I went to a workshop on night photography last Friday night. I don’t use flash much (apparently, I’ve got a lot of company in that) so this was a chance to learn more about how to shoot movement at night with a flash.

We mostly photographed a group of skateboarders. They were happy to perform for us, and I’m sure all the workshop participants got good shots. But being someone more interested in street portraiture, I had to take portraits of them. Here’s one that worked. And yes, it’s fairly heavily manipulated, and the ones that follow are even more so. I know many photographers are opposed to that, but I see it as a way to make your photos stand out in a sea of similar images. And besides, skateboarding and skaters are kind of edgy, so it goes with the subject matter.

Here’s a fairly straight action shot. Still manipulated, though, for a more-unusual look.

And then there’s this one—deliberately not natural-looking.

Shooting with a flash at night took me out of my comfort zone. Not sure how long I want to stay out, but I like some of the images, so I may try it again on different subjects.