Unnaturally natural: Irreplaceable light.
We flash, bringing light into the dark and shining through. In hard times we long for the light at the end of the tunnel, and if we ever get thirsty, we drink until we’re lit. There’s even artificial light therapy. Light is omnipresent, in every conceivable form. Simply put: Nothing works without light.
No growth, no life, and no shadow. Starting with fire, we humans have gradually created our own sources of light. Some serve as visual aids, others provide warmth or emotional support. Photography lives on light. It’s physics that makes our passion possible. It goes without saying, that with all the artificial possibilities we have created for ourselves, one thing remains irreplaceable: natural light.
What natural light does to us
In the northern hemisphere, the necessity of light quickly becomes clear. In winter we run like clay with a severe lack of vitamin D, chasing every ray of sunshine we can find in our free time. Three billion years ago, with the help of light, the first creatures on earth developed, and 200,000 years ago we, Homo sapiens, joined them.
Light is not only used to see but also functions as a timer for our biological clock. It controls our everyday life, when we go to sleep and when we go to work. Light influences our mood. It helps us to feel awake, rested, and powerful so we can to do important things, like inventing electric light.
Natural light in photography
Light doesn’t only significantly influence our mood, but also the mood in our photos. Photographers usually strive to illuminate images perfectly so that every last detail is visible. However, technical perfection often gives way to the charm of naturalness. So, the play with natural backlight and shadows can help create images that could never be constructed with unnatural light. Everyday motifs literally appear in a new light, and it is precisely the unknown that often attracts us to a motif.
The power of light
We firmly believe that 10 out of 10 photographers would answer “naturally natural” when asked to compare natural and self-made light. Nevertheless, today’s possibilities offer an almost unlimited scope for design—a fact that is especially indispensable in commercial photography.
We think of all the indoor and architectural productions that our photographers keep submitting. The photos that show the use of illuminants in the dark or the view of a glowing smartphone in a dark environment captivate us anew every time. It’s probably the contrasts that make our hearts beat faster.
To show you the photographic magic of light, our Creative Department has dedicated an entire lightbox to the vital Elixir Light. Have fun looking at it.
