I know this really doesn’t have much at all to do with language study or voice work, but it was such a truly amazing experience, that I just have to post this little bit about it…and some photos, to boot. 😉
The eclipse certainly proved spectacular. The light during the “ring of fire” moments, especially, was absolutely incredible. The ambient light was all dusky and soft…as if someone had placed a massive filter over the sun. To experience the eclipse to the fullest, we brought our spotting scope – and various welding helmets – out into the court, where we were joined by a large contingent of neighbors. A very cool experience to share with them all.
The oddest thing was the pinhole camera effect on the shadows…blurred and crescent-shaped, with diffused light around the edges. And the light through the trees all came through in crescent shapes, too. I had never before realized that the light and shadow through trees hits surfaces in circle shapes because of the shape of the sun, itself…I’m just so used to it happening that way, I guess. But when it all comes through in thousands of crescents…wow.
The pinhole camera effect has fascinated me ever since I had the opportunity to build an actual pinhole camera in a Lyceum class one summer as a kid. But seeing the effect on a large scale like that – with the mid-eclipse light affecting all the shadows in that way – was totally incredible.
These first two shots were taken through the spotting scope, filtered through the view screen of one of the welding helmets. (Hence the green light.)
Pinhole camera effect, as projected through the trees…
Awe-inspiring.
I’d just never put it together before…
…the circular shape, the elemental experience of the light we see – as we see it – is due to the form of the sun, itself…the source of the light. Wow.
Utterly fascinating.
