Thursday 5 February 2009

A week of water


For the past week I've been creating a series of photographs that show the effect of light on water. I have chosen the same viewpoint and a similar time of day, around 7:45am and taken a photo of whatever light conditions are present.

This past week has been either frigid or warm and wet so the light wasn't brilliant, however the variances in the light, while subtle on some mornings are present even if at first glance there seems to be just grey. And some mornings on the drive to where I take the image, I see glimmers of sunrise through the clouds that I know will have disappeared by the time I reach my destination.

I don't know if I have the dedication to create a 365 day photo project of this viewpoint, but I think that a week a month may be interesting, more so if I choose the days that the lighting is at its most appealing artistically.
Having the record of light conditions on water will be very useful to add to my references.

The water around Newfoundland is, for the most part, very clean and clear. The clarity of the water inspired this piece which is shown on my blog Illustrated Life. The rocks lying just beneath the surface add another dimension to the play of light on the water. While photos don't give the whole picture, they can serve as a bridge between real life and the studio work and in this climate are almost essential as winter makes plein air painting difficult unless from the confines of a car.

7 comments:

Making A Mark said...

I find the changes in light to be just fascinating. Some of those colours seem to manage to be both subtle and rich at the same time.

vivien said...

lovely changes of colour and mood :>) this is exactly what appeals to me to paint.

It must be lovely IRL - the camera never picks up all the colours we see.

Cathy Gatland said...

I really love this painting - soft and subdued, but so much going on.

Lindsay said...

Even if you only snapped a few pix in each season, you'd have a rich record of light. These are really beautiful

Jeanette Jobson said...

The change in light is very interesting and I find myself nearly going off the road some mornings watching it! Its a dangerous occupation this water project!! :)

Gesa said...

It is fascinating what variation even a set of weather conditions which seem so similar creates. I think that is one of the key advantages of having a 'visiting frequent and keeping records' project has. It's very useful! And beautiful, too! Hm.. I think I will need to think harder about a spot to visit frequently...

Laura Frankstone said...

I love seeing these variation in light and color, Jeanette. Thank you so much for posting these.