Light, Shadow, and the Space Between for James Carleson Photography
There is a Japanese word, Komorebi, that describes the dappled effect of sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees. James Carleson has spent a lifetime chasing it through the forest preserves of his Chicago childhood, across the trails of the Pacific Northwest, and deep into the wild spaces of the western United States.
James’ new website is a love letter to this quality while reflecting his belief that photography cultivates an understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.
The Visual
The architecture of the site exists entirely in service of James’ extraordinary images, allowing the visitor an immersion into a therapeutic and inquisitive space.
Distinction
A subtle, but distinguishing repeated element of the site is the format of the photography itself. Where most sites default to the familiar proportions of 3:2 or 4:3, the standard rectangles of screens, every image here is long and narrow, vertical in a way that feels immediately right. They shape the vertical reach of a tree line, the depth of a canyon, the height of a waterfall caught mid-descent.
