Thursday Salute to Originals: Rainbow Roads
Have you asked yourself what is it that makes a rainbow magnificent? A rainbow is an arc of prismatic colors usually appearing in the heavens opposite of the sun caused by the reflection of the sun’s rays in drops of rain. But Daniel and Katina Mercadante have created a new kind of rainbow that can be seen from the lens of a camera!
The Mercadantes are from northern California and have recently relocated to Connecticut. The duo is primarily known for their contributions to film but has of late embraced a simplistic approach to making films – still photography. The inspiration for this project is the chilly nights of New England and the Earth’s natural landscape. Daniel creates brilliant linear rainbows that are photographed in the twilight. His backdrop or primary setting is a natural environment made of the forest floor and other organic elements including trees and water.
Rainbow Roads is the perfect title for this series of photographs. Daniel uses long exposure photography and a custom-made lighting rig to craft these amazing rainbow photos. He says that, “After so many years focused on the moving image, I’ve struggled with singularly caught moments in still imagery—so I love how this project still requires images to be captured over 15 seconds – 1 minute, so in some way they require the same passages of time that a shot in one of our short films might.”
This Thursday, we are saluting the Mercadantes and their remarkable Rainbow Roads! A few of the photographs were taken in Guatemala and share the same astonishing qualities of the North American photos. After all, following a rainbow road leads to good luck and prosperity!
Sources: Daniel Mercadante, This is Colossal, Collateral