Under the Cover of Darkness: Nightlife Reopening on Film

"We’ve Lost Dancing": A chant repeated throughout the song Marea (we lost dancing) by Fred Again… and The Blessed Madonna. This song was released as a response to the whole nightlife industry suddenly gone overnight. With things picking up again we look at how nightlife is reopening around the world and asked a few Lomographers how they felt when they could finally dance again.

France

"To me partying is being with your friends in a club and dancing all night long. What I love most is taking pictures of my friends and people in these places in a certain mood, I love to catch the Rock n Roll feeling of the night and the vintage feeling that is in the air." -@missxparamount

Whether with flash or with lowlight, these photographs by @missxparamount and @axgentik provide us a look at what nightlife has been like in the past months. Intimate raves and blurry nights out, these photos capture the essence of youth culture.

Thailand

"I'm much more comfortable these days [and I] almost returned to normal life but [I] still have to wear a mask because in my country it is compulsory. I go out with a small group of friends and take pictures every Wednesday of the week and have fun." -@amp_puttipong

Beyond clubbing, @amp_puttipong shows us what it's like to see Bangkok at night as he visited a street fair and a yearly art exhibit located at an abandoned mall in the heart of the city.

Canada

"It was great! It felt weird being around so many people but it was well worth it. Also, the concert hall let me bring my point and shoot in and I snapped a few pics that I'm happy with. I just hope the one flash photo I took didn't bother anyone." -@jayckub

Concerts and gatherings are at full swing at the Great White North with pictures from @jayckub, @samuelsnow, @rachjang and @lonesome_picture showing us crowds enjoying live music once again and the artists having a good time.

Russia

“We had online raves during the pandemic and many gabbers arranged home parties in their companies. Unfortunately, I didn't participate.The first rave was at the beginning of July 2020. the level of parties was weak - many were afraid of covid and there were also restrictions.

In general, it was interesting to return to the rave after four months of sitting at home, a lot of new people came, and everyone wanted to have fun, wanted to live, and became more open. the hardcore scene got stronger only in the fall” -@nila_may

@Nila_may brings us with her to the underground scene of gabber clubs. Reopening early than most of the world, nightlife in the Russian Federation has been going strong for two years.

Spain

“Being able to relive again the energy to meet people from everywhere surrounded with atmospheric sounds after a pandemic episode, has been a shot for our senses. I can see big smiles, good vibes, and people dancing and raising hands again. Action in my eyes made me smile again after a period where there was nobody. Music is union, the perfect excuse to conspire against the silence of a dark stage from our age. And, of course, with the Lomo LC-A+ capturing that communion!!” -@jmcedo

Warm embraces are felt all around with these pictures by @hachejulio, @anemonauta & @jmcedo showing us how Spain is back to partying all night

United States

"To be completely honest it felt (at first) a little disturbing. You could sense that people were not fully at ease, a bit nervous as if we had forgotten how to socialize or even how to move our bodies in these spaces. Now that time has gone by and live music is a reality again, I can say that there's something very joyful in the air. Sharing those moments: going to the movies, dancing, listening to music, talking to people in the streets, and bars; are real occasions to confirm that after all, we aren't so alone. Right ?" -@delphioc

The United States has many cities with their own unique take on nightlife. Lomographer @filmspence showcases the nightlife of Dallas can be with country fairs, and a diverse selection of live music making a return to the southern city. Meanwhile, @tracyvmoore, who is from Issaquah, Washington, shows us an intimate night with his friends at a local bar. Finally @delphioc shows us a glimpse of New York nightlife from her recent visit to the Big Apple.

Poland

"So... The Pandemic Era... Everyone [was] locked in their houses [and] had no clue what will happen tomorrow. Concerts at the "Turkusowy Domek" dinner club are a great opportunity to test the limits of night party photography on a black and white film. This time the challenge was faced by the Ilford HP5 + pushed to 1600 to take advantage of the darkened space. The grain developed in the HC-110 always looks very interesting, in this case, it behaved perfectly in my opinion, adding to the atmosphere of a smoky nightclub space. I noticed that after the pandemic everyone was eager to spend time with friends, and the celebration itself became more intense." -@stonerr

Birthday parties and smokey clubs are back as @stonerr and @californialove show us good times at the Polish Capital.

Taiwan

"Actually, the pandemic did not affect Taiwan for that long, it [was] like [a] few months. But still, when the bars and clubs were banned at that time, I felt part of me and my life was taken away. The first night I [was] able to party again after the pandemic, I feel overwhelmed, and emotional that all the good memories came flashing back. I feel...ALIVE, and finally got my life back." -@bellechennn

Niche and underground clubs were some of the hardest-hit businesses during the pandemic. With these shots from Taiwan, you can say that these safe spaces bounced back hard and partied even harder.

Argentina

'It feels great to be able to go out again at night, I have a band, and thanks to that we [can] play in many places! Look for us on Instagram!! We are @dumchica" -@ramapampin

Warm-colored nights are back in Argentina as @ramapampin, @babsbozzolo and @luciamenendez show us how they party under the neon lights.

Philippines

Nightlife returned here in the Philippines around September of 2021 but it wasn't until March of 2022 that life started to feel almost normal. I played at the first big rave in the country last April called UNKNWN: Returns and it felt so magical to perform and dance with the community again.

With nightlife reopening comment your nightlife or clubbing memories below. How did it feel to dance again after so long? For more nightlife stories feel free to message @rocket_fries0036

written by rocket_fries0036 on 2022-07-24 #culture #people #night #nightlife #music #parties #disco #techno #community #friends #clubbing