LOVE STORY

         As far back as I can remember, I have been in love with the natural light that reaches us during the month of June.  Although its effect actually extends through July 10th or so, I’m always surprised by the power of what it evokes within me.  Often, the emotions arrive out of nowhere like supernatural visions; they’re not to be feared.  They allow entry to a world of possibility inaccessible at any other time of the year.

         Regardless of location or hour, these June-specific sensations amass on cue as if required by law.  For example, on a clear morning, with the sun cascading into whatever space I might inhabit, they’ll convince me that everything can be perfect, that every dream and desire will come true.  Of course, that’s a delusion.  But it’s a profoundly optimistic one that I never resist indulging.  Growth, renewal, prosperity…  Right now, people are desperately searching for any sort of genuine truth.  I’d suggest starting with an extended idyll in the June sunshine.  Though the other months have their own attributes, none of them come close to replicating it.  And as hard as I’ve tried to capture that heavenly texture on film and sensor, no mechanical technique can do the trick, either.

         Step outside and nature’s bloom boosts the feeling.  Everything is one-hundred percent possible, one-hundred percent of the time!  Notice the angle of the illumination, with its welcoming clarity and color.  The shadows have their own appeal, too.  And you’d be amazed at how a whiff of honeysuckle and a thin sheet of haze can cause life to sing in a different key.  Even the overcast or rainy days are provocative, filled as they are with the promise of blue skies in the not-too-distant.  Like the bright spots in a movie that purports to be darkly photographed, none of these glorious moments would work to the extent they do without an occasional hint of contrast.

         I’ve enjoyed many incredible experiences during the sixth month of the year, and already this one is no exception.  For that and so much more, I’m grateful for the beneficence of June’s light.  It has no doubt played a role in my becoming a cinematographer, and for that privilege of capturing moments to be shared with others, I’m grateful no matter what season it may be.

         It’s ironic that the longest days play out in one of the shortest months. Count yourself lucky if you embrace my appreciation, and be inspired by what I’m about to do right now.

         I’m going outside to take in as much of the magic glow as I can.  Too soon and it’ll be another year before I’ll have the chance to revel in it again!