SHADOW HUNTERS CONTEST ENTRY – CRYSTAL SHADOW SPECTRUM

SPECTRUM WINDOW I



For several months, I’ve been experimenting with coloured light. Initially, I was focused on photographing shadows of some crystals from my collection. The first series of photos were of a clear quartz sphere, in a previous post I created, “The Egg”.

While shooting those photos, I noticed that colours were projected through the crystal onto the shadow. After that, I went through my mineral collection, selecting ones I thought would be interesting to photograph. Some of the ones I experimented with were not clear in colour and had different internal structures. All of which created different shadows, patterns, and colours.


SPECTRUM WINDOW II



At this point, I’ve taken somewhere around eight hundred photos. All of them were shot outside on my balcony while some neighbours were watching, probably wondering what on earth I was doing. It’s free performance art in the city 🤣. We all notice what others are doing on their balconies here, especially if it’s unusual.


SPECTRUM WINDOW III



These shadow photos were taken using a clear calcite crystal. Due to the structural composition of this particular piece of calcite, it created a spectrum of colours over the shadow shape of the stone. Calcite occurs in many forms and colours. It’s one of my favourite minerals; there are many in my collection.


SPECTRUM WINDOW IV



I’ve also carved calcite, which I can tell you is a type of stone that does not lend itself favourably to being carved. It fractures easily along its natural structural lines and is in no way suitable for the type of carved sculptures I create. I had to try it out though, since direct experience is the only way to know it intimately.


SPECTRUM WINDOW V



Calcite proved to be much more suitable as subject matter in photography. Every shift of the crystal’s angle created different forms and colour play. A small change in position shed light on a different perspective within the shadow window.


CLEAR CALCITE



This photo is of the actual calcite crystal that I used to create these shadow photos.

From these photos, I was inspired to create the NFT, which I have minted into three editions available now on NFT Showroom “Enlightened Intervention”.

All photos taken by Nine with a Pentax digital 35mm camera and 90mm Tamron Macro lens.