ON MY RADAR

Mood Change

By Alana Celii, Photo Editor for The New York Times

In Emma Mead’s image, a woman in white appears haloed and washed in a deep, inky blue. The blue hour, from the French expression l’heure bleue, is the magic hour between daylight and night when the luminosity of the sky matches that of the earth. Coined from a concept rooted in 19th-century Romantic literature, the phrase conveys the misty blue twilight of a summer evening. During that time, painters also used the cool tone palettes of the hour to convey pessimism and longing. As with Mead’s photograph, the blue haze is haunting, transforming the image into a dreamscape that evokes contemplation and isolation. + @theemmaexperience.com

PHOTO © THE EMMA EXPERIENCE