Photographic Lighting
Writing and Photographs by Laura Maaske, MSc.BMC, Medical Illustrator & Medical Animator| e-Textbook Designer
Thinking about light laws–
There is, specifically, magic in an image, maybe in any image if the viewer looks the right way.
It comes (for lack of my ability to express it more clearly) from the ability of the image to hold an entire thing close: a small universe with laws that work together, all at once to reveal a piece of truth.
When I was a child, the homes of my friends were filled with statues, painting, plaques, and crosses of Jesus. If you saw images like these, I’m sure you wondered about them: why was Jesus always on the wall over the television, or the stove, the sink, the headboard, the kitchen table. These were not in my own home, or my family, but everywhere else. There was a particular image that affected me most: a dark image with a soft and gentle highlight ?point of light? on an upturned face, hands in prayer, babe, or beast.
It fascinated me to recognize, far too long and late after the impact of the image had changed me at the deepest level, that the artist had to be above its impact. The artist had to know what he or she was doing to create the holy content. The artist was using an unbreakable formula to get these results. The artist was (so it seemed to me, due to the lack of alternative routes of representing holiness) a prisoner to this formula as much as I was a prisoner to its impact.
Wondering about light and dark–
This insight comes as close to holding a cue stick (my metaphor for the source of all action in life itself) as I know: but still so many many steps removed from being the source of energy. My fascination with crossroads and breaking rules nobly comes partly from this kind of understanding.
Why must there be an overwhelming amount of darkness (warm, brown, red) to the small bit of light (yellow, pink, orange) in that kind of image? Shouldn’t God’s light be intense and overwhelming? Is relativity ever escapable? In later years, reading Jung, Campbell, Zen, and science with its opponent process theory, I found the idea that there is no such thing as light without darkness (no such thing as the division of any opposites). I felt intuitive truth about this. Still, always, I’ll be wondering how to break this law, beautifully.
What do you think? How has an artist’s use of light impacted your understanding of truth?
Laura
July 17, 2012
Laura Maaske, MSc.BMC, Medical Illustrator & Medical Animator| e-Textbook Designer
Talking to that law?
I found what you wrote highly interesting. I want to reply, but I don’t have time right now. Also, I want to read it again and think about it. I very much like your pictures, especially the first one!
Thanks Tom.
Best to you! -Laura