Failure, Recalibration, and Iteration
This week’s work centered around confronting the most technically challenging component of my final project: conceptualizing and executing a backlit printed photograph that realistically simulates the glow of stained glass.
This week, I traveled to my high school and photographed the windows I intend to use in my final project and some others around the building. I did this on my iPhone and a Canon camera. This process alone presented logistical difficulties—scheduling access, coordinating transportation, and working around time constraints—but I now have all the images necessary to proceed.
The current concept involves photographing, editing, and producing a high-resolution printed image of the stained glass and framing it. However, the key visual component is a solid backing material with precise cutouts aligned to the windows in the photo. The intent is for light to shine through these cutouts, creating a visual effect where the windows appear to be illuminated from within.
The primary challenge at this stage is determining the most effective and feasible method of introducing light into the frame. Two possible approaches have emerged:
- LED Backlighting – Integrating LED lights behind the cutouts, inside the frame, to produce a controlled glow. This option allows for flexibility in placement and consistent lighting conditions but introduces technical challenges regarding spatial constraints within the frame and the need for power supply and diffusion.
- Natural Light Exposure – Constructing the frame so that the cutouts are completely open at the back, enabling the piece to be positioned in front of a natural light source (e.g., a window). This solution is materially simpler and power-independent, but heavily reliant on ambient lighting conditions, which may compromise the desired effect in varied settings.
This stage of failure and iteration has been constructive in clarifying both the technical demands and conceptual priorities of the work. While I have not yet finalized the method of illumination, I have refined the parameters for testing and am now pursuing tangible experiments with scaled-down versions of each model. These outcomes will inform the final presentation strategy.
In short, this week has emphasized that failure, when approached analytically, becomes a necessary step in creative refinement.
I like the idea of the natural lighting as it really can capture the real effect of stained glass. As for the conditions, unless it is super cloudy out (like active stormy conditions), I think the lighting should be decent enough to produce some sort of effect. It would probably look best on bright, sunny days but I think it should still work on any other day.
You could also think about making a removable backing that is strung up with LEDs so you can have both options. But this might be more effort that it is worth.