Lux Noctis, A Stunning Photo Series That Infuses Earthly Landscapes With an Otherworldly Spirit

A post shared by Reuben Wu (@itsreuben) on Mar 1, 2018 at 11:22am PST

Photographer and musician Reuben Wu has created Lux Noctis and Lux Noctis II, an absolutely stunning photo series that transforms and infuses traditional North American landscapes with an otherworldly, extraterrestrial spirit. Wu states that he was “influenced by ideas of planetary exploration,19th century sublime romantic painting, and science fiction” by fully embracing modern technology to attain this goal.

Drones are amazing for cinema not only as flying cameras, but also as flying light beams, foregoing the use of expensive cranes, helicopters and balloons, and allowing artists to shine light on places from angles which have never been possible until now. Each image is a carefully-planned scene consisting of multiple lighting positions, layered to produce a theatrically-lit composition. Using the GPS-enabled aerial light/drone in specific positions in space, I am able to create moods of drama and tension through chiaroscuro, and the ability to illuminate isolated features of a scene and exclude unwanted elements.