Week 51 - Photography as Metaphor

Winter Solstice

This scene would benefit from a passing stranger or even a wandering dog or cat. I could have waited. But, the ethereal light drew my attention in the absence of a stray subject. Having just read the brief story "The Shortest Day" by Colm Toibin, I was thinking about the historical significance of the winter solstice. The story's setting is Newgrange, a burial chamber in Ireland built circa 3200 BC. The rising sun only lights its passage and hall at the Winter Solstice.

This moment reminded me of the images I've seen of Newgrange. Light can be a dramatic subject, and the year's darkest day can trigger metaphors. Black and white photography, in particular, provides a layer of abstraction that allows metaphor to unfold. In the context of the winter solstice, the day's light represents a new beginning and emergence from the dark. We have turned a corner.

Here, the sun is not visible, but the light is dominant as it pokes around the building, leaving a jagged shadow on the path. The lines converge in a downward direction, suggesting a climb's end.

The constraint of a square crop continues to pose challenges. A horizontal aspect ratio, rather than a square one, would more effectively utilize the lines.

f5.6 1/500 sec ISO 200 December 21, 2022