Departure

The Science

Refraction causes a light ray to bend when it enters transparent substances at an angle and passes through them. How much the light is bent depends how much its speed is changed by the optical density of the medium through which it passes. In my photo, light bends several times — first slowed by rainwater on the plane’s window, and then slowed further when travelling through each of three acrylic window panes — creating an abstract image.

Refraction makes lenses, magnifying glasses, prisms and rainbows possible and, because refraction bends light to focus onto our retina, it allows us to see.

The Theme

This photo was taken on a plane as I waited to take off to go to my father-in-law’s funeral. I was struck by the way the colours of the runway lights were reflected and transformed by the wet tarmac and the rain on the window. The resulting abstract image, with its linear progression from saturated, warm hues gathered in close proximity to cooler, pastel colours spaced further and further apart, presents a visual metaphor of the journey from life to death: we begin as a burst of concentrated energy that eventually dwindles and is released back into the universe.

The Artist

Diana Kolpak is a story-teller who uses photography, poetry, writing, theatre and music as her media. Published work includes the children’s book Starfall, the play Bedtime Stories and poetry and photos in several online magazines. Her current theatrical work, BLUE, is an interactive solo clown musical for adults: an odyssey in the ocean of love, guided by former-mermaid-turned-lounge-singer Sally Siren. www.dianakolpak.ca