So important to life, light has a day of its own […]
Without light, the planet would be just a cold and sterile environment. So important for the abundance of life, it even has an exclusive date, the International Day of Light, celebrated this May 16th.
More than a celebration of the anniversary of the first successful operation with a laser beam, carried out by physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman, in 1960, the day is a tribute to science and its use in the name of peace and sustainable development.
According to UNESCO, the International Day of Light “celebrates the role that light plays in science, culture, art, education, sustainable development and in sectors as diverse as medicine, communications and the energy sector” .
In the selection below you can see incredible photos, taken in different scenarios all over the planet, from Iceland to the Chapada dos Veadeiros, to Goiás, where Márcio Cabral, from Brasilia, recorded a field of “sempre-viva”, popularly known as “chuveirinho”.
Another strong point is the photo that opens this article, in which the surfer Ítalo Ferreira observes the annular solar eclipse that occurred in Rio Grande do Norte in October last year. The “ring of fire” was captured by photographer Marcelo Maragni who, after months of meticulous planning, had a brief window of just five seconds to capture the photo.
International Day of Light: see Photos
Award-winning Brazilian
The photographer and geographer Márcio Cabral is the author of this nocturnal recording in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, in the north-east of Goiás, 220 kilometers from Brasilia.
His 360º recording, winner of the Epson International Pano Awards 2023, has as its main motif one of the symbolic plants of the Cerrado, the “evergreen”, illuminated in the foreground with a lantern designed specifically for speleology and with a “softer” appearance , in order to compensate for the darkness of the sky.
Márcio is also the author of other impressive photos, in the Central-West of Brazil, such as those taken in the caves of Terra Ronca (GO) and in the internal lagoon of Abismo Anhumas, in Bonito (MS).
In 2020 he joined the Guinness World Record as the author of the largest underwater panoramic image ever made, a record in Lagoa Misteriosa, in Mato Grosso do Sul. Originally, the photo below has a resolution of 826.9 megapixels, which equates to an image 14.46 feet wide and 7.23 feet tall.
At the time, post-production required 30 hours of work in front of the computer to digitally “stitch” the 28 images that make up the record-breaking photo (much more than the few minutes needed to dive into this lagoon of unknown depth).
great river of the north
The annular solar eclipse, which occurred in October last year, attracted the attention of Brazilians thanks to the various photographic testimonies that began to circulate on the networks.
Among the most talked about was the ring of fire effect, a sequence of images taken by Marcelo Maragni, in which the Rio Grande do Norte surfer Ítalo Ferreira is framed in the light of this rare eclipse.
As the São Paulo photographer said at the time, after “months of meticulous planning”, it was necessary to combine specialized equipment, precise positioning and agility to capture the photo in seconds.
One kilometer away from Italo and equipped with radio communications, the photographer guided the surfer so that he aligned himself as if he were inside the arc formed by the millimetric position of the Moon between the Earth and the Sun.
Milky Way
Spaniard Daniel Zafra is the creator of Milky Way Photographer of the Yearan international competition that chooses the best testimonies of the Milky Way, which last year recorded more than three thousand images from registered photographers from countries such as Argentina, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Madagascar and Namibia.
For a year he curates, seeking not only the most recognized photographers in the field, but also new talents, as well as considering the uniqueness of the places where this “milk trail” formed by the lights of billions of stars has not yet been recorded.
“The quality of the image, the story behind the shot and the inspiration are the main factors in selecting the photos for each year,” describes the Spanish astrophotographer, creator of the competition.
Iceland
This footage by photographer Tim Kemple shows athlete Rahel Schelb climbing an iceberg during the appearance of the Northern Lights.
The photograph was taken in southern Iceland and became a finalist in Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2016in the “New Creativity” category.
Unprecedented overpass
In 2021, Rafael Goberna made an unprecedented paragliding flight over the financial center of Panama City, amid a sea of buildings more than 230 meters tall.
He is an acrobatic paragliding athlete and has flown over destinations such as Chapada Diamantina (BA), Iguaçu Falls (PR) and the Dubai desert (photo below).
This Saint Paul, originally from Franca, in the hinterland of Sao Paulo, had also imagined taking a flight like this, but never between buildings so tall and so close to a city.
“Flying inside the city was the most exciting part,” he celebrates, in the video you can see below.
Among the difficulties in completing this challenge, Goberna says the most difficult part of the project was the weather and wind, as during the week of image acquisition, Panama City had a lot of rain and a lot of wind.
In the Panamanian capital, Goberna wandered among famous skyscrapers such as the Financial Tower (231 m), the Soho Mall (207 m) and the iconic F&F Tower (232 m), which resembles an immense mirrored vine.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
