It's All About the Light.

It’s all about the light.

Photographers are always talking about the light. Painters compose the illusion of light with contrasted and complimentary colors. If you have used Photoshop, you are familiar with the tools for hue, saturation, balance, shadows and highlights. It’s endless. Try describing a color. Oftentimes we use comparisons from nature – it’s orange – you know, like an orange. Try describing a fragrance.  It’s kind of sweet and mellow – you know – like honey.

In the early days of moving pictures, the film makers developed techniques for black and white. Using shadows and reflections to create sunlight, moonlight and candlelight to express the mood and feeling of a scene, or an entire film, became an art form. Think about the film noire mysteries with Humphrey Bogart or the lighting effects on Greta Garbo under the expert creative eye of cinematographer William Daniels. There is often no dialogue needed. Lights and shadows tell the story.

Candlelight has been used to convey romance, danger, survival, happy, mysterious, sad or spiritual events. Candles are not just for illumination. The light from a candle is just different than that of electric lights.

Did you know that there are different color temperatures of light from electric bulbs ? soft light, cool light, white light, warm light … What about the color of the candle flame? Candle science says: “A typical candle flame exhibits distinct color zones: a blue base, a dark red/orange cone around the wick, and a larger yellow region. These colors are a result of the temperatures of different parts of the flame and the incomplete combustion of wax molecules.”

And then there’s that flickering candle flame. It’s susceptible to even the slightest movement of air, even by breathing nearby, to send it in to a hysterical fit. A photographers’ worst nightmare. When the candle flame is steady and stays vertical, it’s time to click the photograph. Takes patience. If you know a photographer, you know how fastidious they can be.

The thing about candlelight is that we can relate to it. Somehow it’s human. We don’t like darkness and since the ancient Egyptians, we want light to shine at night. Darkness hides creatures or mysteries that might harm us. Fast forward to modern times. Nothing has changed so very much about candles and candlelight. We still love it. We save it for special events like birthdays or solemn occasions.  Waxes are better, cotton wicks burn cleaner and fragrances calm the mood from a hectic, computer, electric lighted day. Candlelight is quiet and makes everything look better. Candles show that you care to take the time. Are they necessary? Yes.