Light Observation #5
1. February 25th – 6:30PM – a side street in Jericho, NY
2. My car headlights
3. Saturday evening I was out running errands with a friend. The last stop on our list of places to go was Kohl’s, which is located in Jericho. We’d never ventured to that area before, so finding the store took a little while. We eventually got there though, and picked up what we needed. As we were about to leave, however, we realized that not only had the sun set completely, but it had also began to snow. Hard. As we were making our way back to Hofstra, we took a wrong turn and ended up on some side street devoid of any streetlights. The area all around us was pitch black; the only light visible was that from my headlights, illuminating the falling snow and the road in front of us.
The effect this light had was an immediate sense of foreboding. Coupled with the fear that was associated with driving in the dark/snow in an unfamiliar area, the light itself hinted at the unknown. You could only see what the headlights enabled you to see; everything else was a mystery. In addition to that, the only thing you really could see in the light was snow – falling madly, and in every direction. It created a sense of uneasiness, fear, and isolation. It contrasted greatly from my lighting observation from a couple weeks ago, where I witnessed snow being illuminated in a warm, almost romantic way. This light displayed the frantic snow, hinting at the harm it can cause.