A fascinating photography series.
Any good photographer understands how light can make or break an image, but only an artist can effectively use it as a tool to create something intriguing. And that’s exactly what Reuben Wu did in his breathtaking Lux Noctis series. Here, the Chicago-based photographer goes beyond the medium of landscape photography, entering conceptual imagery land. The award-winning series draws the viewer in with an eerie but fascinating atmosphere. Shot at night, the long exposure images show striking mountainous landscapes under a dark blue or a starry sky. Used to its maximum potential, the drone long exposure technique allowed the artist to create some magic.
Lit by modified drones which act as aerial light sources, Wu gives nature a surreal, out-of-this-world vibe. Some images feature halos hovering above rocky peaks, while others display cliffs in a bright aura that contrasts the dark setting. In the photographer’s own words, the photos lie “within the framework of traditional landscape photography but influenced by ideas of planetary exploration, 19th century sublime romantic painting, and science fiction.”
Mysterious and mesmerizing, the landscapes seem to beckon explorers and adventurers closer. The artificial drone long exposure lighting becomes a natural part of the setting. Thus, a new world comes alive; one that is at once familiar and serene as well as subtly alien. “I imagine these scenes transformed into undiscovered landscapes which renew our perceptions of our world,” adds Wu. Photographs© Reuben Wu.
