Hi, P'lad -
My thanks to you and Mr. Moch for this fascinating series of conversational posts. :)
The one I'm replying to includes an image of Sister Faustina, a photo in which it appears there's a kind of glow around her (as well as sense of beatific peace to her demeanor :).
I can quickly think of two technical ways to have introduced that 'glow' effect into the photo - but my hunch is, it's actually her 'aura' that we're seeing, there.
I've seen one other photo, from about that same time period, with that effect. In that other photo, the 'glow' is a bit more forceful, more akin to 'flames' perhaps than to a 'general glow'. (That other photo happens to be of a man.)
Looking at the photo of Sister Faustina, I'm having this thought for the first time:
Higher-speed photographic films, and strong stroboscopic lighting, and a diminished tendency to make "natural light" photos indoors these days, may be the reason we're not presently seeing many photographic representations that have that 'glow' in them.
If someone isn't at work on it already, it would be interesting for someone to go back to "the old ways" of photography now, and to find out whether that 'glow' shows up in the resulting photos.
My guess is, it would - perhaps with certain people but not with others; and perhaps with differing shapes and characteristics, according to who it is who is sitting for the camera.
Probably it requires natural lighting, slow film, and longer exposure times than we've now become accustomed to.
Years ago I had a darkroom setup at my house. A friend was with me once during a darkroom session, and mentioned after awhile, "I've just seen your aura! It's green!" I've never had that perception of another's aura, myself - so I can't say with any authority that what my friend perceived was indeed my 'aura' - but I have no reason to doubt him, either. The point here is that it required "long exposure, in low light" before he perceived whatever he perceived, and reported on it.
Another friend once reported, "I've just seen what you really look like! You have silver hair and golden eyes!" Again, I have no authority to confirm what he said. Interesting, though. :) And it leads to a hypothesis that we might perceive the world "in a whole new light" if we allowed ourselves time enough away from all our busy-ness, to see it.
--hobie
Serving Freedom
and Liberty
