JANUARY 17, 2024 KATE MOTHES

Skyway Bridge, Chicago (2023). All images © Dave Jordano

Dave Jordano’s atmospheric nighttime images of American towns cast urban landscapes in a unique light.

“Night photography is one of the most challenging aspects of photography, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much,” says Dave Jordano, whose atmospheric images cast landscapes in a unique light. The Chicago-based photographer gets to work after the sun goes down, traversing the streets of cities and towns, most often across the U.S., where he seeks illuminated  corners, architectural curiosities, and urban idiosyncrasies.

Paxton Inn Motel, Paxton, Illinois (2018)

Purity, Fort Bragg, California (2023)

“For me, it’s mostly about the quiet solitude, the empty streets, sometimes surreal nature of a city that looks and feels as if it’s frozen in time,” Jordano tells Colossal. His photos invite us on a journey through American towns in the late hours when they are not often observed, devoid of people yet hinting at their presence through an illuminated kitchen windows or an open tavern door. He adds, “The pace of everything slows down, and time becomes irrelevant. Under this artificial light, the buildings often take on a theatrical look as if they’re performing for me, showing me their best side.”[,,,[

Temple Bar, Midtown, Detroit (2022)
More: After Dark, Dave Jordano Photographs the Idiosyncratic Personalities of American Towns — Colossal