Okay, so I haven't ended up filling the pages like I suggested, but I'm working on it. It's all about the process, dude.
Today there was the most amazing light as I was leaving work; warm late-day light filtered through heavy clouds. It felt apocalyptic; no shadows, but much yellower than normal overcast light.
Dramatic lighting makes my life feel more interesting than it is, like when just the right song comes on the radio. The kind of light we had, I half expected to stop in the middle of the street for my close up. As though they needed to film a reaction shot for something dramatic happening off camera, like an alien invasion, or the return of my arch-nemesis, or something. If I feel like I'm in a movie, then I can pretend that there's some purpose to my life; or that I can expect some plot or character development, at least. Lots of fun, but when I tell people I really like the light it they're usually pretty non-commital. Don't other poeple have emotional reactions to light/weather/atmosphere?
In other news, what do you do when your friends are really into something that you'd rather not participate in? Especially if it has become a major focus of your friendship? I used to be game, but I'm less and less inclined to join in anymore.
1 comment:
The golden hour before sunset. The dawn's early light.
People do have emotional reactions to light, especially if they are visual creatures and take a moment to center themselves and breathe the air. People who walk or bike to work certainly have reasons to notice the weather. I used to do sky reports for somebody who missed seeing the sky.
That said, I don't usually burst out commenting on details of the day, other than "beautiful day." And let the other person focus too. It's so much better to savor the day, isn't it? To let it sink into your memory, let it sing to your mood? I don't need anybody else to agree with me to enjoy the moment.
I can remember when my first inkling of wildfire smoke was a greenish sky with a blood-red sun in the late afternoon, over ten years ago. They tell you if the sky goes green to look out for tornadoes. So I did.
Now I've seen a sky gone green or yellow from wildfire smoke too often since. There's a whole thing of art criticism that discusses how dramatic the sunsets are in 19th and early 20th century paintings because the smog was that bad (in London the smog was called the London Particular-- and indeed the 1952 London smog killed thousands of people and may have made 100,000 or more sick from it.) So yellowish sky... very ominious, yes.
I like a very nice velvety steel blue-grey clouded sky as a backdrop for lush green hills or bright autumn colors. Great light for photography, softens the contrasts. My favorite kind of day to get out and photograph anything. Clear blue skies just are too bright. Shadows are harsh and grass shines so much it can look white at times.
I noticed the date on this blog entry. September 10, 2003. Just 2 years before that, almost to the day, I remember stepping out and marveling at the beautiful September day, clear blue, not a cloud in the sky. A hour and a few minutes later, everything changed. Later, there was not a single cloud or plane in the sky when I went home. That was the emptiest I had ever seen the sky. So a clear blue sky in September can be ominious, too.
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