Gwendolyn Lane's "Night Lights" (1968) Camera print. Color photograph. Yashika 35mm.
This unique photo was taken as the result of slow shutter exposure on the camera used by my husband, a 19-year-old soldier, who was off duty in a Saigon night club (during his tour of duty Vietnam Conflict. Thirty-nine years ago, I immediately noticed its abstract beauty among the other perfect exposures and decided to perserve it under plastic in our family photo album. Recently, after reading our present assignment, I was excited as my mind triggered memory and I retrieved it. Then, I scanned it, downloaded it via my computer, and re-created this old photograph representing a string of colorful, decorative Chinese lanterns that were hanging from the rafters. It seems to add a festive atmosphere and the element of light to a darkened night club in Saigon, S. Vietnam. I thought, "What an exciting historically original addition this camera print will be for my blogspot!" Although slightly faded and yellowed due to age, it is ideal for my weekly creative blog diary as it has relevance to Chapter Nine: Camera and Computer Arts (i.e., Andreas Gursky's Shanghai (2000) C. print (Literature p. 227)). I hope you enjoy this aesthetically attractive print. I am happy that somehow I had the insight to salvage it so long ago. And now, after rediscovering it, I am able to appreciate it as a visual, artistic expression in a modern art format.
Submitted by Gwendolyn
