“Sun and Moon”

Location: Oregon Coast (2021)

The sun and moon are artificially merged in this digital creation using photographs taken by the artist.

Specifically, the photos used are “Liquid Touch” and “First Quarter”.

I was inspired to combine the two images when writing a booklet about BAPstracts. I needed an image that showed the sun and moon together. Since “First Quarter” shows half of the moon, I figured I could reveal the other half as the sun. My only photo that clearly shows the sun is “Liquid Touch”, but it needed to be heavily edited in order to work.

Using Photoshop, I duplicated “Liquid Touch” and flipped the second image upside down to eliminate the ocean. I then combined that image with “First Quarter”. Because a first quarter moon is visible during the day and evening, I was able to achieve a deep blue background. (Specifically, I photographed the moon shortly after sunset.) This dark blue compliments the golden orange sky of the sun photograph rather nicely I think.

Just as with “First Quarter”, I like the symbolism associated with showing halves of a round object. It’s reminiscent of yin and yang. The sun and moon are complimentary forces that play a pivotal role in the world.

Day and night.
Male and female.
Good and evil.
Positive and negative.

All of that is symbolized in “Sun and Moon.”

Plus it just so happens, too, that the apparent size of the sun and moon are the same.

We live in a fascinating solar system!