Bounced Sunlight on a Plaster Wall
Comments: 5
This photograph almost shows the nice lighting that was at work here. Two old plaster walls face each other across a driveway. Mid-afternoon sunlight strikes the one behind me and is reflected back onto the wall shown here making it, in effect, lit by itself, or at least its twin.
And look how well the plaster is aging (ignore the crappy aluminium door). This is a finish I’d be quite happy with for an interior wall let alone the outside. No one has ever had the depth and breadth of examples of how things age as we alive today have, and yet we consistently make crappy choices about materials, choosing plasticy substances that look dirty and sad after a couple of years. Wear and tear should add to a finish, not lessen it.
That’s the whole secret of life, of aging well, right there in a plaster wall — let the cracks fall where they may, wear and tear should add to the finish, we’re best lit by those around us.
Here’s a larger version to download (1504*980px JPEG @ 72dpi, ~254K)
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Posted to Photographs • 2003.10.17 (Fri) • 22:11
Comments
Posted by Robert Daeley 2003.10.18, 01:05
Gorgeous photograph, Jeremy. Wish I could see it larger size. :)
Posted by hans 2003.10.18, 04:07
Beautifully said! I’ve been at a loss to explain my preference for materials such as glass, unpainted metal, stone and wood… and why my home has almost no plastic in it. I think you have finally given me an articulate explanation.
I prefer not to ignore the crappy door, it adds scale and highlights by contrast the texture of the wall. Don’t even think of painting that surface.
Posted by nick 2003.10.18, 15:57
like leather. everything should wear like leather.
Posted by Beaty 2003.10.18, 19:19
Well said!
I am afraid I am a bit of a ‘romantic’ when it comes to the deterioration caused by time. I enjoy nothing more than wallowing in the photogenicy of urban decay…Its such a profound statement about both our ill-found pretensions to immortality through the construction of material objects, and the certainty of our eventual physical and mental deterioration.
I’ve been meaning to undertake a photo-study at some of my towns urban ‘mortality’ for quite some time now - so you’ve given me the ‘kick’ I needed to start this.
;o)
Posted by David 2003.10.18, 22:31
Excellent composition and light and colours. The pohotos is great as a desktop background
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