This photo sets the mood, at the CANDLE lit table, for high-key Campbell’s soup. The highlight and shadow mixture make for the perfect balance of tranquility. And though the focal point may be the front candle, exuding dominance with greater height, not to mention literally outshining the other, less bright candle hiding behind it, I feel the smaller candle is just as significant. Human beings wouldn’t be unable to make certain distinctions without contrast. How would you know that you’re tall, if you’ve never been around anyone shorter than you? If sunlight never existed, we’d all be in darkness…(and i’d sleep 100X more than I already do and fail at life). Contrast is important and I feel having the smaller candle behind the bigger one puts me at peace. Though the front candle may seem intimidating compared to the other, I also get a sense of protection from it. Almost as if it’s guarding or protecting the smaller candle. Now, I may not necessarily rejoice or become super happy when I see this photo at first glance but it does bring me to a calm peaceful place. And if you didn’t already know, it’s one of the best feelings a human being a experience.

The darker image on the other HAND, creates an entirely different recipe for value, with just a few low-KEY ingredients.  The specimen’s hand on the floor, which may or may not be mine, sets a perfect dark tone with a style of tenebrism. And shortly after capturing the photo, I was a bit taken aback by the naturally profound sense of loneliness it conveys. The flash from my camera light was able to unintentionally create a minor, yet essential, shadow and highlight relationship between the object and background. And I found the shadows creeping from under the hand and slightly towards it on the wooden floors really helped to translate an eerie atmosphere. Though, I do regret not shooting this at night so that the photo may have been composed with a much stronger Chiaroscuro. But at the same time, it makes me feel like whomever that hand belonged to could hold out for just a bit longer. Only to realize that this beautiful image, mainly engulfed in darkness, wouldn’t be visible without a little light.