Foresta Lumina

Foresta Lumina takes place in Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, Quebec, telling a fairytale story involving sprites, creepy creatures and the devil himself through the use of LED lights, holograms and projection mapping. This is its second year of operation, taking place once the sun sets from June through to October. I visited in August of this year, though I had visited the park before during daylight hours a few year previous.

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Following an introductory stroll past the various wood folk that would be featured in the story ahead, you walk past a carpet of flittering green LED lights up to the suspension bridge, the longest suspended footbridge in the world. By day, this is a highlight of a visit to the park as you walk 50 meters in the air, but at night you cross in darkness, the only illumination a doorway on the far side. It’s once you traverse this entrance that the narrative begins with a holographic projection of a night-time dance with fairies, as hidden speakers provide acoustic accompaniment.

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Strolling on between different segments I witnessed hulking monsters, trees bursting into flames, illuminated forests, all augmented by an aural landscape reverberating in the darkness. The tale ended with a spectacularly lit grove irradiated by small coloured lights, which proved tricky to capture on camera.

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The photographs above and below were all shot hand held, as I didn’t have my tripod with me. I had some fun trying out various combinations and settings to best capture the effects. Each story element only lasted a few minutes, so it was possible to rewatch the scenes to snap the best moments.

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More of my photographs of the forest are here and, if you’re interested in learning more, you can find background to the storyline here.

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