I had a bit of free time earlier, and I wanted to use it to do something creative. I took my phone and grabbed a bright light. I’ve done this lighting experiment before, and the results turned out nicely. I liked the contrast in the photos I took some time ago, which is why I wanted to try it again.
The idea is to place the subject either under or above a strong light so that the light scatters and radiates across its surface. The result is somewhat like an X-ray image of the subject—in this case, leaves. It doesn’t look exactly like an X-ray, but there are similarities. The difference is that in my photos, the plants still look like themselves, except with a beautiful translucency and glowing effect through the leaves.
I tested this on several types of plants and found that it works better on certain ones, which I’m sharing with you in today’s post.
Some plants have a very strong translucency effect, while others don’t produce the same result. A few show only a subtle lighting effect, so I’m only showcasing the ones with the most striking and prominent results.
Exploring how light transforms ordinary leaves into glowing, almost ethereal subjects has been a rewarding experiment. It’s a reminder that beauty often lies in the simplest details, waiting to be seen from a new perspective. I hope these photos inspire you to pick up a light, try it yourself, and discover the hidden magic in everyday nature.
~ Andri Cauldwell
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