"Waiting for the Sun"

   I named this post after the obvious issue I was having the day I took the photographs above.  While I will admit that some of these shots turned out kind of cool due to the roll the sun was playing in them, I will state that I was getting a little frustrated by that infamous, "ball of fire," in the sky.  

   Before I started this blog I never put much thought into lighting when it came to photography.  I find this kind of amusing now, due to the fact that I was an art major in college who took at least one photography course and several drawing and painting classes.  If one really considers it, in art lighting is everything.  Maybe my lack of regard, or understanding, of this is why I had such a difficult time portraying things realistically.  I often heard from my professors that my work was stylized and leaned heavily toward the illustration genre.  At the time, I did not fully understand these statements.  I believed I was painting the world as realistically as I saw it.  Perhaps I was, and maybe that says a lot about my perception of things.  However, that is a topic that simply cannot be explored in just one post.

  Returning to the subject at hand, I now understand that light has been something that has been absent from most of my artwork.  I believe this is the biggest reason that most of my representational pieces, while often engaging in subject matter and emotion, are largely unrealistic and dismissed to the world of illustration.  Not that there is anything wrong with that!

   While taking pictures outdoors for this blog, I have had to deal with many different lighting scenarios.  Dealing with these situations has enabled me to have a better understanding of how light changes the overall appearance of its subject.  It can totally alter the tone, mood, and clarity of a photograph.  For example, light can make an individual appear sickly in one picture and magical in the very next.  As I stated before, lighting is everything.

   While I may have been frustrated while taking the photographs above, due to the fact that I was constantly, "waiting for the sun," I will state that I now fear the lack of it.  Unfortunately, it's time to face the fact that winter is almost upon us.  The days have gotten significantly shorter and now I find myself waiting for the sun to actually appear, rather than wishing for it to move out of the way.  I acknowledge that the sun gives us light, which then reflects color, ultimately allowing for beautifully coordinated outfits.  Also without the sun, how would I be able to wear these fantastic sunglasses?

-r.

Jacket:  GAP 1969

Shirt:  7 for all mankind

Jeans:  GAP 1969  (Upcycled with custom Keith Haring patches by me)

Sneakers:  Converse by John Varvatos 

Purse:  Matt & Nat

Necklace:  Vintage  http://www.shopelofson.com/

Sunglasses:  COLE HAAN