Finding Joy in the Dark

I have a professional shooting style that comes from 30 years in the field. It is polished and clean and looks a lot like the other images in this magazine.

But after my birthday dinner in October — which included sushi, cat-faced robots, and a cotton-candy machine — my kids, their significant others, and I decided to seek out the northern lights. It seemed like everyone had gotten amazing pictures the previous night, and rumor was they would appear again. We didn’t have a plan, just vaguely drove away from the cities, keeping our eyes on the skies. We finally ended up outside of Stillwater.

We parked near the river and took a walk, but there was no sign of the aurora borealis. Since I had my camera, tripod, and semi-willing subjects, I decided to show the kids how to paint with light. We began talked about long exposures, moving the subject, and where to aim the flashlight.

My son’s girlfriend, Rori, is the subject of this photograph, her body repeated as she moves and freezes. My son Tyler is simultaneously in the picture and invisible, as he lights up the cave walls with a flashlight during the exposure. Later, my daughter Eve and her boyfriend Jethro held their breath while the light touched their cheeks.

These were tricks I used to do often, both on my own and as a photography professor. I hadn’t done them in ages — they are imprecise, and both subject and photographer need significant patience. These images feel incomplete, and my perfectionist side would have wanted to shoot for several more hours to get the images and light ideal.

But while playing with flashlights late into the night, I allowed serendipity. It felt like I was introducing the kids to my past.

As I continue to age, parts of my old self reassert themselves more. Sometimes change comes in the form of moments that are hauntingly familiar.

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Sarah Whiting is the creative director of Minnesota Women’s Press. Her daughter, Crystal, who lives in Georgia, was unable to participate in the evening. See other photography work: sarahwhiting.com

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