One of the things I especially enjoy about photography is the ability to capture light. While it is an intangible medium, one can actually control every aspect of light with the correct equipment (which is typically less than you would imagine, I urge you to have a look at Strobist if you have no money but plenty of time and creativity). The camera can then capture these light rays that can then be shared with others at any time. I love going out at odd hours and taking photos in the darkness that would be impossible at any other time and being able to show them whenever the mood strikes me.
While I think Photoshop has been a tremendous boon to my creativity, I find these days that I'd rather just be out shooting instead of messing around with layers, filters and brush sizes. I try to avoid re-working my images except when necessary (a double exposure) because it saves me time and I like creating the images in the moment instead of trying to reconstruct the emotions I wanted to convey at night when the sun is shining and I have a very different way of seeing the world.
One of the techniques I have come to rely on involves no more investment than a decent tripod and good flashlight. It's what I used on the shot on the left of the barn wood. When it comes to night shooting, I like flexibility. I'm probably going to be trucking out somewhere in the middle of the night with enough gear already that adding a pair of off camera strobes and some coloring gel can be kind of a pain. They certainly have their uses, but for the most part I like to travel light. The technique simply involves a long exposure (typically 30 seconds) and then "painting" the flashlight across the scene. The trick is to keep the flashlight at the same angle and move your arm as a whole, not just the wrist. If you only move the wrist, the light will leave odd shadows across the object when you are trying to replicate one light source. You want as much control over the light as possible for something like this, so try to avoid evenings with strong moonlight or additional sources.
For this beach series I tweaked the idea a little more. For these shots I set up the 30 second exposure and then set the camera's 10 second timer to allow myself to get into position. By giving myself the 10 seconds to run to where I wanted to be I did not miss a moment of the open shutter. This is where a good sense of timing or excellent hearing comes into play, as with a wide angle like these it is important to be as far off camera as you can to ensure that this ends up being a side light for the shot and not a front light. Getting 90 degrees off the camera axis is very important when creating depth and giving dimensionality to objects. Holding the flashlight low to the ground gives the wonderful long shadows.
For this second shot, there was a sodium vapor streetlight about a quarter mile away that provided the very warm fill light on the shadow side. I like to use a cool white LED and color correct for that source to ensure that any additional light shifts warm, it gives a nice contrast to the many cool night images that one typically sees. A side note about equipment, intensity of the flashlight is very important for wide scenes like these. I use a great light by Fenix that changes from 9 lumens to 12 lumens with a twist. This allows me to set things up with the low level and then switch to the high level quickly when it's time for the shot.
8 January 2010: A classic technique for very long exposures in large open spaces with columns is what I call "sneakerflash." This involves taking an exposure with enough time to allow you to get out of frame off to one side and hit the test button on your flash. Very, very low tech but can result in excellent modeling of subjects in order to create depth. This is best accomplished with architectural or still objects. People can be done with it, but they typically require some amount of light in order to feel comfortable and this will result in blur for your eventual image. The one on the left of the Polaroid factory is a six-minute exposure with my flash fired from behind every column to the left and right.
19 January 2010: I've been talking equipment with a lot of people in actual real life lately and there seems to be a misnomer that everyone needs expensive gear to take any kind of photos. This is not the case. By a long shot. The best way I've ever heard it put is "The best camera is the one you have with you." This can extend to all of your gear. While it's awesome to have the latest carbon fiber tripod and ETTL3 flash with radio remotes, everyone has a budget. And the budget may not include much beyond the initial camera outlay, which can be more expensive than you had originally imagined.
So stop spending money. You've made the biggest investment already, a camera that allows you to take photos. Maybe you need a flash, maybe you only want to shoot available light. Maybe you need a tripod, maybe you're going to discover you like the blurry abstract streaks you can only get when handholding. The only way you're going to find out is by getting out and shooting. See what you like to shoot, see what interests you. After that, look at what you think would improve your images and see if there's a less expensive way to get it.
Want a tripod? What if a super portable $30 Gorillapod is what you're really thinking of? Get to a store and talk to someone who uses this stuff.
Want an off camera flash? Will a flashlight work instead? Strobists have proven time and again that there are inexpensive clever solutions to lighting issues, go talk to them, they are staggeringly smart and very open.
There are answers to any gear problem that do not involve outlaying more money to the likes of Canon or Nikon, don't let the camera store be your first stop until you can figure out what problem you want to solve. Sometimes the solution is going to be a new expensive lens but other times it's going to be a simple dollar hack to save yourself twenty bucks.