65. When Daylight Fades, Look for Illuminated Art
It’s the dark part of the year. By the time I’m ready for my afternoon photowalk, there’s barely any daylight left — golden hour starts before 4 p.m., and by 5 it’s fully dark. Not only does that make walk-around photography harder, but it’s also a little depressing. So the question becomes: what can you shoot and what will lift your spirits?
My answer: photograph illuminated art. Around the world, light-art festivals are multiplying — the Amsterdam Light Festival (which starts this week) is a great example. Here in San Francisco, we have Illuminate (now called City of Awe), with projects like The Bay Lights, as well as Let’s Glow SF. And it’s not just outdoor events. Museums that blend science, art, and technology are often reliable, year-round sources of light-based artwork. San Francisco’s Exploratorium is one of the most popular.
That’s where I started my light photography this year. Last weekend, I visited the Exploratorium’s annual Glow exhibit, a well-loved winter showcase of luminous and interactive installations. It opened recently and runs through late January. Both the Glow exhibits and the permenant exhibits were great subjects.
Below are some of the images I made — and below them are a few tips for when you head out to photograph light-art installations yourself.
Light-art subjects work well because they offer strong contrast: typically bright, saturated lights against dark surroundings. But they also come with challenges. If you usually rely on auto-everything, you’ll need to take control of exposure and white balance.
Two tips:
Under-expose. Your camera will often overexpose as it tries to brighten the dark backgrounds (it doesn’t know that’s supposed to be dark). Underexpose 1 to 3 stops (or more)— exposure compensation is the easiest way to do this; just use the negative numbers.
White balance matters. Light-art installations use strong artificial color, so Daylight or Auto WB may not reflect what you saw. I tested a few settings and settled on Shade, which produced the truest color. Your exhibit might need something different, so experiment.
If you want to stay closer to home and photograph your own or your neighborhood’s holiday lights, Jason Odell has a helpful article:
And if you’ve made it this far and want a little humor about the early darkness, here’s a cute video from the Holderness Family:
This week is Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and I’m lucky enough to be spending it in warmth and surrounded by family. The holiday itself may be American, but its core idea—pausing to recognize what we have—is universal. Wherever you find yourself, I hope the week offers a moment to reflect, reset, and appreciate what’s good in your life.
Warmly,
josh
This is great advice and resulted in very cool images!!
(If the ever-shorter days in Oslo weren’t bad enough, the dense cloud blankets lately in the mornings makes daybreak arrive that much later. Truly very 😱, but seeking out creative lighting is now on my ToDo list. Thank you!!)