This final project for me, came together when I realized what I have been drawn to photographing since my first photo class. We have spent the semester dealing with the term monster and its importance in understanding the “human condition.” I got to thinking about the ways that we can be monsters and the way that nature can be monsters as well. We (man and nature)are constantly destroying each other and ourselves. That being said, we are both monsters in a very real sense. For my final presentation, I wanted to show the exact opposite. With this image, I wanted to show how the light that nature creates and the light that we have invented work together to illuminate our world and make it extraordinary. Light affects how we think, feel, and love. It also has the power to turn the most ordinary things into something beautiful. If light represents life and darkness represents death, this image becomes a celebration of life.

After my experience working with mercury vapor lights and daylight-balanced film, I felt that the color shit they produce could be an interesting way to transformation an ordinary looking place. I also needed to have some daylight and a building that had tungsten (yellow) light shinning through its windows. To make the image work, I knew that I had to have some color in the sky. Sunrise on a partly cloudy day was the best time for me to shoot because of the colors you get in the clouds. There is also no one around to get in the way. So, I managed to get my ass out of bed at five one more time, so I had about an hour to find all of the right elements before the sun began to rise.

I shot this at f4, so there is very little depth of field. I feel that the shallow depth of field, the oversaturated colors, and the selective focus (the branches are the only thing that’s sharp) gives the image a feeling of two-dimensionality that makes it feel less photographic and more like a painting.

I love the responses that I have recieved from people when they see this image. I've had people tell me that its gorgeous and amazing; and I've had a few people tell me that it makes them want to vomit. So, whether they loved it or hated it, this image produced strong feelings in people, which means a lot to me.