My strange photos of light

I’m a bit late to this part of the Field module. I started it when I got the brief. I had some good photos too. But then I lost my camera. I thought I’d just forget about it. But it has since been made clear to me that this is a mandatory part of the course. So i borrowed an Ipad and took some photos. Let’s get this over with.

 

The brief was to take photographs of light and shadow interacting in interesting ways. I decided to approach this by trying to take the strangest photos I could. Playing tricks with the camera to see create illusions or even abstract pictures, and a couple that just look cool. I hope they impress.

This is not the moon, or a photo of the sun from space. It’s a disc-shaped fluorescent light up close. You can see it again in the photo below. And yes, the light is on.

For some reason up close the camera can’t show the lit area around the light when the photograph is up close to the light. It will only show the light itself and cast the wall behind it in a darkness that isn’t there. Creating the illusion that the light is just floating in space. I love it!

Also score one for humans. I can see light where the camera can’t.

 

 

Here’s one where light and shadow zig-zag. This is an open room that turns into a corridor. The room is well lit, but the corridor is only partially lit. Casting shadow into the centre of the picture. Almost sucking you in. The only thing keeping the darkness at bay is the disc light from the above photo. Surrounded by shadow, it seems to shine in the darkness.

There’s also darkness at the top the photo. Where the downwards-facing room light does not reach. And a little dark near the bottom of frame as well.

A room may seem well lit. but it is covered in darkness and shadows.

 

 

Here’s  another example of the up-close light illusion.  This time using a square ceiling light. The camera is further away this time. Meaning the ceiling can be seen. But it still looks like it’s in darkness. Once again, I assure you. The room is fully lit up. The camera just can’t show it at this distance. I don’t know how it works. But I love the atmosphere it has. Moody but also chill and relaxed and kinda playful. Like an album cover. I could see in on an indie or Prog rock album.

 

 

Here’s another neat gimmick I came across. What do you think that green light is? Is it coming off the lamp? Maybe it’s a lense flare? Actually it’s light being reflected off the very Ipad I’m using. But perfectly angled to look like the ceiling light is directly causing it, Plus it just looks cool

 

 

I don’t even know what’s going on here. Not only does this light seem to be shining way brighter than it actually is. But there seems to be a semi-solid halo coming out of it.

I took multiple versions of most these and just showing the best ones. But If you see one the variants I took of this one

You’ll see the “halo” isn’t there. But the light is shining even brighter than before.

It must have been something about that specific angle and distance that caused the halo effect.  

 

 

Speaking of variants. My friend MacCory was very keep to help out we did a lot of shadow work using either his hands or wire mesh projected onto a wall. Here are some of the best examples,

I don’t know why white light turns blue so easily. But the effect here is downright sinister, And the distortion on the shadow causes it to not even look like a hand at all. More like some sort of alien creature.

Showing the power of manipulation again. The hand is now in view. But the shadow it casts looks more like the Tower of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings. You would never know a hand was creating this ominous silhouette.

And now we have gone back into abstraction. Not only would you not guess that this is the shadow of an arm without me telling you or context. I bet most people would not even guess this is a shadow.

And shadows don’t just come in cold blue. I really don’t know how we got so many colours in here. Orange, red, pink, blue and little touches of green and purple. It seems more like a gentle watercolour painting than a photograph.

 

 

As I said earlier. MacCory also helped me do photos with wire mesh shadows projected onto a wall. Out of all of them, I think this one is the best.

Once more, totally abstract and I love it. It looks like another album cover. But this time more like something from an industrial rock band or an experimental musician.

There’s a rhythm and an elegance to these harsh shadows that I find quite haunting.

 

 

But I did do more figurative work as well.

There is no illusion with this one. Beyond maybe getting a good angle. Avias was working late after everyone else had gone home (Apart from me). She hadn’t turned the lights on, so she was illuminated by the glow from her monitor, Her deep black hair blended in nicely with the shadows. Making it look like her face is floating in the darkness. It gives her an oddly calm and angelic look. I like it.

 

Light is a very tricky thing. Here is a corner that divides two corridors. One lit, the other not the difference is almost literally night and day. All I had to do was zoom in and this plaster structure starts looking like painting or even some kind of flag. So precise is the divide of light from dark. Of black from white.

 

 

This might be my favourite illusion. It seems to be a view of nature at night fenced off from a street. But in the top left corner there is a row of computers  in a well lit room. How can this be? Is it a collage? Did I edit this in photoshop? No! I never learned how to use photoshop! All my pictures are unedited and taken in the moment.

This photo is taken from window next to my desk, looking down onto the park. The row of computers is in the room behind me The bright lights turn the window into a semi-effective mirror. But I am blocking out most of the light Allowing the camera to see the view bellow. In fact you can see my rather distorted hand near the bottom left corner. It’s a neat trick and just a cool looking image over all.

 

 

Here a good example of how light can take a away an objects definition. Look at this radiator. The top half of it is in shade and the lines of the grill are in sharp relief. But down below where lit is lit up the lines just fade away. I like how the shadows zig-zags with wall. It’s not what you’d think. But that’s life. I always has cool surprises for you

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And finally this is my favourite pic I made.  It’s of the two overhead lights in the Heart space (a sort of breakroom/common room in the animation block) at night. Even when all the lights are turned off there’s a small green light that glows in one of the overhead fixtures I don’t know why it does. Maybe as a safety precaution? But it looks beautiful. It casts an eerie, mystical glow onto the other fixture and the wall behind it. It’s like nothing-else I’ve seen. So faint but so peaceful. It’s this magical little secret that people pass by everyday and never know is there.

By rendering of it here has reduced it to its simplest components A light, a disk, and faintly illenmened wall somewhere behind it. I has a nostalgic quality to me. Like the first time you see a real full moon. It reminds me of music of REM. Sad, but fun and a little exciting and comforting.

This one makes me genuinely glad I did this exercise. It has enriched me both artistically and personally. So for that it has to be my favourite one here.

 

And there you go. I put a lot of effort into this journal. I hope it was worth it.