Friday, April 1, 2011

In Flight



I am loving these photographs by Michael Light. Aren't they extraordinary? The light pouring from the horizon in each shot is just breathtaking. Both are of my fair city Los Angeles. I'm claiming it for the moment because these were actually taken above the San Fernando Valley, which is just a hop skip and a jump from my home. What a beautiful perspective of a town that, in all honesty, isn't necessarily known for its beauty.

This is what the 20x200 newsletter that introduced the editions had to say about the sister prints:

A pilot himself with a lifelong love of flight, Light hired a helicopter pilot to lift and roam with him above Los Angeles so he could hover over a rare sort of 4x5 camera—a Linhof Aero Technika—which uses roll film, allowing Light to shoot continuously without constantly reloading single sheets. Over the course of the project, he shot 900-some photos of the lights, the buildings, the streets, the trees and river below. On the ground—in the darkroom and on the computer—Light combined traditional film processing techniques with post-production work. Turning his negatives into digital files, Light smoothed out the film grain, moderating its interference with the haze and particles of light that you see glowing around the horizon.

If you don't already, I highly recommend signing up for the 20x200 emails... It is like getting a mini art tour in your inbox a couple times a week! Even though I can't buy all the prints that capture my heart, like these ones-- I simply don't have the space!-- I love being introduced to new art and new artists, and stealing away a few minutes from work to see the world through someone else's eyes, lens or paintbrush.

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday! The sun is shining and it has felt like summer the past few days... I can just taste the weekend!

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