Reykjavík Museum of Photography

"Nightlight" is the title of a project by German photographer Henning Kreitel, which he created during his stay in Iceland. The project, he says, is a ”visual composition” inspired by the interaction of gardens and houses in the old city center of Reykjavík in relation to the light that surrounds them. The architecture in the city centre of Reykjavík is well suited for the layered composition. The strong outdoor lighting and its interaction with the natural darkness create  a light situation that gave a special mood to each structure and enhanced the colors to be photographed. Without this interaction of lighting and structure it would have been impossible to capture the mood of the composition. Kreitel decided to capture this ”visual composition”, also  to address the issue of light pollution in the city. 

“The method I employed for this project was to approach different types of backyards, look for interesting angles to combine the position of constructions layered within the nature surrounding the houses. To obtain the desired effect I experimented with time exposure in intervals of 1 to 3 minutes so that the camera lens would capture accurately the sources of light. This technique makes the pictures appear to have been taken during the day. My ambition is to create a visual effect that will trick the audience to trust their initial thoughts about the pictures, yet through closer observation, the position of shadows reveal that the photographs are scenes taken during the night. The result is a “visual poem” inspired by light and structure, a critical reflection of how we use light as a resource and an acknowledgement of the light transition in the sky.”


Henning Kreitel works in the field of photography and lives in Berlin. He stayed for 6 months in Iceland and studied at the Iceland Art Academy under Guðmundur Oddur Magnússon. Currently he is working on his "last year project" at the Art Academy Stuttgart.

Henning Kreitel│Nightlight

"Nightlight" is the title of an exhibition by Henning Kreitel in exhibition space Skotið.

Hen­ning Kreit­el│Night­light

"Nightlight" is the title of an exhibition by Henning Kreitel in exhibition space Skotið.

Henning Kreitel│Nightlight