“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

Paint after dark

 

I have been chewing on Da Vinci’s words since camera became my third eye. I believe photographer is a painter. I paint using light on the canvas of darkness. I try to take that extra step to add substance, texture to images. I let images reveal their character.  I love nights, love the atmosphere after dusk. I enjoy wandering in darkness – the silence, the wind, the smell, the thrill and anxiety. I try to peer beyond darkness, life that hides behind the absence of light.    On assignments, or on daily grind, I keep all my eyes open, including the third one. I take pictures, I learn, I live.

I try to dig out color, form and texture from darkness with the little available light source. The seen images, the form, then come out as a painted canvas. The color, the form, the shape, people, their emotions, feelings, etc may slip past others, but for me, they are visible. At night, for those who want to see, there are many sources of light such as streetlamps, moonlight, or headlights of automobiles that whiz past. Or at times the light that streams out from an open window. I make use all of them. I let images have a character on their own, limiting post-production interventions to absolute minimum..