Light is part of our everyday experience. It is so important to us that indeed we cannot exist without it. Light is probably the first thing we noticed at birth. Yet in our adult lives we take light for granted. We pass our days mostly unaware of light and notice it only when it is gone. Instead of looking at light we tend to concentrate our focus on the objects light illuminates.

For artists light and its effects are a major concern. Around 150 years ago the French Impressionist painters revolutionized art by concentrating their efforts not on the subjects in their paintings, but on the light their subjects were immersed in and reflected. Photographers give tremendous consideration to light. They pay close attention to its color qualities
and intensity.

Throughout each day the quality of sunlight changes. The most sought after light is at the beginning and end of the day. Known as the “magic hours,” the light one half hour before and one half hour after sunrise and sunset is coveted by photographers and filmmakers alike. At sunset and daybreak light is filtered through a wide swath of the earth’s atmosphere. During twilight sun reflects down from the earth’s upper atmosphere and is diffused by dust particles giving it a warm and rosy glow.

There are two types of light in photography: available light and flash or studio light. Available light is ambient light of all types. It includes sunlight (often referred to as daylight) and artificial light from sources such as street lights and flames. Photographers often use only available light, but at times may chose to enhance available light by adding a flash or stand lights.

Just as there are two sources of light, there are also two types of light: direct light and indirect light. Direct light may be from the sun or an artificial source. Direct light is strong and creates high contrast in photographs with bright areas of white and dark cast shadows. Indirect light may be either defused or reflected. Defused light is sunlight filtered through clouds or mist, or artificial light filtered through a scrim (fabric filter). Defused light has a soft, even quality and can be very flattering when used for portraits. Reflected light is light that has bounced off a reflective object such as the side of a white building or a hand-held device known as a reflector. Like indirect light, reflected light has a soft, even quality. Reflected light is often used in conjunction with direct lighting as “fill lighting” to reduce or eliminate shadows. 

When viewing the photographs in this exhibition, please take a moment to consider the artists’ use of light. Each artist’s consideration of light and the choices he or she made before taking the photograph have directly influenced the final image and have imbued each with a distinctive character and mood.


The Artists in the Looking at Light Exhibition

Kathleen Blackburn (sculptor)

I have always been an observer, appreciating works of art, taking art history classes in college, visiting museums, studying art, but never creating. That all changed when I started to sculpt at The von Liebig Art Center with my mentor and artist/sculptor Phil Calabro. It has changed my life. I am no longer just an observer, but a participant in the creative process!

I sculpt only in clay. It is so forgiving and demanding at the same time. A stroke of a tool can change the entire look of a piece. That gives the sculpture infinite options.  But, clay also demands that the artist knows when a piece is complete.

The most amazing experience for me in sculpting is that there always needs to be a “discovery moment.” A “discovery moment” is when I begin to work I know what I want to create, like a horse. I will begin to work on the horse and all of a sudden I sculpt the eye or the mouth or tilt the head and in an instant the finished piece will flash in my head. I know the personality of the piece. This “discovery moment” is part of the process and it must happen or the piece will not have passion and I will not know when it is complete.


Daniel J. Calvert

Growing up a block away from the Des Moines Art Center allowed me the luxury of immersing myself in the arts almost everyday. My earliest influences were the artists who graced the walls of the center, Edward Hopper, Grant Wood, Henri Cartier Bresson, and Robert Raushenberg to name a few. My formal training occurred under photographer Archie Lieberman (Photographer for Look magazine 1952-1972, Time, Fortune, and others).

In my work I find it aesthetically as well as philosophically pleasing to capture both subjects we may see everyday or subjects we may choose to largely ignore, failing to take the time to see something new about the world and ourselves. It is my hope that with the use of unique, interesting composition, and perspective, the cumulative effect will allow the viewer to see my interpretation, and a chance to see the subject, whatever it may be, new again. Seeing our world takes time, patience, and practice.


Bettina Edwards

My work is about helping people to see the beauty that is all around us. Not just in the obvious places in nature or in arranged tableau, but in the unplanned part of our environment, not purposely "pretty." There is much of interest in the details of a dumpster; in the layers of torn paper on a telephone pole; or a weathered building facade. I want your viewing to be a richer experience,
and for you to experience more!
 
I also value the life experience of objects as well as people. What happens to them adds to their beauty and makes them unique. They are no longer pristine and predictable. There is something to discover about them. It can be wonderful to discover even more. I hope you enjoy my photos and begin to see more in your world!


Carol Orr Hartman

My earliest artistic drive occurred at eight years of age at my artist grandmother's knee with oils and a piece of canvas while she painted her masterpieces. I still have my first oil that I did at that age. At age twelve, I discovered the beauty and challenge of photography and although I have painted and studied the great masters for pleasure most of my life, it is photography that I am passionate about and the art form that consumes me forty plus years later.

I am driven by the images of places, scenes and landscape that I see every day. Most are timeless vignettes that are in plain view - as part of the whole, they are unremarkable, but isolating them through the lens into a space occupied only by them, suddenly seem to be a special place isolated in time or memory, a place where the viewer can lose themselves in the image and find a quiet place to take a vacation in their mind.


Kelly E. Hollingsworth

I have been experimenting with collage using photographic and other media materials to set up visually provocative stories. I am drawn to the idea of exploring contemporary culture and creating a metaphorical vocabulary. Sometimes the theme is the evidence of the passing of time. Other times my work involves text. The purpose of the work is to visually represent a moment or a feeling from a memory.

Whether my work is aesthetic or narrative I am inviting the viewer to question the subject or the situation. Image making to me is a process. By layering images over themselves the work begins to push the space inviting forms and shifts of color to work the surface.


Ken Kaminsky

Born and raised in New York City, Ken Kaminsky completed his education with degrees from City College of New York and New York University. His photography career began after he moved to Detroit and his work started appearing in local media outlets. Additional affiliations with stock photo agencies expanded the exposure of his work to newspapers, magazines, and television both nationally and internationally. Kaminsky’s other careers have included extensive work in the public health and education fields. He currently resides in Florida and Michigan.

"The goal of my photographic art is to capture the beauty in the world around us," says Kaminsky. "I seek to create images, both abstract and realistic, that have impact and a lasting quality. My collection is intended to bring enjoyment and pleasure to viewers, whether the subject is a fireworks display, a graceful athlete or hot air balloons."

Katherine Morgan

I strive to evoke my freedom to observe. I select images that embrace me with a touch of beauty, emotion and intrigue. From the moment of discovery, my image
begins to take form. I focus on the tiny details of the natural world.

Each photograph begins with actual light, composition and color. I capture the images as they exist then bring them into the digital darkroom to transform them into the unique photographic world. Through this process, I have searched to find a deeper understanding in life and the beauty of simple moments.

View the Photo Gallery