Luminesce

Luminesce: to exhibit luminescence.

Luminescence: the low-temperature emission of light (as by a chemical or physiological process); also : light produced by luminescence

Luminesce, luminous, luminescent. It’s all about reflected light. Painting with light, as though the camera is my paint brush.

I shot these photos recently for my final project in my Art Photography class. I had resisted signing up for this class, even though it is required for the certificate. I figured photography is all about learning technical skills, not creativity. Besides, I already have an art degree…I’m already creative, right?

As it turns out, this has by far been my favorite class. The teacher encouraged us to dig deep and take chances, and she made it feel safe to do so. She gave honest and constructive feedback, as did the entire class. After so many classes with very specific requirements and no room for creativity, I felt very much at home with this freedom.

With a few trips to the 99c store I had a solid collection of colored glass. The sun was out and I lined up the glass on the cement patio and played around with the composition, using various lenses and aperture settings.

This project was more about textures, shadows and light. Not so much about the subject. I wanted to create an image that allowed the viewer to slow down and gaze at the entire photo.

I’ve been fascinated with reflections of colored glass since childhood. The stained glass windows in the Catholic church I attended as a kid was a constant source of inspiration.

I can see myself creating very large prints of this type of work. The computer screen doesn’t do it justice. Seeing a printed, tangible photograph, is a different experience, especially these days, where just about everything is virtual and on screen.

Thank you for joining me on this mini studio tour of my creative work. I hope you enjoyed it. 🙂