Artist Dale Chihuly’s remarkable bridge is dominated by two crystal towers, each rising 40 feet above its deck. Chihuly intended them to reflect light and “serve as beacons for the bridge and the city.” I echo Chihuly’s beacon theme in my own interpretation of his crystal towers. I shoot into an afternoon sun with a super wideangle 14mm focal length, and placed the sun just over one of the towers, as if it was on fire. The super wideangle lens turns the sun into an exploding star to complement the beacon idea. I deliberately underexpose the image by spotmetering on the sun. This turns day into night, the most appropriate setting for a beacon. The dome and sheds of Tacoma’s old Union Station are just across the bridge from the crystal towers, yet they seem to be far away. Because of the tllted angle at which I hold my lens for this shot, the station buildings appear distorted. This extreme wideangle perspective, offering distorted buildings, Dali-like clouds, and brooding dark colors, becomes utterly surreal, saturated in atmosphere and mood. The huge crystal beacons, made of Polyvitro, seem to sparkle in the darkness.