top of page
Writer's picturePaul Cotter

The Music of Light

Updated: May 20, 2023



How do you perceive light? When I first picked up a camera many years ago, I saw light as something that illuminated a subject, allowing us to see it and photograph it. But over the years, I've come to understand light as something much more than that.


I've come to see light more as Albert Einstein and Wynn Bullock, my favorite photographer, saw it.


"Light to me is perhaps the most profound truth in the universe," Bullock said. "My thinking has been deeply affected by the belief everything is some form of radiant energy."


In this photograph, which used controlled camera movement during a long exposure, I tried to capture some of the mysterious qualities of that radiant energy. Viewed in this abstract way, the night lights of our city take on a lyrical, musical, playful nature – looking almost like ethereal piano keys. And that feels so appropriate. Because when I see light now, I see a cosmic symphony being performed.




P.S. If you enjoyed this post, kindly consider sharing it with a friend.

bottom of page