Friday, May 20, 2016

photography : in light and shadow

Our last house was all light and very little shadow. The front room was originally a sunroom so sash windows made their way across the entire frontage and halfway down both sides. No matter how grey the day was, it was always bright and white and, thanks to the fine linen curtains, easy to control.

Our new house has glorious big windows but they definitely don't stretch as far and wide as our previous abode. I never thought I'd say this but getting to know a new home is, for me, very much about getting to know the light. On the first morning that we woke up here I was boiling the kettle only to look outside and see the sun streaming through the fence and the plants; all dappled and bright - beautiful bokeh. It made my day! Over the past few weeks I've noticed how the clear autumn light makes its way from the side to the front of the house thanks to a desirable north-facing aspect, bright and vivid and, at times, creating bold shadows.

Habit can hinder your creativity and it definitely did mine since we moved. I was struggling to capture the same airy and light mood in my photos - impossible because the light is so very different. Once I let go of those expectations I rekindled my love of moody shadow, apt considering the season, too.

My photos are always reflective of my home; it's here that I spend most of my days - mothering, homemaking, working. Creative lessons have been profound these past few weeks and I've learned that regardless of where I live or where I travel to, it's best to capture the light as it is and not how I want it to be.



6 COMMENTS

  1. Your shadowy shots are just as beautiful as the bright sunfilled ones. Have a lovely weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That top picture could be Josephine! She has that hat and dress! Xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautifully put, I know I said this before but I love your writing. A good analogy with life overall too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful photos Jodi....my Blurb Project 52 book for 2015 is here and I love it and my 2014 book is on it's way so I should have it this week. It is such a simple project to focus on and I am so thrilled to have them in a book now. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  5. The lighting is beautiful, but I totally understand being disappointed by something at first. It's great that you've begun to embrace what is x


    Erin | beingerin.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for sharing. I was just saying something similar not along ago. Our home is more on the dark side light-wise. We moved here 9 month ago, that's a bout when I started InstaGram, and at first I was wondering how come my photo feed looked so dark. Then I realized that most of my days, just like you, were spent home and that home was quite dark and shadowy and I was just trying to make the best of it. I also realized that I had quite a hard time with photographing the outside of our home because we (very fortunately) live in Hawaii and the colors are so bright. The greens are extra extra greens even if you try to lighten the colors and I grew up in france where I was surrounded by pastel colors. My eyes are still adjusting to bright colors and while I find it beautiful whenever we go for a walk or an adventure, I find it hard to capture and embrace in my photography. But same here, I am learning to do with what's out there for me and I realize that I like getting out of my comfort zone, I am learning so much by being challenged and my eyes are learning to adjust and find beauty in everything. Love your posts, as always. Benedicte / happy-bandits.com

    ReplyDelete

© 2014 Jodi Wilson. You may not take images or content from this site without written permission.