Three Lamps

I made this photograph on a breezy afternoon, when the light fell just right across the row of straw-shaded lamps. The alignment was irresistible — three distinct forms in sequence, receding gently into the frame. I wanted the rhythm to pull the viewer’s eye through the image, from the sharp texture of the foreground shade to the softly blurred suggestion of the background structure.

The Pentax K-3 II paired with the DA* 50-135 rendered the detail crisply; every strand of straw stands out against the muted backdrop. The lens’s rendering at f/2.8 helped create a shallow depth of field without obliterating context. The light bulbs, faintly glowing even in daylight, act as anchors in the composition — small circles of brightness within the layered tones of the monochrome palette.

I deliberately exposed for the midtones, keeping the highlights in the fabric from blowing out while preserving shadow detail in the straw. The result is a balanced histogram with no harsh clipping, though the contrast is intentionally strong to give definition to the textures.

While the lamps are the obvious subject, the photograph carries traces of its environment — the vertical posts, the softly moving curtains, the architectural hint in the background — allowing it to sit between still life and environmental study. It’s a reminder that even the most ordinary fixtures, if seen in the right light, can carry their own quiet elegance.