There is an obsession with sunset and sunrise that I am not immune to as a visual artist. And it is something more than the parading colours. The looming change to day or night creates a sense of weariness in subjects that my lens keeps returning to. It is as though the elements render them small—as though the nightfall asks, “Will this matter tomorrow?”
I think that is a question I am often asking myself.
A changing sky means the tangible passing of time—a reminder of our own mortality and limitations. A reminder there is a grand, elemental narrative happening completely outside of our own. Twilight tones place these scenes at the intersection of surrender and indestructibility, signalling that these moments will move from lived history into memory—if they are worthy.
These are some photographs from a series called Night Watch, photographed on film.
Hallie Haller is a South African writer, director, and creative strategist currently based in Johannesburg. She is passionate about media, the future, and you.