Capturing Light Without a Camera ― “aura” series

aura series is an experimental project that captures the colors of light and the subtle presence that fills a space—
not through a camera, but by exposing film directly to light itself.

What we usually see as “sunlight” appears to be a single color, but in reality, it’s made up of many different colors blended together.
To capture these hidden colors of light, I use a prism to break down sunlight into its component hues, and sometimes further bend and reflect it using mirrors, depending on the situation.
(This approach closely follows the spectrum experiment conducted by Isaac Newton in the 17th century.)

The separated bands of light are then guided into a handmade box, designed like a small darkroom.
Inside, a sheet of instant film is placed at the back.
Light enters through a tiny opening, and when it touches the film directly, it leaves behind a trace of color.
There are no sensors or lenses involved—just the raw process of exposure.
The goal is to capture the color of light itself, as simply and directly as possible.

The word aura refers to something like an invisible atmosphere—
a sense of presence that appears only once, in a specific time and place.
The same light never appears twice.
This series attempts to receive that singular, unrepeatable light with as little intervention as possible.

By facing light directly—something we often take for granted—
I find that my own way of seeing slowly begins to shift.
That kind of subtle change may be at the heart of what it means to make an image.
And perhaps, for me, that is what it means to truly see.