Sun, Leaf and Branch
The leafy lines around Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds in England are rich in visual treasures but the display of light filtering through the canopy of trees in high summer is certainly intriguing. Of course such a display is no more than the out workings of the laws of physical optics – though the conditions for such effects to be observed are relatively rare. The effect is a dynamic light pattern derived from sunlight within which at times can be seen the shapes of leaves, twigs and branches in rapid movement in a gentle breeze.
In another location in the Cotswolds – a splendid beech wood near Chastleton House can also present the same phenomenon. Here separate locations display slightly different effects. In some can be seen the shapes of leaves and branches moving in random dances while in others shapeless blobs of light and shadow alternate in the pattern of light. A feature of such displays is that the patterns are chaotic – non repeating and where this holds the attention in a mesmerising gaze.
This display of light has yet another gift to offer where the changing pattern of light can be transformed into sound with modest levels of technology. Step one – project a video clip onto a surface containing light sensitive diodes which individually transform the sensed light level into dynamic voltages. Step two – transform each voltage into a dynamic sound frequency – using rather triangular or rectangular voltage waveforms. Amplify and mix the sound channels to achieve the desired effect. To achieve a degree of chaos into the sound mix move the photodiodes using voltage patterns derived from the separate photodiodes. This could ensure the sound patterns do not repeat. The resulting sound is an interlocking mix of varying sound frequencies rather than discrete musical notes. A device based on this electronic ‘pathway’ to creating sound was previously constructed as the ‘Heliophone’ – which is described in a separate post.
An expert photographer would perhaps have done better than myself in capturing these spectacles – the camera on a tripod rather than being hand held and an optimum lens in the field of view. The attached video clip, however, captures the rough essence of light and leaves at work in the green woods of England.
In the Green Wood
