Artificial Light
White light is a myth. All light has color, sometimes subtle, other times not. Our brains often ignore it.
Humans evolved for tens of thousands of years seeing by a single light source - the Sun. Our eyes are tuned to it. Our brain strives to interpret everything we see within the context of sunlight. Anything that comes close to the Sun’s greenish-yellow hue we see as white. Biologists call it “chromatic adaptation.” Photographers call it “white balance.”
In the last 200 years electric lighting has consumed the world. It is nearly everywhere. Our brains, still trying to interpret everything as sunlight, struggle to catch up. Artificial light can affect our mood, emotions, and physical health. Depression, anxiety, migraines, drowsiness, and sleeplessness can all be caused by artificial light. As we develop technology for increased efficiency, we often ignore the impact of light on ourselves.
All photos in this series have been shot with a neutral daylight white balance. The colors they show are relative to sunlight.
Read MoreHumans evolved for tens of thousands of years seeing by a single light source - the Sun. Our eyes are tuned to it. Our brain strives to interpret everything we see within the context of sunlight. Anything that comes close to the Sun’s greenish-yellow hue we see as white. Biologists call it “chromatic adaptation.” Photographers call it “white balance.”
In the last 200 years electric lighting has consumed the world. It is nearly everywhere. Our brains, still trying to interpret everything as sunlight, struggle to catch up. Artificial light can affect our mood, emotions, and physical health. Depression, anxiety, migraines, drowsiness, and sleeplessness can all be caused by artificial light. As we develop technology for increased efficiency, we often ignore the impact of light on ourselves.
All photos in this series have been shot with a neutral daylight white balance. The colors they show are relative to sunlight.
“Research consistently demonstrates fluorescent lights raise stress markers, such as reduced heart rate variability, raised blood pressure, increased skin conductance, stronger startle response, reduced drop in body temperature during sleep, increased cortisol, and reduced slow wave (stage 4, the deepest stage) compared to full spectrum incandescent lighting” - Victoria L. Dunckley M.D., Psychology Today
