Week 46 - Light in the Darkness

Darkness, Darkness

In addition to cold and damp weather, late November brings shorter days and immersion into darkness. It reminds me of the song captioned above. For me, thankfully, the evening is a quiet comfort, serving as a transition from day to night.

Unfortunately, we don't all respond to this the same way as we now know that seasonal affective disorder, appropriately referred to as SAD, is real. And that transition is never so literal or dramatic as the weeks leading up to the Winter Solstice.

What's this have to do with Photography? Similar to the season, our perception of viewing a dark photo is different, as is our response while photographing it. The darkest of images require a touch of light to attract the eye. Does the darkness represent a threat, or the opposite, an opportunity for a quiet moment? Does the glimmer of light provide comfort or accentuate the dark?

By definition, black-and-white Photography is about light and dark via the gamut of the many shades of grey between the two extremes. Additionally, the psychology of color is not available in black and white. So tones are our only resource.

Using an S-curve in a photo's composition is a known technique to lead the eye. But to where does it lead? In this case, it leads to shelter. Consistent with my finding comfort in the dark.

f2.8 1/30 sec ISO 500 November 18, 2022