Valladolid, Spain Week Six - Street lights

Someone asked why is European street photography so much darker 

when compared to most US street photography?

 Is it cultural, historical, physical, or just the photographer's preference?

My observation is:

 in the US, our city center buildings are relatively new, modern structures located on wide avenues, cloaked in hard flat surfaces: glass, stainless steel, polished stone, etc. All of these smooth polished surfaces reflect light. In some cases, sun-blocking mirrored glass on modern buildings actually amplifies the light, making everything around it brighter, including our street photos. Outside of the New England area, few American cities have neighborhoods of narrow winding streets. The wide broad avenues allow more sun rays to reach street level.

Most large European cities have a history dating back to pre-Roman times. Many of the city centers initially evolved with narrow winding lanes and streets. Their oldest churches and castles are of hand-chiseled stone and rustic brick. Many were finished with a sandy stucco. All of these materials absorb light 

and do not reflect it.  

With narrow streets, the number of hours a day when a direct light reaches the pavement is limited. Then, most of the sun rays are absorbed by the surfaces. That creates darker shadows.

This is analogous to sound. With hard, smooth surfaces, sound bounces off the surfaces, 

reverberating, even amplifying itself beyond the original level. Making the sound heard everywhere.

When the sound is produced in an area of uneven, porous surfaces, the sound is absorbed and muffled, not amplified. That can create dead spots where the sound is muffled.

But then again, it might be dark memories of WWII... as some opine.

******

Birds start looking for their evening roost though the sun is still well above the horizon.

Evening shopper... most grocery stores are open here until 9 pm.

It is normal to see many shoppers and pedestrians out walking until about 9 - 9:30 p.m.

After that hour, it's the shop clerks and teachers going home. 

The restaurant and bar workers are still on the job until 11 pm or later. 

Since this is a weeknight, not many are out and about late. 

On weekends bars and nightclubs are open til dawn.

By 10 pm, most Buses are making their last run of the evening. 

After ten pm, only a few buses on the main routes operate until midnight.

The city has both diesel and electric buses in its fleet. All of the larger electric buses are articulating with an 'accordion' section in the middle so they can bend in order to 

navigate the narrow streets and tight corners.

Not all the brick side streets are level and smooth. 

Actually, the only vehicles that use this street are taxis and private vehicles trying to reach 

their parking garage.

 Streetlights illuminate the way for people to safely walk home.

First, there were oil lights and candles, then gas, maybe arc lighting, then electricity to illuminate the narrow streets in Europe. Which occurred first depended on which raw material 

was abundant at a low cost. 

Cordoba, Spain claims to be the first European city to have public street lighting starting in the 9th century. Before that, only churches or major buildings might have night illumination near the main entrance.

This side street appears empty, although one person is still out.

Turning towards home myself, a beauty shop window reflects 

the lights of an empty street.

Fall is in the air; the yellow leaves are slowly releasing their grip with each breeze.

People walk faster to reach their home's warmth.

Pulling the wool scarf tighter, hunching my shoulders, I hasten on.

Ride safe, ride far, my friend

CCjon

Photographer Notes: The typical starburst effect from bright lights is not seen in these photos. Am using a diffusion filter called 'Cine Bloom 20%'.  The same filter is utilized in moviemaking to soften the undesired starbursts.  28mm,  f4,  1/60,  ISO3200,  +1.3ev