Description: Light band across columns in afternoon light
Background: With plenty of windows on the western, southern, and eastern sides of the house, I witness changes in sunlight patterns over the year. For some reason, the specific set of windows through which the sunlight washes in conveys a mood and a feeling that I cannot really explain. Eastern window sun is bright and cheerful, hopeful and welcoming all year round. Southern window sun, present only for early winter afternoons, is reassuring and comforting. In summer, trees and the sun’s overhead position make it a winter treat to be wished for. Western sun is present all year, but only briefly in summer. During the short winter days, it seems to hang in the sky to the southwest at just the right angle to make late afternoons richly golden.
For a few weeks in late January to early February, the sun pours in through a high-bay window letting in a blinding rectangle of light that falls across the dining room. At the right moment, one can feel the reflected heat from the walls and floor as it warms the room and asserts itself. Having seen this many times, I wondered how it might look on film. My new-to-me 65+ year-old Minolta A rangefinder needed to be tested, so I loaded the camera with TMax 100 and waited for the late-afternoon show.
Technical: Minolta A rangefinder, 45mm f.3.5 lens, f6.7; Kodak TMax 100
Frame Works?: Yes! Much of the reason I like black and white photos is the way they show the interplay between shadows and light. For me, the starkness of the contrast between bright light and deep shadow does more than merely focus attention—it is an allegory for life.
