Sata Shinato – Night Lights
Recommended in the course notes, Sata Shinato’s Night Lights series resonates with me on a personal level.
In Hong Kong, I often find the light during the day to be flat and uninspiring, which is why I lean toward black and white photography. However, once the sun sets, the city’s lighting transforms into something vibrant and dynamic, especially with the glow of neon.
Shinato’s approach to capturing ordinary objects illuminated by artificial light speaks to me. If photographed during the day, these subjects would likely go unnoticed, but under the neon lights, they gain an unexpected significance.
I’m particularly drawn to the complex interplay of light in his images. The varying light temperatures within the same frame create an intriguing depth, evoking the warm, enveloping glow of the evening sun. This type of lighting seems to wrap around the subjects, giving them a life of their own.
This series has inspired me to explore similar lighting techniques in my upcoming exercise 4.3. I’m eager to experiment with how artificial light can reveal new perspectives on the familiar.
References
Sato Shintaro photo gallery (no date) Available at: http://sato-shintaro.com/work/night_lights/index.html (Accessed: 29 December 2015).
