The Art & Science of Solargraphy
Spring 2024 Photography Newsletter Update
Greetings, Art Enthusiasts and Fellow Travelers in Time.
Can you believe it's already spring 2024? Studies show that up to 80 percent of us feel like time is speeding up, typically due to influences such as age perception, repetitive routines, advancements in technology, and the pace of modern life. Time's elastic nature continues to intrigue scientists, philosophers, and artists, challenging our understanding of the fabric of reality. Time is also the unifying thread that weaves through my photography and this newsletter.
In this update, I'll share my recent collaboration with The Weather Network and discuss the art and science of solargraphy. Additionally, I'll provide some fascinating information about the upcoming Great North American Eclipse.
What Is Solargraphy?
An Out Of This World Weather Network Special Feature
On the Summer Solstice of 2023, I planted three solargraph cameras on the rooftop of The Weather Network building with Meteorologist and Science Writer Scott Sutherland. One hundred eighty-three days later, on the Winter Solstice, we harvested them and recorded a short interview for an Out Of This World special feature segment, which I invite you to watch below.
Six Months, Three Cameras: What We Captured From The Roof of The Weather Network
Out Of This World Weather Network Special Feature
Click on the link below to read Scott's accompanying article, Solargraphy: The art, science, and chaos of capturing the Sun's path in the sky, on The Weather Network website.
Solargraphy
Part Art – Part Science – Part Chaos
183 Day Solargraph #1 (2023.07.21 – 2023.12.21), The Weather Network, Canada
Solargraphy is an alternative photography process that utilizes homemade pinhole cameras and traditional light-sensitive black and white photo paper to capture the sun's dynamic movement across the sky over days, weeks and months, transforming the passage of time into mesmerizing, abstract visual records.
One of my solargraph cameras on The Weather Network rooftop, to the right.
Cloud cover causes missing, faint, or broken tracks. As a result, every solargraph is truly one of a kind, revealing a perspective on space, time, and weather patterns that would otherwise remain unseen.
183 Sunsets Over Georgian Bay (2023.07.21 – 2023.12.21), Ontario, Canada
The colours in the images do not directly represent the scene but result from the paper's chemical reactions to extreme exposure and external factors like moisture, dirt, fungus, and temperature changes.
228 Day Solargraph (2023.05.07 – 2023.12.21), Old Eastern Avenue Bridge, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Detail 1 – 228 Day Solargraph (2023.05.07 – 2023.12.21)
Detail 2 – 228 Day Solargraph (2023.05.07 – 2023.12.21)
One Year Solargraph (2017.08.07 – 2018.08.07), Ontario, Canada
First Prize Show Winner, Impact 2023, Neilson Park Creative Centre
Best Photography Award, 2023 Newmarket juried Art Show
Explore my collection of long-exposure photographs capturing the sun's journey across the sky.
[View the Solargraphy Portfolio →]
Two Perspectives On Time
Classic Black and White vs Contemporary Colour
You may know me best for my black and white photography, which focuses on the beauty of impermanence.
Jack's Video Sports Bar, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 2015, 75x50 in
Best Photography Award, 2022 Newmarket juried Art Show
Single Image Contest, Winner, Black & White Magazine, USA
It may be a surprise that my colourful solargraphy work is closely linked to this theme. Despite their vastly different appearance and technique, these two approaches share a powerful connection. They both serve as expressions of impermanence, inviting viewers to explore the passage of time and the fleeting nature of existence. They encourage us to reflect on the beauty of life's cyclical rhythms and the inevitability of change.
184 Day Solargraph #2 (2015.06.21 – 2015.12.22), Georgian Bay, Canada, 40x60 in
Total Eclipse Countdown
Once In A Lifetime (or Two)
Next Total Solar Eclipse In 120 Years
I'm really looking forward to the Great North American Eclipse of 2024, which will occur on April 8th, 2024. I plan to pilgrimage back to my old stomping grounds in Haldimand, Ontario, to witness and photograph the event. The last time a total solar eclipse happened in the area was 99 years ago in 1925. The next one won't happen until 2144, 120 years away. The one after that is in 2505, 481 years from now.
The Sun is nearing peak activity, which should make for a stunning display of its coronal activity during approximately three and a half minutes of totality. In preparation for this once-in-a-lifetime event, I purchased a solar filter for my 200-500mm lens and 1.4 magnification teleconverter combo, which I used to shoot the half-moon photo below. Between now and then, I'll be praying to the Sun gods for clear skies.
Below, one half of one half of the players in the upcoming total solar eclipse.
Half Moon, August 7, 8:59 PM, 2019
Here are a few more incredible eclipse facts:
Total solar eclipses are relatively rare events. On average, they occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months, but the same location typically experiences a total eclipse only once every 360 years.
The Sun has a diameter of 1.4 million kilometres, while the Moon's is 3,474 kilometres. The Moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 384,400 kilometres, while the Sun's average distance is 149.6 million kilometres. The Moon is 1/400th the size of the Sun, but the Sun is 400 times farther from Earth. Despite the extraordinary difference in dimensions and distance, they appear the same size in the sky.
The duration of totality, the period when the Moon completely covers the Sun, varies with each eclipse. It can last anywhere from a few seconds to 7.5 minutes. The length depends on factors such as the distance between the Earth and the Moon, the Earth's distance from the Sun, and the observer's location along the eclipse path. The Sun's spectacular outer atmosphere, the corona, is revealed during totality.
The orbits of the Earth and the Moon follow Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newton's law of universal gravitation, which provide the mathematical basis for predicting the timing and characteristics of eclipses.
Trying Not To Be Antisocial
I’ve recently launched Facebook and Instagram pages for my photography! I’d love for you to follow me and stay connected for updates on my latest work.
Thank you for your continued interest and support.
Till next time,
Bret