Our world is as big as the candle we carry

Since my introduction to photography in high school I’ve been in love with Light.

Long before I understood aperture, exposure or composition, I sensed that certain qualities of light carried emotional and even spiritual force. The qualities of light—its softness, direction, contrast, intensity and mystery—could transform ordinary things into something extraordinary.

Over time I came to understand that for me, photography was not about “capturing” images. It was about learning to see more deeply, and by engaging my aesthetic preferences better express my appreciation for a subject’s being. It’s how I became less interested in subject matter, far more the radiance flowing through them.

It was also the reason why I stopped using the label “Fine Art Photographer.” The more accurate description of my practice was simply “Contemplative Photography.” My approach shifted from making art to making meaning when I began using my images to spark contemplations. For instance, the above image evokes in me considerations of the first light of the universe, a result of the great expansion or Big Bang. By trying to stay current on the science of astrophysics and cosmology, my imagination takes me there—and further back.

Like the universe, light expands in all directions at once piercing the darkness. It’s this expansive feature that gives rise to its use as a metaphor for birth, awakening, increased awareness and spiritual evolution.

Whether on location or working in my basement studio, my first consideration was always the light—its angle, brightness, contrast and the modulation between soft diffusion and crisp specularity. Because color tends to capture our attention first, my preferred medium was and remains black and white, which emphasizes the qualities of form, texture, simplicity, contrast and geometry.

Working in this manner and reflecting on the results over time, I noticed that certain qualities of light triggered my transcendent nerve.

The word I use to characterize this feeling is “Numinance.” Quite often, lifting a dripping wet print from the tray, it could take by breath away. Now, with digital printing, it’s more rare.

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary,

Aaron Rose, Film director, artist

The Science

The essence of light—what it is—remains an open question.

After a lifetime of investigation, Albert Einstein admitted that he never understood what light actually is. At the atomic level a unit of light is referred to as a photon, but that’s just a label to describe a packet of energy that has a fixed speed but no mass and can behave as either a particle or a wave—depending on how it’s observed.

Photons are entirely different from matter, yet they give rise to and sustain matter. They’re produced when energy is either added or subtracted to an atom, causing an electron (best conceived as an energy “field”) to jump from one orbit to another—amazingly, without crossing the distance.

Gazillions of these events happening together result in the streams of light entering our eyes.  Physicist David Bohm saw these emissions as “information, content, form and structure itself, regarding light as “the potential of everything.” Max Planck said, “The photons which constitute a ray of light behave like intelligent human beings: out of all possible curves they always select the one which will take them most quickly to their goal.” What scientists know of the cosmos and its many features has largely been gained studying the frequences of these emissions.

Years ago, friend and portrait photographer Walt Weidenbacher even referenced light as a guideline for living. He said, “The world is as big as the candle we carry.”

Having been fortunate to interact with many people who radiate light through qualities of character, refined personalities and expanded consciousness, it gives me joy to think of them and know that they’re illuminating the darkness, making a positive difference in the world. Although we don’t see them in the popular media, my sources indicate their numbers are growing rapidly, especially among young people.

I imagine you can name at least three people you’re interacting with right now who are “radiant”— sources of light. Who brightens your day? Who do you want to engage more often, and in meaningful conversations?

A deeper question would be to ask the nature of their radiance. Specifically, what are they radiating? Joy? Kindness? Genuine caring?

And what am I radiating? What am I putting out there? Is it authentic relative to my reason for being here? How big—bright—is my candle?

Light created the eye as an organ with which to appreciate itself.

Johann Wolfgang Goethe, German writer, philosopher

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My other sites:

David L. Smith Photography Portfolio.com

Ancient Maya Cultural Traits.com: Weekly blog featuring the traits that made this civilization unique

Spiritual Visionaries.com: Access to 81 free videos on YouTube featuring thought leaders and events of the 1980s.