Chicago-based photographer and artist Reuben Wu has a sensational series that looks about as far from Chicago streets as you can get. Traveling to strange rock formations in Arizona, Wu then captures beautifully lit night shots, with the rocks seeming to come alive under the light of the stars. The compositions are strong, showing complex rock colors and forms juxtaposed to the soft starry sky behind.
To top it off, he uses drones equipped with lights to fly circles above the formations, creating in-camera halos that add a sense of futurism and visual punch to the series, entitled Lux Noctis II. Highly ambitious and visually striking, we look forward to seeing more of Wu’s exploration of the natural environment. Via Behance:
Drones are amazing for cinema not only as flying cameras, but also as flying light beams, foregoing the use of expensive cranes, helicopters and balloons, and allowing artists to shine light on places from angles which have never been possible until now. Each image is a carefully-planned scene consisting of multiple lighting positions, layered to produce a theatrically-lit composition. Using the GPS-enabled aerial light/drone in specific positions in space, I am able to create moods of drama and tension through chiaroscuro, and the ability to illuminate isolated features of a scene and exclude unwanted elements.
