Photography

Travel In Time Through Images – Stephen Wilkes’ Photos

Cisem Ozkal 31 July 2018 min Read

Can you imagine seeing your whole day in just one photograph? 

In Stephen Wilkes’ photos it’s possible!

Photos are related to our past and our past is made from our memories. To make them last, people take photos which always have determined time and place, such as the 3rd of June at one of the beaches in Hawaii. It might seem simple to take a photo, but a genius photographer called Stephen Wilkes shows that photos can be more than they seem.

Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night,,2017,NYC, Stephen Wilkes' photos
Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night, 2017, NYC, source: stephenwilkes.com

Wilkes creates a magnificent image by capturing the best moments of the day and uniting them in just one photo, like here where we see Day to Night.

Who is Stephen Wilkes?

He has been a prestigious photographer for approximately 20 -25 years. Stephen Wilkes’ photos are part of collections of many important museums such as the George Eastman Museum, James A. Michener Art Museum, Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Also, his photos are published on first pages of such popular magazines as New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Time, Fortune, National Geographic.

Stephen Wilkes, 2017, national geographic, source: stephenwilkes.com Stephen Wilkes' photos
Stephen Wilkes, 2017, national geographic, source: stephenwilkes.com

What is the Project of the day to night?

Stephen has started this project in 2009. He steadies his camera on a chosen spot and takes about a hundred photos sometimes shooting for 15-30 hours. Later, he eliminates most of the photos until he has around 50 of the best takes. Then, he arranges for them to make up an ordinary day from daytime to nighttime.

Stephen Wilkes' photos ,Day to night, 2015,Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Stephen Wilkes' Photos
Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night, 2015, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, source:events.nationalgeographic.com
Stephen Wilkes' photos ,Day to Night, 2017,Amsterdam,Stephen Wilkes' Photos
Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night, 2017, Amsterdam, source:events.nationalgeographic.com
Stephen Wilkes,Day to Night, Brooklyn,Coney Island Boardwalk,Stephen Wilkes'Photos
Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night, Brooklyn, Coney Island Boardwalk, source: stephenwilkes.com
Stephen Wilkes' photos ,Day to Night, 2017,Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands, Stephen Wilkes' Photos
Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night, 2017, Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands, source:events.nationalgeographic.com

Einstein said:

…for us physicists believe the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one.

For him, we can’t divide past and future. There is no division of time. This theory of Einstein is called The Fabric of Time. Stephen Wilkes argues that his project has a similar vision of time since it brings our past, present, and future together.

I think every artist should aim to make a difference and help us see the world from multiple perspectives. Therefore Stephen Wilkes can be the best example to promote my opinion because I couldn’t help myself  but search for his works after I saw one of his photo on social media.  They show me that we are time travelers and the concept of time is a part of the fabric of our lives.

Find out more:

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