After Dark: Transcending Time and Exploring the Mysterious
Geert De Taeye
Google Streetview image, transforming day into night.
The allure of Google Street View lies in its ability to provide informative daytime images of various locations across the globe. However, as a photographer, I am intrigued by capturing the aesthetic side of these images, where artistry intertwines with exploration.
Like a spy plane, I scan the Google Earth map, seeking out captivating areas to delve into. With each virtual journey, I transport myself to places I have never physically been before. Through endless walks along these virtual streets, I unravel the aesthetics embedded within the images, driven by the desire to lose myself and discover the unseen.
Transforming the sun into the moon makes sure the direction of light is respected.
As I navigate through this digital realm, I exercise my artistic eye, selecting and framing scenes much like I would in reality. Some may argue that the photographer's skill is not required in this context, yet the experience evokes a similar sentiment.
Google Street View, unlike the real world, never sleeps. The sun never sets, and the lights of a city after dark remain unseen. This continuous wakefulness creates a delirium of sleeplessness. To counter this perpetual daylight, I have chosen Hong Kong, a city that never sleeps, as the subject of my exploration.
In order to infuse this adventurous tool with a sense of tranquility, I transform the images captured on my computer screen into nighttime scenes. I search for desolate streets, where I can flick on streetlights and evoke the mysterious ambience that the night so graciously brings. In a sense, I manipulate time.
Just as the Google Street View car freezes a moment in time, so do photographs. However, photographs inherently possess the power to witness the evolution of landscapes over time, patiently awaiting the next passing of a Google car.
Empty streets are hard to find in Hong Kong. It helps to create mystery.
Through this venture, I aim to redefine the boundaries of exploration and artistic expression. By transcending time and reimagining the familiar, I strive to breathe new life into these images, casting a nocturnal enchantment upon the ubiquitous daylight.