Mr Night
Artist: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
Song: Mr Blue Sky
Album: Out of the blue
Model: Tinkerbella
Location: Nr Ufton Nervet, Berkshire UK

ELO were another of my guilty secrets. I loved them even when my friends and I hated (or told each other we did!) anything commercial. They were uncool to like at school, not ‘edgy’, alternative or punk. I secretly played 'Out of the Blue' at home on my old record player. I adored Jeff Lynne’s musical arrangements and found the songs operatic. Clever, musical with brilliant craftsmanship and artistry. The lyrics never moved me which is why I struggled to come up a with a line or song to use from the album. In the end, I plumped for their best-known track.

It’s a simple and literal take on the line but has a meaning we all understand. Mr Blue Sky eventually gets taken over by Mr Night. Always. I don’t see night-time as a cloaked and dark figure taking something away from me. In fact, I like the mystery and excitement that it brings. I’m a night owl and enjoy the darkness as much, sometimes more, than daylight. I often shoot at night and when I think about it, my happiest times have been out of daylight hours.

The shot was created in a dark, dank, mosquito ridden but beautiful forest. We took it (accurately enough), at dusk, as the blue sky surrendered itself to the impending gloom of darkness. It took a while to get right as, due to an equipment malfunction, I had to take the shots on self-timer and reset and compose each one until we got it right. As I’m ‘Mr Night’ in the shot it made it even more awkward. The mozzies had a field day!