Storm reality
Photography dilutes reality. It is a 2D version of a constantly shifting 3D reality. Lenses inherently bend and distort light. Films ‘capture’ the light and render it according to the chemistry of the film and further its laboratory processing. Sensors convert light into digital electronic signals that are then interpreted by processors to create an image.
Today we have so much we can add and subtract from an image in the digital darkroom, that it can be difficult to know what was captured and what is an afterthought. In my early days in the darkroom I learnt how to manipulate an image by using dodging and burning. It was magical and constantly experimental, with no 2 prints ever being exactly the same.
A question that is commonly asked throughout my career; ‘is that what it actually looked like?’ My only answer is ‘this is what I chose to present’. What it actually looked like is always and has always been up for debate. Every single image ever made is only an interpretation. How proximate it is to reality can only be measured by the photographers intent.
Full disclosure on the below image. Shot at dusk, a huge storm front was rolling in and the light turned an inky orange pink, captured on Kodak Gold 200 film on a Nikon FM2 camera. Hillvale Lab processed and scanned the image and this is the result straight from the scan. How real are the colors? I don’t know but it is a great interpretation of an amazing spectacle that I am happy with.
© Christian Pearson - Pre storm
Torquay, Australia 2026: Film; Kodak Gold 200