Graftin’ in the Moonlight: Almost Half (44%) of Night Workers Prefer Hustling After Dark.

• Samsung shines a light on the UK’s night shift sub-culture, highlighting the people keeping the country ticking whilst the rest of the world sleeps.

• An intimate portrait series shot exclusively by renowned photographer, Ben Weller, on the all-new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which revolutionises the way photos can be captured, even in the lowest of light.

• Images have been brought to life with ‘The Light Shift Gallery’, a virtual experience narrated by Samsung Ambassador, Broadcaster, Author and Founder of Happy Place, Fearne Cotton.

LONDON, UK – 28^th February 2023 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd: Night shifts are on the rise, with nearly half (44%) of UK night workers now preferring to work alternative hours versus a traditional 9-5.

The research commissioned by Samsung (for the launch of the Galaxy S23 Ultra) also revealed that when it comes to the benefits of overnight grafting, 18–34-year-old night workers said the hours suit their lifestyle (49%), they feel joy from experiencing moments they wouldn’t usually in the day (37%), and they are more creative (23%).

Other key motivators behind this workforce ‘shift’ include peace and quiet (39%) with less or no people in the workplace, earning more money (35%) from getting more done and avoiding rush hour madness (33%).

However, whilst these shifts are on the rise, surprisingly, over a third (38%) wouldn’t consider working overnight as they deem the traditional roles ‘boring’. But they are about to be proved otherwise.

This comes as Samsung partners with specialist portrait photographer, Ben Weller, renowned for shooting celebs such as Saoirse Ronan and Josh Hartnett for the likes of Vogue and GQ, to shine a light on the inspiring stories of everyday people burning the midnight oil in unexpected ways.

The nation can explore these images in ‘The Light Shift Gallery’, a virtual exhibition narrated by Samsung Ambassador, Broadcaster, Author and Founder of Happy Place, Fearne Cotton. This launched today at: SamsungLightShiftGallery.com.

From the farmer caring for a new life at dawn, to the florist making overnight masterpieces. Armed with the new Galaxy S23 Ultra and its standout low light capabilities, Ben and Samsung scoured the country to capture an exclusive series of compelling portraits, of some of the nation’s most inspiring characters having all kinds of epic experiences whilst the rest of the world sleeps.

Helping to spread the word to young adults across the UK, Fearne Cotton, Samsung Ambassador, Broadcaster, Author, and Founder of Happy Place said: “Through my long career in broadcast, I understand the creativity and joy that can take place during the darker hours or morning twilight. From my early days radio presenting and now doing the Happy Place podcast and writing books – I get a real buzz seeing all the varied and creative work that happens before the sun is up. 

“I hope this beautiful series of smartphone portraits inspire others who don’t work conventional hours. They’re shining the light on all those who work hard when many others are sleeping.”

Of the collection, Ben Weller, Portrait Photographer, commented: “I’m passionate about my photography having a strong sense of narrative, so when I learnt about all the interesting things our ‘Light Shift’ grafters were doing, I couldn’t wait to help share their stories. I normally shoot my projects on film, so this was my first time using a smartphone, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Night Mode allowed me to take crystal clear images, even on the darkest of shoots. I’m excited for the nation to get a real sense of the overnight magic I’ve experienced.”

The ‘Light Shift’ Characters

Fearne Cotton, Samsung Ambassador, Broadcaster, Author and Founder of Happy Place, Richmond

• Fearne has long been an early bird, working irregular hours to suit her busy entertainment career. She now enjoys getting up pre-sunrise to get some writing away, using her Galaxy S23 Ultra to scroll for inspiration.

Photo credit: Priit Palumaa

Eric Emms, ‘The Stargazer’, Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, London 

• The founder of Baker Street Irregular Astronomers, where like-minded star gazers meet once a month at London’s darkest point in Regent’s Park, to explore the wonders of the night sky.

Nicky Paul, ‘The Twilight Florist’, Paradise Blooms, Birmingham

• Working her magic through the night during busy periods, florist Nicky Paul uses bright colours and textures inspired by her Jamaican heritage to add vibrancy to her epic floral displays.

Tom Shaw, ‘The Modern Milkman’, Leeds

• With a mission to help reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans, one sustainable milk delivery at a time, Tom Shaw co-founded the Modern Milkman and enjoys taking in the scenic routes on his revolutionised milkround.

Charlie Beaty, ‘The Night Watch Farmer’, Meridan Farm, Coventry 

• Working alongside her father and uncle on their family farm, Charlie Beaty is passionate about driving positive change in the agricultural industry.

Dannee Mcguire, ‘The Creative Confectioner’, Roly’s Fudge, St Ives

• Waking up pre sunrise to whip up mountains of fresh fudge for locals and tourists afar, Dannee McGuire gets a real kick out of continuing her family-run pantry in the west country.

All portraits were shot in low light surroundings and powered by the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s dynamic Nightography feature, which enables users to take vivid, highly optimised photos, even in the dark. Thanks to its innovative AI multi-frame processing, which combines 30 images into just one epic shot, colour and detail are optimised in every pixel.

To experience The Light Shift, please visit: SamsungLightShiftGallery.com

About Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

• The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra makes it easier for any level of photographer to capture phenomenal content. It offers Samsung Galaxy’s most advanced camera system, tailored for nearly any lighting conditions, and engineered to render incredible detail.
• Improved Nightography capabilities transform how the Galaxy S Series optimises photos and videos in a wide range of ambient conditions. Filming a favourite song at a concert or grabbing a group shot of friends at dinner — users can get sharper images and videos. Visual noise that usually ruins low-light images is corrected by a new AI-powered image signal processing (ISP) algorithm that enhances object details and colour tone.

About Ben Weller

• Ben Weller’s photography is distinctive for its strong sense of narrative. From high-end fashion, to documentary, he is renowned for creating imagery that is simultaneously strong, beautiful, and cinematic.
• Ben has collaborated with Burberry, Versace, Ralph Lauren and Emporio Armani. His work is regularly featured in global tastemakers such as Vogue, WSJ, and GQ and has captured famous faces including Saoirse Ronan, Michaela Coel Webb, Gillian Anderson Bill Nighy to name a few. Ben received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Brighton, where he was awarded first-class honours in photography, and now divides his time between London and New York.
• Ben took all images during the night and twilight hours using the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra device to showcase its sharp night image capture functionality.

Methodology

• Research was commissioned by Samsung UK & Ireland and conducted by
• OnePoll surveyed 2,000 Employed UK Adults (400 of whom work night/sunrise shifts) workers in February 2023.