Make it light

Photography is all about light, even the word itself means ‘writing with light’.

Morning light colors solemn calligraphy of bare trees.

201 04 sunrise 068ed

Rich, copper-colored evening light fills the air with lush thickness.

sunset

I took this photograph in May 2013. I was on my way home when the Moon started coming out of the peach-colored clouds just minutes after the sunset. Astonishingly big, it was slowly rolling behind the mountain ridge. I quickly took some pictures and drove up to the mountain top in hope for a better view.

moon

Unfortunately, the Moon sank in the thick clouds and left me in the dark. I had to drive down the road that was barely wider than my car. Still, there were a lot to admire, especially the lace of different silhouettes against the dying sunset, and Clonmel, Co Tipperary, at my feet. Photography never ceases! 🙂

night

The light can stream through the gaps in the clouds, or between the tree trunks in the forest, creating  crepuscular rays. The rays in this photograph look like they have circled a sample of ferns to be taken to the alien spaceship.

light

This is a photograph from my trip to Rome. I visited Vatican, and had a plan to climb up St. Peter’s Basilica Dome. This plan was a reckless affair since I am quite claustrophobic, and at that time I also needed a walking stick. If you have any questions, no, it wasn’t a pilgrimage, and I didn’t expect to come down jumping stairs two at a time, and leaving my walking stick behind. I might write a separate story about that Rome trip.

Anyway, before the epic climb I peeked inside the Basilica. At certain time of the day, you can see crepuscular rays streaming inside from the different windows. I was lucky to observe these beautiful phenomena.

The most interesting thing about light is that its opposite, darkness, doesn’t exist. Darkness is only the absence of light, and therefore we cannot do anything to change or remove darkness itself.  We can affect darkness only with light. However, darkness is a very important opposite – we know what is light only by darkness.

cashel

This is a photograph of my Dad, it was taken in 1937 when he was seventeen. He is my light.

My Dad left this Earth 31 years ago.  I have only a few photographs of him. After he died, Grandma turned to the worse, and one day she managed to put almost all the family photographs in the fireplace. When my mother asked her why, she said that she was afraid. Some day I will write about whom she was afraid from, and why.

My Dad had an extraordinary life. His integrity, tact, good disposition and genuine empathy towards any human being earned him respect from people of different backgrounds and cultures.

‘Learn’ – I heard this word every day. He knew the value of light.

In Jodi Picoult’s book ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ there is a scene where Sara recalls a fight with her sister Zanne about the light left on.  “You can make it dark, but I can’t make it light”,  says Sara. I want to rephrase this sentence – I can make it light. You can make it light. We all can make it light.

inesemjphotographyHave a wonderful Sunday!

134 comments

  2. I enjoyed how you showed us different ways light creates different effects in photographs, Inese. The light filtering through the woods and through a cathedral window were grand examples. While the light from outside featuring green scene while the arch in darkness creates it’s own presence. Having a nice evening with my grandson and watching a Hallmark Valentine’s movie. He is relaxing and cuddling up. 🙂

      1. Your photos show such sweet little darling’s, Inese. It is a great weekend and glad life is treating us easy and peaceful in our personal lives.
        Wish the world could “rest easy,” too. ♡♡

  3. It’s not just the light, it’s also the eye. While all your photos are awesome, the one of the door is especially striking. Not everyone could have gotten just the right angle along with just the right light.

  4. Beautiful photos, Inese, and I love the sentiments about your dad and what he meant to you, all the stories in here. I, too, am fascinated by light and gravitate toward the myriad ways it changes our world and our perceptions. Wonderful post 🙂

    1. Thank you so much for your comment! February is the saddest months for me. There is so much about my Dad I don’t know, and I will never know.
      Light is life, and it is true not only for photographers 🙂

  5. Lovely post! I like the lightness of the first picture and its nice background. Yes, the photography is all about light. Your learn how to spot good or interesting light. The forest scene must be delightful to see. You closed the post nicely.

  6. You have some lovely photos there. The third is my favorite with the colors and the bridge. Part of my family came from Glanworth in Co Cork, which has an ancient bridge with many arches.

        1. I am so glad to hear that you know your heritage. I just had a breakthrough in my family history work 🙂 It happens very seldom, and it is always a miracle when you find something about a deceased person born in a different century 🙂

    1. Thank you so much for your comment! It is a long story, and I am afraid that when I share it, many of my followers will leave me – this story is pretty much about politics, and most of people cannot tolerate each others political views. Especially when their political choices are based on happy ignorance 🙂

  8. I like your comparing the bare trees to calligraphy….as a calligrapher, I always see them that way. And…moon-chasing is a lovely thing to do, but one has to be careful because she (the moon) is a very fickle friend! Lovely post, Inese.

    1. Thank you so much for your comment, Cynthia! That moon chasing was not a clever thing to do, as I see it now. What was I thinking about.
      Thank you again! Have a wonderful Sunday!

  11. Incredible use of light in all the photos! That last photo of the open door is probably my favorite. So sorry about your dad.

    1. Thank you Jan! My Dad left way too early, but he is still remembered. People who met him once, never forgot him, and I am not exaggerating. He had a modest career in engineering, stayed away of politics, never been to church, but people would come to him for advice, and he would help out, always.

  13. This is lovely Inese. Words and images woven so beautifully together. Your father does indeed look like a fine man. I’m glad you can keep him memory alive even without lots of photos.

  15. Beautiful Flow and transitions! I love the one of your dad and how he
    Is your light- 💚and imagining oh get the moon shot is just fun!

  17. Beautiful photographs that you have taken and I love these next lines to describe photography Photography is all about light, even the word itself means ‘writing with light’. Also a nice tribute to your father and he does look gentle.

    1. Thank you so much for your comment. February is the month when I think about my Dad a lot. Yes, he was very gentle, but he survived hell, and not once.

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