"Gravel Pit" Mounds and Such: Subseries of Vibrant Night (Light Painting Landscapes)

I have specialized in landscape light painting photography since 2013. My primary focus has been on nature areas of the American Southwest, mainly Texas -- and includes human-made structures or objects in or by them. This has formed a substantial, long-term series/body-of-work that I call “Vibrant Night,” both for its uncommon stylistic approach to nature’s night (which I stylize expressionistically in vibrant colors and at times a bit otherworldly or surreal) – and also for the other meaning of “vibrant” which is alive with vigor and energy -- (which, to me, is consistent with a Gaian world or even animism.) Mostly I use lights of different color temperatures (during long exposures) and extensive post-processing to convey my vision: I transform what was there either to freshen an icon scene or -- even better -- to reveal the hidden beauty of a nondescript subject. Or to show what arose from darkness to evoke my awe. Metaphorically my work reminds me that everything – including people – can seem different if seen in a different light. This encompassing body-of-work "Vibrant Night" is composed of "subseries" based on specific terrains, topics, or narratives -- all analogous to book chapters (including very specific "studies" within them.) The current presentation focuses on what I loosely refer to as "gravel pits," as a shorthand for any sort of human-made mounds/piles including those of recycling materials such as crushed glass. Since such structures can be unattractive, this subseries especially captures the work's transformative aspect and psychological concept of things seeming different if seen in a different light. My portfolio site ( www.LensCulture.com/ron-levy ) has more examples of this subject, its context, and further discussion.