HOW I GOT THE SHOT: I think I am not alone in
admitting I can sit and stare for hours at a warm fire, simultaneously
delighted and calmed by the artful flickering of flames. The firelight of the
menorah adds a deeper dimension to that reverie, as the Chanukah candles serve
to remind us – since we so often need to be reminded – of the miracles bestowed
by God upon the Jewish people. Our sages argued over whether to increase or
decrease the number of candles as the commemoration progressed. The debate was
won by those who favored adding light. And that may be the greatest miracle of
all: to know that no matter how dark the world may appear, it can always grow
brighter.
I seem also never to tire of photographing the candles of the
menorah. After exhausting my ideas for shooting the nine lights of the final
night, I moved on to more abstract views, such as the one I chose for this
week’s photo. Taken on the fourth night of the festival, the candles are nearly
fully consumed, yet the mix of colors, sizes, and the position and direction of
the flames all merge into a pleasing interpretation of an enjoyable subject.
There is a “rule” in portraiture that suggests placing heads at different
heights to avoid monotony and build a relationship among the group. That concept
is illustrated here by the four flames. Additionally, a number of subtle
details, such as the highlights on the top of the blue and red candles fall on
the inside, serving to further weave the composition into a visual whole.
Finally, because the menorah is set in front of a window to
fulfill the mitzvah of publicizing the miracle, the photo has the mysterious
element of the flame reflections in the background, including that of the
shammash. I don’t know how I got the air currents to blow in two directions at
the same time, but hey, this is the season of miracles, so I’m not going to
question it. Happy
Chanukah.
TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D700,
handheld, manual exposure, center-weighted metering mode, f5 at 1/250th sec.,
ISO 800. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens:
Nikon 28-105 macro zoom at 80 mm. Date:
Dec. 7, 2010, 5:43 p.m. Location:
Efrat, Gush Etzion.
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