For this exercise I selected two locations: my log cabin in my back garden and my village church.
The log cabin
I set my camera on the tripod and left it in one place for a number of days taking photos at different times of day and night. This resulted in the following set of images.
These images were taken at different time of day and in different weather.
This is the log cabin early in the morning. The sun is still quite low in the sky so light is still quite dim. There are no strong shadows but the sky is still very light so it is difficult to capture it without compromising the image of the interior of the cabin.
For this image I opened both doors so the light comes through into the cabin without any obstructions. This also opened the interior space and make it look bigger and lighter.
I shut one of the French doors so the space inside is more enclosed and more defined. There is less light coming from the door and a light shadow is now forming behind the closed door.
This image was taken in the morning just before a meditation and yoga practice. It is one of the examples showing how the living space changes throughout the day.
This image was taken in the evening with the light turned on. I closed one of the French doors so the light from the lamp stays inside the cabin and list up the door and the wall. There is now a chair near the door suggesting that the space will be used for reading and relaxation. The light from the lamp is beautiful and it completely transforms the space.
A brighter morning light with some more defined shadows this time. The dog is doing yoga!
This is how the log cabin looks later in the morning on a very bright day. The doors are shut but the light still shows on the wall just above the lavender basket.
The above three images show the log cabin lit up by various artificial light sources in the evening and it is interesting to see just how different the same space could look and feel.
This is the log cabin in the early hours of a morning. There are deep shadows in all corners as the incoming light only reaches the central part of the floor. It is hard to see the details and even separate the individual objects on the floor.
Another morning in the log cabin and what a big change in how it looks! We can now clearly see the plant on the left, the lavender basket and the music system. The dog peaks its head in through the door to have a look. The light is even now and all the corners could be seen clearly.
These images illustrate that the the light makes a fundamental difference to how a space looks, feels and experienced. The images show the log cabin at various points of a day and night so we clearly see the light changes making the interior space looking different.
My second example of a local church illustrate how the changes in the weather influence the appearance of a space.
The first image was taken on a bright afternoon when the sun was just starting to get down. The light in this image is strong and produces crisp, sharp shadows on the floor and the wooden panels. It makes the interior space of the church look bright, inviting and uplifting.
My second image was taken on an overcast morning. The shadows are now coming from the left hand side windows and the space looks reflective, dreamy and quiet.
Both of the above images were taken roughly from the same viewpoint.
I also took a number of image of the church interior from various different viewpoints to catch the play of light.
My lessons and conclusions:
It is interesting to notice how we shape and change our living spaces as we get on with our daily tasks. The log cabin is used for meditation and yoga in the mornings, for work and reading during the day, for relaxation in the evening and sometimes as sleeping quarters at nights. Through these activities the spaces around us are in the constant flow of changes, they never stay the same. I captured some of these activities and some of the changes in my photos – a yoga mat on the floor, the dog entering the room, people using the space.
The change of light transforms the place beyond recognition: the photos taken in the evening, at night and in the morning look different, as if taken in different places.
Light helps to paint the mood of the place – the log cabin looks magic when lit up by the candle light.
It is worth spending time to watch the light changing it as it helps to establish the best time to photograph the space.
From the technical point of view, it could be quite challenging to photograph the interior when the sky is visible through the window. The difference in steps is just too great so there might need to be a compromise.
From the technical point of view, it could be quite challenging to photograph the interior when the sky is visible through the window. The difference in steps is just too great so there might need to be a compromise.
