A Certain Slant of Light on a Winter Afternoon

On Thursday of last week, while waiting for a bus, I took refuge from the howling winds and snows in the Libraries on campus. I had my camera, and was noodling around with it. Sort of by accident, I made my way to the second floor, by the Arts & Humanities Library.

I found the windows, with a bit of afternoon sun streaming through them (that certain slant of light, as Emily Dickinson might say), and the shiny floors and symmetrical layout, to be an interesting spot for some interior photography. It seemed especially suited to black and white: all shiny surfaces and light; windows and walls. Normally an outdoors and nature photographer, I was surprised at the sense of satisfaction I gained from that indoor photo shoot. I looked forward to another opportunity to spend some time there.

It turns out I didn't need to wait long! I had a meeting scheduled at the Libraries on Wednesday of this week. It would, quite conveniently, end right around the time of the "good light" in late afternoon. (How many of my fellow photographers will admit that whenever possible, they plan their days around where they want to be standing with their cameras when the "good light" happens?) So I rubbed my hands gleefully and tucked my camera in my bag. After my meeting, as planned, I returned to the second floor and continued my photographic study of this area.

If you step closer to the window in the center of this photo, you will look out upon a secret courtyard that even I do not know how to get to. On this day, I looked out to see the light shining from behind a tall tree in that courtyard (you can see the tree in this photo if you look closely, and its slender shadow on the floor), and a number of snow-covered benches. Someday I am going to have to figure out how to get to that secret courtyard; it looks enchanting! And to be hidden in plain view like that . . .

Surprisingly enough, this stairwell and hallway is an area of rather high student traffic in late afternoon. It was difficult to capture the scene without any people in it. There was always somebody coming up the stairs, going down the stairs, stopping over at the water fountain for a drink, stepping out into the hallway for a cell phone conversation.

But in this shot, there are no people, only windows and walls. And the quiet but profound comfort of a certain slant of light on a winter afternoon.

A song to accompany this library shot? How about something appropriately quiet, for a library setting? Simon and Garfunkel, The Sound of Silence, from 1981's Concert in Central Park.