“There is a hidden luminescence in the wilderness of the American West,” writes Cody Cobb (b. 1984), a photographer and keen explorer who is based in Nevada. “A strange fluorescence occurs when certain minerals and organic materials are subjected to ultraviolet radiation. This spectrum of light is invisible to humans.” The following images are taken from Cobb’s Spectral series, which captures a parallel world after dark. On first glance, the shots look to be altered with clever filters. In fact, they are rooted in science. Each landscape glows with fiery orange or ice blue. Cobb’s technique involves long exposures and an ultraviolet light, taking his camera to areas where collapsed lava tubes can be found, or high up where lichens thrive. “The eerie light emitted from within these once familiar surfaces transforms the mundane into something extraterrestrial,” he notes. It’s refreshing to look at the Earth in this way: to zoom in on textures and reveal concealed colours.
Image Credits:
1. Cody Cobb, from Spectral (2022).
2. Cody Cobb, from Spectral (2022).
3. Cody Cobb, from Spectral (2022).
4. Cody Cobb, from Spectral (2022).
5. Cody Cobb, from Spectral (2022).
6. Cody Cobb, from Spectral (2022).
