I am convinced that anyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest and chooses to make a career as a photographer will have an advantage over photographers from less “hostile” environments. When you live anywhere near the I-5 corridor, from the Canadian border to as far south as Eugene, Oregon, there is an almost daily grind of waiting for light. During that constant wait, one of three things will eventually happen: you will give in to the frustration and find another hobby, you will move to a sunnier climate, or you will learn to be inventive and creative and to work quickly with whatever light you have. As one who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, I have had many a frustrating day of “no light.”

But, in large part, these days of “no light” also brought many an idea to the surface that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. As we all stood around an empty parking lot of an abandoned warehouse a bit south of Safeco Field, I suggested to the students that we shoot a “spiderweb with dewdrops” against a background of out-of-focus color. Soon we were all hanging out in front of a large length of chain, each claiming a few links. After spraying the links with water, we waited for the right car to pass in the background. We were all quick to notice that the abundance of white, gray, and black cars passing by offered little contrast, so when red, deep-blue, and lime-green cars passed, shouts of joy were heard from everyone!

In this first image of the chain, with the absence of any contrast, the links appear soft-spoken, passive, and quiet. But when photographed against a background of red, they come alive, thanks to the contrast in the background. Playing the role of background layer, the red contrast is vitally important to the success of this image.

Both images: Nikon D3X with Micro-Nikkor 105mm lens, f/11 for 1/125 sec., ISO 100