Photographer Stephen Wilkes became a renowned name in the industry thanks to his unique perspective on landscape photography. His book Day to Night exemplifies this, where Wilkes uses a thousand photographs to create a stunning final image that depicts the passage of time in that place. While the series was quite superb, the photographer is back with another spellbinding picture, which is a part of the popular Magnum Square Print Sale. This year, the theme of the sale is Eden, and Stephen’s interpretation will surprise you.
The lead image is by Stephen Wilkes and is used with permission. This photo is available for purchase as part of the current Magnum Square Print Sale that ends on October 27, 2024.
Stephen Wilkes was on an assignment in the Bahamas when he noticed the thunderstorm approaching, not too far away, and gradually heading towards him. “I witnessed a stunning moment when a bolt of lightning arced into the ocean. The storm clouds turned blue-grey, and I knew instinctively there was the potential to capture a very special photograph,” he tells us. He asked the model, Bronwyn, to stand near the shoreline for four seconds so that he could make the image. Here’s what further told us:
Shooting 4 X 5 film, through patience and some good luck, lightning struck again, and I was able to capture this entire scene in one single photograph. This image speaks to the concept of “Eden” in a unique way. The looming thunderstorm, coupled with a distant bolt of lightning which draws her gaze, evokes a sense of untamed wilderness. Bronwyn’s calming gesture, bare feet on shallow rocks, evoke a connection to our natural world, a place where humanity and nature exist in a precarious harmony.
Stephen Wilkes
Although, according to the Bible, Eden was a garden, Stephen’s photograph paints a rather different picture. Firstly, the dress reminds me of individuals who spend days at Dharamsala in India, trying to tap into their inner chakras and become one with God or nature. Similarly, the translucent dress plays a pivotal role in making the image. The white shade is parallel with the white lighting. In a way, it could be interpreted as the woman gazing at the gate of another world that is cracking open upon her request.
Another thing that stands out is how the rock, the water, and the clouds become one. The slow shutter removes details created by the ocean’s ripples and, on a closer look, gradually begins to resemble the clouds. This distinction makes the picture even more captivating and surreal, tugging at the viewer’s imagination: Will she walk on water like Jesus or fly like Icarus closer to reach the thunder, which is calling her?
Photographically speaking, the standout points are the long exposure and deep blue, which creates a sense of mystery, solitude, and loneliness. It could also be read as the time when Eve was banished to Earth after eating the apple. But in Stephen’s photograph, it seems she finally found herself following the years of isolation. The peace and quiet are visible from her posture, and it appears she is no longer keen on returning to Eden, where all her misfortunes began. In some ways, Eve found her liberation, and I do hope many women today find that, too.