A few true/false questions about the sun, lighting, direction and photography

[Len Colby]

I believe all the statements below to be self-evident if you disagree for any reason say why:

1) A lighting source will illuminate the side(s) of an object facing it.

2) Thus when we see an object in a photographic image (or live) that was (is) being lit by a single light source we can easily determine the direction it was in relation to the object. I.E. if the left/north/east side of something is illuminated we know the light source was to its left/north/east.

3) The sun ‘rises’ in the east and stays in the eastern half of the sky till (solar) noon when it crosses to the western half of the sky where it stays till it ‘sets’ in the west.

4) Thus if we see an image in which the eastern side of and object is in direct sunlight we know it was taken in the morning and conversely if we see an image in which the western side is in direct sun it was taken in the afternoon. You yourself made this point earlier about what you called “the Cushman photo”. (Emphasis added)

Jack White July 12 2008, 03:24 PM Post 174 - Fetzer’s Folly thread

The time is clearly AM, since the sunshine is on the EAST face

of the building [WTC 7].

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...st&p=149584

So then explain to us all after making that correct observation about the Cushman photo how you can continue to insist that another photo showing “the sunshine is on” the WEST face of WTC7, the same building, as well as those of the Verizon building and WFC3 could also have been taken AM? Actually according to you the photo below would have been taken earlier than the Cushman photo since you claim the former was taken before the collapse of WTC 2 (9:59) and the latter was obviously taken after the collapse of WTC 1 (10:28)

[Len Colby]

http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0111/biggart05.htm

As if any additional evidence that Jack is wrong were need. This Bill Biggart photo taken during the collapse of the south tower i.e. at 9:59 clearly show direct sun as expected at that time of day on the east face of WFC 3. In Jacks photo (see above) which he claims was taken 9:04 – 9:58 we can see the sun on the west face. So either he will have to contend that the sun was simultaneously shining on two opposite faces of the same building, which is impossible or that the sun moved from west to east, another impossibility or admit error but I imagine he will continue to clam up!

EDIT Broken photo link fixed

Edited August 6, 2008 by Len Colby