Tonight we’re observing Earth Hour, which means we turn off our lights for an hour in consideration of the environment. Of course, it’s a symbolic gesture. After we turn the lights back on, most of us resume our normal lives. But, in terms of raising the consciousness of environmental issues, I don’t see how it can do anything but good. I decided to do a couple of conceptual photos to celebrate the occasion. In the process, I sacrificed some cooking wine, soy sauce, corn starch and a light bulb I bought a few months ago, incorrectly thinking it would fit in my fridge.

After taking a few photos with the bulb intact, I put it in a plastic bag and smashed it. Then I dumped the pieces onto a glass plate and drenched it in “blood.” I shot a few frames, but discovered that the corn starch was drying in a very un-bloody way on the big shard of glass closest to the bulb’s base. I carefully extracted that piece with needle-nosed pliers, washed it, then put it back into the composition.I believe in getting photos as good as they can be in camera so they don’t have to be Photoshopped to death, so to speak.

I shot these photos with a Sigma EX 105mm f2.8 macro lens. I staged it inside a light tent I borrowed from a friend. It was lit from below and from both sides by Alien Bees B800 strobes.