Experiment: Navigating the Night: An Exploration of Light Phases in Rural Landscapes

My latest research venture takes me into the heart of the night. The solitude of farm life offers a unique advantage: expansive, open spaces that provide an unobstructed canvas for experimentation, shielded from prying eyes and free from constraints. This setting provides both the time and freedom to methodically investigate various phases of light, with a particular focus on astronomical twilight.

This phase piqued my interest due to its potential to reveal celestial elements such as the Milky Way while contending with varying degrees of ambient light. Such an endeavour required meticulous planning, considering factors such as the new moon's schedule, the rise and set times of the moon, and the positioning of the Milky Way relative to the composition I intended to create.

Experiment

Insights and Discoveries

Navigating the challenges of night-time flight was a significant learning curve in this experiment. Covering the drone's sensors made it challenging to determine its orientation, as only the emitted light was visible. Obstacles were concealed in the darkness, and gauging direction was a challenge. Moreover, a 30-second exposure may have been excessively long, given the amount of light present.

Flight time presented another hurdle. With each battery offering a mere 20 minutes of flight time, the rhythm of experimentation was frequently interrupted by necessary battery changes. Just as I would find my groove, it would be time to return the drone, replace the battery, and start the process anew.

Conclusion

While the final image did not perfectly align with my initial vision, the flaws within it hold a certain appeal. The incomplete square, a result of miscalculations, adds an element of authenticity to the piece. This unexpected outcome highlights the concept of validity within the creative process. Despite the challenges encountered, the experiment underscored the potential of exploring light phases in a nocturnal context, yielding valuable insights and paving the way for further exploration in this realm.