I shot this long exposure in the park of the wonderfully lit promenade – which is located along Regementsgatan across the street from Borgarskolan where Elle attends high school – last night at about 7:30 pm. For once it was completely windless in the park – which isn’t very far from the windy shores where we live.

I’d been meaning to return to this particular path before the leaves had withered or blown away, and last night was an optimal occasion for long exposures in the park. Have to mention that I did start the evening with a very juicy and tasty vegetarian burrito over at the Burrito Bar on Fersens väg. Probably the best I’ve ever had anywhere in Sweden. Aside from those I make at home…

Taking landscapes at night reminds me of analogue photography. I guess it’s the waiting for a long exposure to finish and the anticipation of how the photo turns out – which is not too dissimilar to what it was like developing a roll of film in a darkroom. You never knew for sure if you’d gotten all the settings right and if the image you had in your mind’s eye at the time the shutter button was released was what appeared in the tray. There’s more magic involved than during a daytime or studio shoot where instant gratification is, well, instant. My settings were ISO 100. f-stop 22 with an exposure time of 120 seconds.

Last night, I was focused on what is called “Blue Hour”, the hour that follows “Golden Hour” which in turn refers to the sunset hour. Whereas “Golden Hour” provides a warm, soft and flattering light with long shadows, “Blue Hour” is shadowless and colder but offers a gorgeous contrast when juxtaposed against a candescent light source or warm color hues, like fallen autumn leaves.

It’s clearly the case that I have fallen in love with Malmö’s public park with two names; Kungsparken and Slottsparken. It’s small enough to be walkable and offers astonishing variety that includes a moated castle, a couple of restaurants, a botanical garden, canals, beautiful bridges and even a casino. I’ve walked, biked, jogged and even paddled through the park – I was once a member of Malmö’s kayak club, which is also located there.

I spent about two hours photographing last night. It was the perfect distraction from my marathon video editing during the day.