Shedding Light in Amherst - Part 2
A few days before Christmas my friend Erika Zekos invited me to come along for a plane ride to fly over and take photographs of her illuminated barn project in North Amherst. I jumped at the opportunity, it sounded like the kind of adventure I love! Flying in a tiny 4-seat Piper Warrior plane at night, two days shy of winter solstice, with freezing temperatures and harsh winds toying with the elasticity of our comfort zone boundaries, I was taking photographs, sticking my camera out of the tiny window, praying that I don't drop it out into the snowy fields under, or worse even, onto somebody's head! I hang on to it tight. Our plane careened 60 degrees to one side to get us a better view. Amusingly, I didn't realize what was happening until our pilot, John Smith, demonstrated the trick to us later, after landing - I was so absorbed in trying to get a focused picture (it proved to be a real challenge!)
What a beautiful vision it was, like some mysterious night bride, lost in the vast dark of the winter night.. An unforgettable way to welcome the winter solstice!
