Shadow & Light Monthly #80

Shadow & Light is a list of curated photography stories, features, techniques, news and inspiration that I’ve come across this month.

In this edition we explore the rich colour legacy of William Eggleston, step into the lives of Japan’s ama divers and experience the quiet beauty of snow-covered landscapes in Hokkaido. From bold visual processes to deeply human traditions and minimalist scenes, this month’s selection highlights photography’s ability to capture both intensity and stillness.

So, with no further ado, I give you this month’s Shadow & Light Monthly. Go grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy this month’s selections below. Please let me know in the comments what you think.

William Eggleston’s Final Dye-Transfer Photos Go on Display

The work of William Eggleston has long been synonymous with colour photography, but this recent PetaPixel feature highlights a particularly significant moment in his career – the final prints he produced using the now-rare dye transfer process. Known for its rich, saturated colours and incredible archival quality, dye transfer printing played a huge role in shaping Eggleston’s distinctive visual language, elevating everyday scenes into something quietly extraordinary.

These newly exhibited works mark the end of an era, both for Eggleston and for the process itself, which has largely disappeared due to its complexity and cost. What makes these images so compelling is how they continue his lifelong fascination with the ordinary – mundane objects, overlooked corners, fleeting moments – yet rendered with such depth and intensity that they feel almost transcendent. It’s a reminder of how much the process of photography can influence not just the final image, but the way we see the world through it.

Eggleston’s approach has always been about finding beauty in the everyday, and these final dye transfer prints feel like a fitting full stop – a closing chapter that reinforces his legacy as one of the most influential photographers of the modern era.

For more on this exhibition and Eggleston’s final dye transfer works, read the full article on PetaPixel.

Additional reads

Eye of the Storm: Portraits of Weather and Reckoning

The work of Camille Seaman has always carried a quiet sense of awe, and her series Eye of the Storm is no exception. Featured on LensCulture, the project explores extreme weather events not just as natural phenomena, but as powerful, almost sentient presences. Her images of towering storm systems, vast cloud formations and shifting light feel less like documentation and more like portraits of something alive, something vast and unknowable.

What I find particularly compelling here is the balance between beauty and unease. These photographs are undeniably stunning, with rich tones and dramatic compositions, yet they also carry a weight that speaks to the realities of climate change and our fragile relationship with the natural world. There is a sense of reckoning in the work, a reminder that these forces are both mesmerising and potentially destructive.

Seaman’s approach transforms weather into something deeply emotional and symbolic. By treating storms as subjects rather than spectacles, she invites us to look closer and consider our place within these shifting systems. It is a powerful example of how photography can move beyond surface level beauty and into something far more reflective and thought provoking.

For more on this series and to explore the full set of images, read the article on LensCulture.

Japan’s Women of the Sea: Uraguchi at Huis Marseille

The long tradition of Japan’s ama divers, often referred to as the “women of the sea”, is beautifully explored in this series by Uraguchi Kusukazu, featured on 1000 Words Magazine. These free-diving women have worked for centuries, collecting shellfish and pearls without the aid of breathing equipment, and Uraguchi’s photographs offer a quiet, respectful insight into their lives, routines and enduring connection to the ocean.

What stands out in this work is its sense of stillness and dignity. The images feel observational rather than intrusive, capturing moments of rest, preparation and reflection as much as the act of diving itself. There is a softness to the tones and compositions that mirrors the rhythm of the sea, allowing the viewer to slow down and really sit with the images. It is less about spectacle and more about presence.

In a time where speed and immediacy often dominate photography, this series feels like a gentle counterpoint. It honours tradition, resilience and a way of life that exists in quiet harmony with nature. For more on this project and to see the full series, visit the article on 1000 Words Magazine.

And Finally – White Stuff: Capturing a Land Without Colour – in Pictures

The quiet, meditative landscapes of Elizabeth Sanjuan’s Silent Snow series offer a beautifully restrained view of winter in Hokkaido. Featured in The Guardian, the work strips the landscape back to its simplest elements, where snow, shadow and subtle texture become the entire visual language. There is an elegance in the minimalism, with compositions that feel carefully balanced yet effortlessly natural.

What I really love about these images is their sense of stillness. The muted palette and soft contrast create a calm, almost dreamlike atmosphere, where time feels slowed and sound seems to disappear entirely. Rather than dramatic winter scenes, Sanjuan focuses on the quiet in-between moments, allowing negative space and delicate tonal shifts to carry the image.

It is a reminder of how powerful simplicity can be in photography. By removing distraction, the work invites you to look more closely and to appreciate the subtle beauty of light, form and environment. For more on this series, view the full gallery on The Guardian.

Until next time…

I hope you enjoy the articles above. Don’t forget you can follow my Shadow & Light magazine over on Flipboard if you’d like to see more of what I’m reading if you like what you’ve seen here.