Illumination!

I took this photograph just before Christmas 2009. This image depicts the festive decorations on Westgate in Shipley town center. I particularly like this image as the illuminations are the focal point, and subtle lighting gives clues as what the street looks like. I also like the blurred effect given by the motion of the light at the top of the composition. I believe this part of the image gives us a direct sense of place as it is not only the closest object to the viewer, but also the highest in the composition suggesting the height of the buildings.

The lights give a great sense of perspective as they get smaller as they appear further down the street, eventually leading to the main road, lit by car headlights. The car at the bottom of the street (in perspective with the light looming above) also gives an idea of perspective. The headlights also illumiated the double-yellow lines at the road, again giving perspective whilst adding a form of shape to the street/ and composition as a whole.

Here is an alternative photograph taken from the bottom of the street looking up. It is a very similar composition with the exception of Shipley Clock tower, illumiated in red. I personally prefer the first image as the car lends the image a sense of place - whereas this image seems rather desolate.

__________________________________________________

Use of Illuminations in a dark film:

In his film Gonin (1995), Takashi Ishii uses artificial lighting as a feature to stand out from the darkness. Although this technique is fitting as a portion of the film takes place in nightclubs - it is an effective technique nonetheless.

Artificial lighting such as the dashboard display, light from within windows, and neon lights are placed as highlights in otherwise very dark shots.

Takashi Ishii uses this technique to highlight characters as well as reflect on their role/importance/personality. The character in the first example has fittingly soft lighting to reflect his peronality and appearance. In the second example, the technique is applied in a more dramatic fashion, unsuprisingly he is the most fearsome character in the film.