Light: Warmth. Energy. Optimism. Hope.

They all go together, don’t they?

Everyone knows that lighting affects mood. We light candles at dinner parties, throw open the drapes on a sunny morning and light the fireplace on a cold and rainy day.

Light also has extraordinary power to change our mood and emotions. With a camera we can create or coerce, the mood of our audience by changing the light too.

But honestly, sometimes we just need to show up.

Low-Light: Somber. Uncertain. Mysterious. Intimate. Dramatic. Ominous.

Low light situations can and will change the ambience of a photo, and do so with extremes. The high contrast and shadows contribute to the drama. In fact, reliance on the shadows reveal a more definitive subject and/or brings light to it.

Here, the 3D-cardboard art “Hoodie” haunts a tunnel of Lucca, in Tuscany’s underground. It is an eerie walk to the sculpture that stands 15′ tall, and is present below the bustling city.

Next, Arizona’s Chihuly exhibit is stunning during the day as it is tucked into to the desert landscape, but standing with the night’s shadows as a backdrop contributes to a more dramatic look.

The natural light of Antelope Canyon in Northern Arizona carries a spiritual ambience with the appropriately named, God’s Eye. Here, the natural art is relative to the time of day, and the sun’s direction, on the slots.

I loved walking into this view. The chef in the basement kitchen of a rustic, 13-century chapel, catapulted us to another time. I wish you could smell and taste his culinary masterpieces. Don’t you think the subtle lighting is instrumental in the all the feels of this traditional, Tuscan meal?

It was.

Photography always makes us feel something. Looking at others photos intrigues me, because I love to see different styles, and often wonder if what I am seeing is what the intent was. That’s art, isn’t it? And then there is our own photography where we capture that moment in time I always talk about. A moment we can visit over and over again. Often it is the lighting that evokes the sentiment.

But sometimes it is just because you know every word to the song and the light is the only item around that can be used as a microphone.

“You’re Welcome” – Moana

Disney on Ice

Wind Kisses, Donna

Shared with: Sophia at Photographias, Sunday Stills