A favorite of ours in terms of light is Terrence Malick’s “The New World.” Most of it was shot with available light (that is, the sun) and, where necessary, practicals or lamps you can buy at a regular store. There was the scene where John Smith was captured where the DoP poked holes in the top of the structure to get light in. The result is, well, sublime.
There is a lot you can do with light to suggest other worldliness and magic. There is a lot you can do with light to convey emotions: sadness, longing…foreboding.
I like this picture of my godson Daniel. He’s back lit by the sun, and because he has light hair, it’s as if he is the source of the light. Also, this is one of the few pictures where Patrick caught him off guard, so his expression is real.
Our relationship with light is evolving, and I’m looking forward to developing that relationship more with this film.
Photographed by Patrick Jackson and originally published on Joseph Nils Blog.
