Week 8: Stargazer

This shot was the result of a midterm-induced study session. My unfortunate procrastination compelled me to stay up all night studying, and I dreaded the sunrise because it signaled the arrival of my school day. However, the dread for morning was somewhat diminished by the beauty of the sunrise. I happened to notice it through my window as I was gathering up my study materials. The warm glow of the sun-rays was slowly overtaking the serene blue of the night time sky. Yet, as if a sign of defiance, a single star remained in the sky, seemingly holding back the sun’s light from overtaking the expanse. I thought it looked so beautiful pouring in through my window that I knew it would make a great picture for lighting analysis. It conveyed so many different emotions. Just as I was clinging to every last second of the night in order to soak up as much study time as humanly possible, so did the solitary star stand its ground in the celestial realm above, making it’s last hurrah before being overtaken by the unavoidable path of the sun. The areas cast in shadow enhance the beauty of the colorful sunrise by providing more information. The dramatic silhouette of the rooftops creates a scenic urban mood, enhanced by the framing structure of the window itself. These powerful lines in the foreground give the picture substance and context. Without them, it would just be a sky-- a beautiful, thought provoking sky, yes, but one with no distinguishable location or angle.