Trip the Light

As part of my psychology schooling, I completed a thesis on the effects of sunlight on the human psyche. Specifically, I studied data on several prisons in the US criminal system and looked at the differential in the re-incarceration rate for those inmates that spent the majority of their time in cells with exterior windows versus those that were in interior cells. The data was quite overwhelmingly in the support of my thesis, that sunlight can change the spirit of people and the way we look at the world and our role within it. . Thirty years later, I believe in this phenomenon now more than ever.

I think of my first years out of college. New York City is a delightful place to live but, after a few short months when I first moved there, I felt a bit depressed. Having grown up in a rural area with nothing but open skies and visions as far as the eye could see, living in a city with nothing but very tall buildings and streets that felt like canyons took a while to get used too. Before I knew it, I was escaping to New England every weekend and, I remember well the day I was appropriated my first exterior office. Moving from a dark cubicle to an office with a view of the Statue of Liberty was a bit like being crowned Lord of the Sun.

Occasionally, one may read an article about the suicide rate during the winter in a city like Anchorage, Alaska. Or you may find yourself living through an extended period of overcast and rainy skies. Over the last few weeks on blip, I have felt quite badly for all of you in United Kingdom as you have been largely in search of the forgotten sun. Your words and your images reminded me of the power of sunlight. Additionally, people always talk about the change of weather as it relates to the changing of the seasons. But what I I have found to be the most powerful aspect of summer in Minnesota is not just the warm weather but, rather, the number of hours of daylight that we have throughout the summer. In the northern part of the state, one has to remind themselves to turn their headlights at 9 PM during the mid summer weeks. Ii is this daylight that I adore even more than the blissful temperatures. There are constant reminders of our need for sunlight.

And now to relate this to what we all have in common. Perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of photography is that we can take this light and play with it, many better than I. There are some on blip that have gone well beyond capturing and manipulating light. They seem to mold it. I will not try to mention those by name for fear that I may leave someone out. I can only tell you this, I am not one of them but I still love to try. Two years ago I never would have found myself in a parking garage at lunchtime alone with a camera. But this is what blip and a love for photography can cause one to do. My other alternative was lunch with my office mates who I fully enjoy. But I found myself, almost, alone in a parking garage......with a camera.....at lunch.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you have time, the texture comes alive in big.

Thank you all for your overly generous comments on my image yesterday. I almost did not post it. I hope to have some down time tomorrow at my my cabin and be provided the opportunity to catch up with you all. Please have a wonderful weekend.