Week 1: Stairs, but Wheres?

Greetings fellow lightphiles! Edgar Khatchatrian here with another “bright” idea about the photo above. Today, we’re going to take a look at the effects of the shadows in this particular photo as opposed to the light itself. The photo was taken at 5:38 pm early evening, sun was still outside but it was on its way to setting. On the opposite side of this photo out of frame, there are three light sources cast on the railings of the stairs, the sun from a sliding screen door, a kitchen light, and a living room light. Some of the lights are closer or more intense as shown by the angle, clarity, and contrast of the shadows they cast against the tan wall.

            When there is a subject with a pattern, in this case the pattern of the ascending poles of the stair railing, and there are multiple light sources on it from different angles, it seems to give of the impression that there are multiple of the cast subject at different locations when there’s only one. Another way this effect could be expressed is it appears there are multiple dimensions that are seemingly intersecting one another against the same plain of the wall behind it. My first instinct when looking at these shadows is to try and make sense of it; to find a recognizable pattern or shape that I can comprehend. As it turns out, it’s very difficult to do that with this lighting effect. The resulting emotion I feel is that of confusion/unsureness, a general lack of confidence in something.. Physically, it gives off a kind of shadow vertigo; as if I’m trying to focus on something with incorrect prescription glasses.

            There are some interesting practical and metaphorical uses I can already think of for an effect like this. For something more practical, you can use multiple lights on the same subject to create a pattern of that subject against whatever you cast it on. An example could be oddly misshapen prison bars using just one bar and several lights. I believe the metaphorical uses of this effect would be more useful and interesting. Such a jumbled effect would do wonders in representing the inner mind of a character falling into a state of delirium. The loss of sanity or a grip on one’s own life could very potently be represented through the lighting (more so shadows) with this effect.

            That’s all my thoughts on this week’s “light of my life”. Thanks for clicking in and I’ll catch you lightphiles in my next post!<3