JPG Magazine: Stories: Photo Essay: In the River of Lights

In the River of Lights

By David Moore

16 December 2007

There's something magical about being outside when it's dark and crisply cold. Throw in a ridiculous number of light sculptures that turns a botanic gardens into a wonderland, bring along an excited two-year-old, and you've got my visit to the River of Lights event in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I dragged along my tripod (trying not to hit people with it in the dark), and captured what I could of the feel. I started with the purely technical challenges - using exposure compensation to underexpose the images (as far as the camera's meter was concerned) and keep the blacks black.

Then I branched out into a more impressionistic approach - sometimes trying to show what it actually looks like isn't enough.

With or without a camera, it's an amazing sight, and one I'm sure we'll be returning next year - with a very excited three-year-old.