Divine Light

[...] when you let the sun peep in a shuttered room

pouring forth the brilliance of its beams into the gloom,

and you'll see myriads of motes all moving in many ways

throughout the void and intermingling in the golden rays

as if in everlasting struggle, battling in troops,

ceaselessly separating and regathering in groups.

Titus Lucretius Carus, On the Nature of Things

©Tanya Decheva, Ravnogor, 2016

As you probably already have heard the word photography comes from the greek roots photos (light) and graphe (drawing). When we combine them we get the famous phrase drawing with light. But is that what photography actually is? If you type that in a search engine, you'll get results referring to an actual technique called light painting. It is made with a slow shutter speed (long exposure) and a moving light source that literally leaves traces like a pencil on a piece of paper.

©Gjon Mili, Pablo Picasso as he created a light drawing, 1949, The LIFE Picture Collection

But light in photography is much more than a tool for "drawing". Photographic images are possible because of physical and chemical (in film photography) reactions. Photons, light particles, reach a light-sensitive surface in order to register what lays before the camera. In some way it's more of a scientific approach to preserve the world as we and the camera see it. 

©Tanya Decheva, Central Balkan National Park, 2017

You see light is responsible for the way we persieve the world, well our eyes and nervous system also are. All objects that surround us reflect light in a certain way and when that light reaches the eyes we can distinguish forms, figures, dimensions, tones, color, texture etc. Photographers learn how to use that in a way that can not only document the world, but even transform or distort it. When you know how to use light in your advantage, that's when you can start creating somewhat artistic photographic images.

©Tanya Decheva, Sinemorets, 2020

Let's get personal. As long as I can remember I've been fascinated with the way light can affect a certain place, a scenery, a face, an object. I have developed a way to see the world, not just to look, but to actually see. If you try and separate your rational thought from what your eyes notice and sense, than your perception of the world focuses on just spots of light and dark tones, different colors, figures. That in a way helps you compose an image a lot easier. And after that you turn on the thinking part of your brain and add meaning to what you photograph. 

As you read trough this text you might have grasped my respect and admiration towards light and what it can create. If you think about it the most ordinary object can transform to something extraordinary just because of light. I'll stop right here and now, because I can go on about this all day long. I hope you enjoyed my meandering. 

©Tanya Decheva, At Home, 2020