Our Main Source of Light
Even though a minuscule amount of starlight reaches our planet, by far the greatest source of extraterrestrial energy arrives from our own sun. To an astronomer, the sun can be simply described as our nearest star. In fact, in scientific terms the sun would be classified as a yellow dwarf star, also known as a G V star. Typically, a G V star has a surface temp of 5,000 to 6,000 K and fuses hydrogen into helium to create light. Average lifetime of a yellow dwarf is about 10 billion years with our own sun being considered middle-aged.
High Rise Buildings
Recently, I had the privilege of spending a weekend in the Twin Cities, which are locally referred to simply as “the cities”. High rise buildings dominate the downtown area, presenting a golden opportunity and graphic challenge for the digital photographer. This one building literally turned a golden color in the fading moments of the day.
Here is an interesting juxtaposition that contrasts a church tower with a modern high rise.
And here in this scene, the reddish color of one structure is reflected upon the overwhelming blue tint of a different building.
This image was made in Rochester, which is a small city located about a two hour drive south of Minneapolis. This building is actually part of the world famous Mayo Clinic, but in this case, it was the striking grid design of the windows that caught my eye.
Modern Architects and Ancient Sculptors
I know this is pure conjecture, but to me, there is something strangely similar with this sculpture on Easter Island in the middle of the Pacific and the tall towers of Minneapolis. Incidentally, the icon pictured above was only recently returned to its original resting place, as for years, the artifact had been placed on display in a museum. Nonetheless, this sculpture acts in ways that are remarkably similar to some of the more recently completed urban downtown glass towers that can be found in almost any modern city. And this similarity would be that each unit functions as a visual unit, which ever so subtly changes color in the fading light of the evening and early morning hours. True, the high rises have a very utilitarian purpose as well, but in both cases, the play of light on the surface seems to be an intricate part of the viewing process. Furthermore, I think that this was by done by design and original intention.
