At night, a camera is blind. It faces the inky darkness of a pitch-black sky or the stark contrast of city lights and struggles to focus, let alone choose an exposure. "Auto" is useless. Night photography is thus a test of a photographer; they must know how to set a shutter speed for several minutes, how to freeze the motion of stars in the sky, how to ‘paint in’ the … [Read more...] about Astrophotography
Currents
Seeing the Value in Dark
Cemetery flowers in "Dark Spring" | Photo courtesy of Katherine Parsons Out of the darkness, bright tulips bloom. Others wilt and whither. In "Dark Spring," Digital Art Professor Katherine Parsons' art project, she explores how cemetery flowers reflect both life and death. This VR experience for Coaxial Arts in downtown Los Angeles focuses on the relationship between … [Read more...] about Seeing the Value in Dark
Sanctuary
Wisps of sunlight smothered like flames; Swallowed up by hungry mountains. A funny game to play; Silhouettes and shadows vanish. While sight becomes useless, Thought gains its purpose. No light is shed on this mess, So we can finally focus. Momentary troubles like landfills Disappear for the night. Thrills, kills and pills, Disintegrate until dawn. Darkness is … [Read more...] about Sanctuary
Enlightenment
Art by Savannah Welch As kids, my friends and I would turn off the lights and cover up the windows so that the shadows overtook the room. We’d all hide, as one person searched, arms extended, trying to separate darkness from darkness. No longer able to rely on mere observation, we had to feel our way through the world, to hold it in our hands, so we could tell the … [Read more...] about Enlightenment
Stories from the Shade: When Light Hurts
Photo by Milan LoiaconoIn a land of perpetual sunshine, it’s not easy to avoid light. And most don’t want to.But for some, light harms, prompting or worsening conditions like migraines, malignant skin growths or joint pain to such an extent that retreating to darker surroundings is necessary for relief. Senior Veronica Lempert has experienced chronic migraines since … [Read more...] about Stories from the Shade: When Light Hurts
