Living in Berlin, it’s often very easy to almost forget what sunshine is. And as a photographer, it’s kind of a damned shame. Photographers are constantly chasing light, waking up before the rest of the world to secure a spot from which they can watch the sun rise from behind their lenses and waiting for that special hour when the sun is setting and everything seems to be magically bathed in gold. In Berlin, even these two small windows of time are often lost on us, as the days tend to be filled with overcast skies. Summer tends to act a bit more favorably on us, but in fall and winter we are basically shit out of luck. Although it does make those rare moments, when the sunshine peaks its head out from behind the curtain of clouds, that much more special.
Now most of you are probably thinking, “What the hell? It’s just sun.” But I would argue that not only is light the most important element when it comes to photography, it is also responsible for creating the most dazzling scenes we get to witness with our naked eyes. I had almost forgotten how full of sun Virginia was. I used to always say that the sky in Virginia was more beautiful than any sky I had ever seen. And although this cannot actually be scientifically proven, nor does it actually make any real sense, I still stand by it. The beautiful thing about sunny Virginia days is that even during the hours in-between the golden ones, the sun is shining so strongly, that it works wonders for daytime indoor photography. And even if a camera is not in my hand, I tend to just stare are the darks and lights that sunlight and shadows create, marvelling at how beautiful the world is.
Because there really is something magical about a resting house cat bathed in light or the sun shining on the soft velvety nose of a horse, highlighting his tiny whiskers. I’m already missing the cloudless sunny Virginia skies that make even the coldest day feel warm. Unfortunately the forecast in Berlin for the next four days calls for: clouds, cloudy rain, clouds, and more clouds. It does appear as though Saturday will be sunny however, so here’s hoping…
Photography: Rae Tashman
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