Dance in Darkness

My sustained investigation is an exploration of using low lighting to draw attention to a figure in a larger space. At first, I wanted to shoot cityscapes or explore social documentary, but after looking at some of my older work, the low-light shooting encapsulates an idea of mystery and solitude that really connects with me. I find that the most powerful art tells a story and inspires the viewer to think, and low-light allows both. It presents a single frame of a story, but leaves so much unknown. In traditional photography, side or front lighting is typically employed, but I was curious to see how lighting changes a scene when it’s behind, obscuring it, blurring the line between the observable and imperceivable.

I experiment with figures, scale, and lighting to add intrigue. For example, in image one, the figure is standing leaning with a leg up, with focus on both the scene and figure. In image two, there is a close up of a hand and sheet music, with a more intimate feel clashing with the innate mystery of the style. Lastly, in image three, we get a much wider view of the figure looking small compared to the rest of the scene. This variation allows me to develop my inquiry’s style with slightly different feels.