Reflections on Light

All of the light that you see gets reflected off of objects in your surroundings; this is what allows you to see color. Each object in a composition creates a unique color cast on other elements in its environment. After a while of being in a new place, you start to see everything through the lens of that setting. I think there is a lesson here about being mindful about who we surround ourselves with. After spending a lot of time with someone, their light starts to shine on you.

This series is from a golden hour walk in Chicago with my dear friend Emma. The orange and yellow rays from the sun reflected off of the green of the trees, illuminating both of us. Photographers always notice the direction of light wherever they are — it becomes instinctual after a while — but it’s also crucial to consider the reflected color of light. In this case, the yellow rays of the golden hour sun contrasted so beautifully with the greenery in this park.

These portraits of Emma were taken within 15 minutes of each other during a walk through Lincoln Park. During golden hour, the color of light changes drastically which allowed us to create such a diverse set of photos.