SAHARA Highlights: Night

“I love the silent hour of night,
For blissful dreams may then arise,
Revealing to my charmed sight
What may not bless my waking eyes.”
Anne Brontë

Most of the photographs in SAHARA are taken during the daytime, but a significant number are taken at night. Some architectural photographers prefer dusk, when the sun has just slipped below the horizon but there is still plenty of light. Some like urban scenes of people partaking in what is appropriately called nightlife. Some photographs capture the full night, when spaces that are crowded during the day are nearly empty. The longer shutter speeds required at night often result in blurred automobiles and pedestrians. Art Deco buildings were designed with the knowledge that they would be dramatically lit and seen at night.

Whether you prefer to shoot by day or by night, please consider making your own contributions to SAHARA.

To see more SAHARA content: sahara.artstor.org/#/login
To learn more about contributing, visit: sah.org/sahara



Anish Kapoor, Cloud Gate, Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois, 2006. Photograph by Said Al Mahrouqi (July 14, 2022). Known as “the Bean,” one of the most popular sights in Chicago, it is part of one of the world’s largest permanent outdoor art installation.



Charles Murphy, Daley Center, Chicago, Illinois, 1965. Photograph by G.E. Kidder Smith. This shouldn’t be a good photograph; it’s blurry and off kilter. Yet it captures a time of day, dusk, and the clothing of the central figures gently references the spirit of the 1960s.



Davis & Wilson, Love Library, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1941–1943. Photograph by Said Al Mahrouqi (February 13, 2023). This image was captured during the annual "Glow Big Red" fundraising event, held in mid-February to provide support for various university programs.



Zaha Hadid, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1999–2003. Photograph by Jeffrey E. Klee, 2008. Hadid’s first major public building.



Bertram Goodhue, Nebraska Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1920. Photograph by Said Al Mahrouqi (December 16, 2022). The famed skyscraper is lit from without while the offices lining the mall are lit from within.



Thomas W. Lamb, Lincoln Theatre, Miami Beach, Florida, 1936. Photograph by Peter Clericuzio (August 8, 2013). The Lincoln Theatre served as a movie house for over 45 years, before closing in the early 1980s. It sat vacant until bought in 1988 and renovated for use by the New World Symphony until 2009, when it was sold again and converted into retail, in which capacity it currently serves (as of 2013).



Jaume Plensa, Crown Fountain, Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois, 2004. Photograph by Said Al Mahrouqi (July 14, 2022). Crown Fountain has two glass block towers, 50-feet tall each, on either side of a reflecting pool. The towers display video images of the faces of 1,000 diverse Chicago citizens on LED screens. Water flows from the screens, appearing to spout from the faces' mouths, reminiscent of traditional gargoyles in fountains.



Andrea Palladio, Antonio Rizzo, and Bartolomeo Bon. Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace), Venice, Italy, 14th century. Photograph by William Kessler, 1965. The palace is a prime example of Venetian Gothic.



Theodore Zoli, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, Omaha, Nebraska, 2006. Photograph by Said Al Mahrouqi (December 4, 2022). The bridge connects Omaha, Nebraska, to Council Bluffs, Iowa, over the Missouri River. At night, the bridge is illuminated by thousands of LED lights, making it a popular spot for nighttime strolls.



Thomas Heatherwick, Vessel (Structure), Hudson Yards, Manhattan, New York, 2019. Photograph by Said Al Mahrouqi (March 15, 2023). Vessel is a new type of public landmark, and it’s the central feature of the main public square in the Hudson Yards development, one of the largest real estate projects in American history.