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These 54 Eerie Photos By Aakaash Bali Bring Nostalgic Comfort To Some Or A Sense Of Unease To Others
Something about your eerie hometown street at night has haunted people for ages. The way darkness can be the visual representation for silence. Most fear the dark, but artist Aakaash Bali finds a very different comfort in the loss of light.
Like most artists – the fascination with their craft started back in their younger years. He took his dad’s camera and never gave it back. When the new digital cameras were first making their appearances, one advertisement caught Aakaash’s eye – and It changed how he would take photos forever. One image the companies used as a nighttime photo of Manhattan. “I looked at that photo and just thought – ‘I didn’t know cameras could take photos like this at night,’” he remarked.
His current pleasure project is the “Shadow District.” This project throws you back in time by placing you in the dark, eerily lit settings that you may miss otherwise. Looking at these photos brings a nostalgic comfort to some or an unsettling sense of “I feel like I wasn’t supposed to be here.”
When asked why he chooses to photograph the night rather than a well-lit natural light scene, he responds, “Darkness gives the setting a sense of silence so that the subject can make all the noise.”
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I really like how the sky is blotted gray in a way in which the sign both stands out and blends in.
Psychics are frauds and grief vampires. They prey on people that want to speak to their dead loved ones. They give lies and false hope while price gouging their victims. This fraud should be outlawed and criminalized.
Right now, this feels like the right place to stand outside and have a smoke. It's probably because I'm trying to quit smoking. :D
That angle makes the sign look like it's on the building in the foreground. And much smaller than it really is.
Hmm... Pizza, deli, Italian ice. I'm guessing this isn't a Chinese neighborhood.
I used to work in one of those. If the boss ever saw that many lights on after hours, he'd have a cow!
Wait. Are we on the inside looking out? In that case the sign would be backwards from the street... If we're outside looking in, what's all that stuff doing on the sidewalk after they closed? It's a conundrum I tell ya! I do like that neon diamond though, reminds me of Pink Floyd...
Like the sign! I'm guessing that is a reliable repair shop. Clean and necessary equipment in the window, lights on means valuable tools inside, inspection station is a good sign, visibly displayed phone and licence numbers, and clean concrete in front. I know my repair shops!
Wow! That's a real nice neon find! There were a few near me that I wished I could get somehow. A giant neon bowling ball and pin, a drive-in move entrance sign, and a neon Mobil gas station pegasus logo, not to mention the wall sign at my shop... vintage-mo...7729c4.jpg
Enjoyed these. To me they're like a little oasis in a lonely place.
That's a really beautiful way of thinking about it
Load More Replies...A lot of them seem to be taken near where I live--I recognized quite a few places. Queens, NY/Long Island.
Load More Replies...Aakaash has been a great friend and mentor since I started Photography. His work has inspired me to be less about content and more about the quality of my art. I'm glad I got to write this article to highlight his work!
Enjoyed these. To me they're like a little oasis in a lonely place.
That's a really beautiful way of thinking about it
Load More Replies...A lot of them seem to be taken near where I live--I recognized quite a few places. Queens, NY/Long Island.
Load More Replies...Aakaash has been a great friend and mentor since I started Photography. His work has inspired me to be less about content and more about the quality of my art. I'm glad I got to write this article to highlight his work!