, though I do enjoy late-night walks with friends talking about the history of Manchester and running photo walk sessions with photography groups, too.’
What’s next for the Not Quite Light project?
Although mainly focused around his hometown of Manchester, the project has taken Simon to places including Macclesfield Forest, Dartmoor and even the Scottish Highlands. I asked if he would venture further afield to which he replied, ‘When I started the project, I thought that I might take Not Quite Light on tour around the country visiting different cities from one month to the next. But I’ve realised that I’m drawn to my hometown Manchester – I’m endlessly fascinated by the city and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.’
Not Quite Light is now in its 10th year so I asked Simon what’s next, ‘While I still love photography, I do find it a little limiting and I have a strong love for audio and interesting sounds too. I may find myself creating more video content where I can put these two together. I started photographing B&W in 1987 so I might also go back to my film roots and experiment with black and white photography to change things up and add a new challenge.’
Handles: @NotQuiteLight / notquitelight.com
Further reading
- The Best Lenses for Low Light Photography
- Top low Light Photographs
- How to Photograph Low Light Urban Landscapes
