day 21: self-portrait challenge

Window light.

I LOVE this window light.
This is NE overcast daylight.
There are no reflectors, no added backlight, sidelight or any other enhancement but the light coming in the window, directly in front of me. (Also, this is all the scarves I own.)
1. Why I never wear any of these scarves, but apparently bought them intending to, is beyond me.
2. Why haven't I made more use of this window light? This changes NOW.

I can suddenly see why people swoon over paintings with lifelike light. Beautiful, lilting, soft and natural light. It's like a liquid, intangible magic.

I originally took one term of darkroom (Last fall - one year ago) because I wanted to learn about light in photography and I know I am a tactile learner. I learn by reading and listening, but mostly by "doing." I only intended to take one term. But it's kind of a thing. And now I know an art form, black and white photography, intimately. I feel like I'm dancing with my understanding now, not struggling. I am in love and slightly obsessed with black and white. After this challenge ends, I will show more of my personal work. Black and white is a beautiful abstraction of reality. It can make it more dramatic, more stylish, more beautiful.

Back in the 70's, when color film really started to be widely used, and well-known photographers were having to make the decision to start shooting in color, one quote sticks with me - because I feel a real truth to it. As beautiful and realistic as color is...It's also a great distraction.

"Walker Evans made the not-very-clever adaptation of Lord Acton's 'Power tends to corrupt...' as 'Color tends to corrupt photography and absolute color corrupts absolutely... There are four simple words for the matter which must be whispered. Color photography is vulgar.'" 
--Excerpt from Michael Freeman's Black and White Photography Field Guide