/ Intro
Capturing Darkness is an experimental, photographic exploration aimed at documenting the evolution of electric light and the effects it has on our night time environment. The primary focus of this investigation is to capture a sequence of long exposure photographs at night; progressing from an area with excellent dark skies to an inner city sky with extreme light pollution. The hope of Capturing Darkness is to bring awareness to the growing issue of light pollution. A video documentary will then be created that will highlight the explorations which will include interviews from notable designers within the architecture and lighting design profession.
// Location
// Lapland Wilderness, Finland // Amsterdam, Netherlands
// Location
// Lapland Wilderness, Finland Known as Europe’s last wilderness, the Lapland Wilderness in Finland will be a great place to start capturing long exposure photographs and video. Due to its isolation from large city centers, this location will provide a magnificent view of natural light phenomenon including the Aurora Borealis (northern lights) to star formations known as stellar nurseries. The sequence of photographs will start here and move towards Amsterdam which will begin to show the impact that cities have on our night skies and what we are missing.
// Amsterdam, Netherlands I have chosen Amsterdam as the terminus of the trip because it is home to some of the heaviest light pollution in Europe. Thus, will provide a stark contrast to the photographs taken during the road trip and from the Lapland Wilderness. Amsterdam is also the headquarters to Philips Lighting and will allow me to take factory tours, classes and learn about the newest technology in lighting - refining my understanding of the lighting design process and its effects on building users and the environment.
2 Days
1720 mi.
5 Day Drive
Finland Sweden
Norway
3 Da y s UK Germany
/// Purpose Taking a sequence of photographs and videos showing the glow of natural and artificial light will allow my colleagues, the larger design community, and I to see the beauty that exists at night and the harm that light pollution brings. Capturing Darkness will not only focus on the aesthetic pleasures of reducing light pollution, but also the effects it has on human health, wildlife, heritage, and energy. In turn, this will help strengthen my colleagues to be able to see and learn about the impact light pollution has on our environment, while I experience it first hand. They will also be provided with practical tools and tips to help limit light pollution in there projects and neighborhoods.
Excellent Dark Sky
Rural Sky
Suburban Sky
Altair Rasalhague
Cebalral Jupiter
Nunki Sabik
Suburban/Urban Transition
Inner City Sky
//// Itinerary
COPENHAGEN DESIGN INTERVIEWS
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN CITY LIGHT EXPLORATION
UMEÃ…, SWEDEN REST STOP
INARI, FINLAND LAPLAND WILDERNESS
INARI, FINLAND LAPLAND WILDERNESS
DAY FIVE DAY FOUR DAY THREE DAY TWO DAY ONE
AMSTERDAM DESIGN INTERVIEWS
AMSTERDAM LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY
AMSTERDAM CITY LIGHT EXPLORATION
HAMBURG, GERMANY REST STOP
COPENHAGEN CITY LIGHT EXPLORATION
DAY TEN DAY NINE DAY EIGHT DAY SEVEN DAY SIX
///// Impact
Capturing Darkness will allow me to understand my career interest and experience the world in which I live in a new light. Lighting has always been my passion. It has the power to hide, expose, manipulate, deceive, heal and guide. Lighting changes everything! While working at HMC, I am also pursuing my passion for architectural lighting. By furthering my understanding of light, through Capturing Darkness, I will hope to inspire and teach my colleagues at HMC about its possibilities. Capturing Darkness is not only an investment in my personal growth, but also in my professional growth and the growth of my colleagues. Capturing Darkness will allow me to experience light phenomena I otherwise might not be able to experience on my own, allowing me to become more rounded as a person and a designer.
Capturing Darkness will make my colleagues and myself stronger by giving us the opportunity to understand natural processes, provide us with an opportunity to learn about cutting edge lighting technology from the sources (manufactures), and by exposing us to parts of the world we have yet to see. Lighting is a very key component for our lives and has a large impact on how we, as humans, feel. Being involved in healthcare and education, my colleagues would benefit greatly from having a better understanding of those lasting effects, which include improved test scores in the schools we design and faster rehabilitation times in the hospitals we build.
What If this was our reality?
Instead of this...
Thank you for considering Capturing Darkness