5.1 PHOTOGRAPHY COMMUNICATING WITH LIGHT What is light? Visible light is the only type of electromagnetic energy that we can see with the eye. The sun is our main source of visible light, but it can also be emitted by fire, light bulbs, and other devices. Light is what gives things their visible form, shape, texture, and colour, but, over the centuries, light has been used as a form of communication, too . naked 1 DO 1 Can you think of any other ways in which you use light to communicate? Light messages In ancient times, light was used to convey messages through fire, and the Romans used polished metallic for sunlight reflection to carry out long distance signalling. Later on, ships started using signal lamps to transmit messages in Morse code. plates Light in art Light and have always been extremely important in art to communicate concepts and have viewers focus on specific details, too. For example, Caravaggio created dramatic paintings that showed the mass of the human form and the three-dimensional experience of space through the use of chiaroscuro, a strong contrast of light and darkness achieved by a single directional light source that intensely on the main subject. shadow 1 shone MORE 1 Caravaggio was an Italian artist (1571-1610). Light in medicine The use of light in medicine produces successful results in the treatment of a variety of illnesses, and light is necessary to the human body to avoid diseases such as and depression. Also, medicine has found other ways to use light: x-rays, and , for example, would be useless were there not contrasts of light and shadows to analyse. 2 rickets CAT MRI scans DO 2 What is the name of this technique? Light in photography One of the most modern forms of communicating light is photography . In fact, is a way of describing photography: without light, there could be no photography. Since its creation, the possibilities offered by the of light in photography have evolved so much that its role as a crucial form of communication is now . 2 drawing with light exploitation indisputable MORE 2 The word photography comes from two ancient Greek words: photo for light and graph for drawing. GLOSSARY CAT T (Computed Axial Tomography): TAC exploitation: sfruttamento indisputable: incontestabile MRI (Magnetic ResonanceImagining): Risonanza magnetica naked: nudo rickets: rachitismo scan: scansione shadow: ombra to shine: brillare