These photos are unlike any other color photographs.

Unlike modern cameras, which use a single sensor with a Bayer filter to capture color in an instant, these are trichrome photographs. By capturing light in distinct red, green, and blue channels, the resulting images reveal not just what we see, but how we see—a magical synthesis of light and perception.

Sydney Krantz’s fascination with light and color began in childhood when she learned the men in her family are color blind, their perception of color shaped by missing links in their vision.

This early curiosity about perception grew into a deeper exploration of how our senses shape reality. Our eyes, with their specialized cells called cones, respond to red, green, and blue light. These signals are sent to the brain, where the interplay of wavelengths creates the colors we perceive. The way light moves through space and interacts with our senses lies at the core of Krantz’s work.

The science of trichrome mirrors her artistic exploration. Krantz uses photography as a tool to challenge perceptions, creating images that play with the boundaries of light, color, and form. Drawing from the concept of Umwelt—the idea that every organism experiences the world uniquely—she explores how sensory impressions shape reality.

By peeling apart the layers of light and reassembling them, Krantz transforms it into visual stories that invite viewers to question what they see, how they see it, and what lies just beyond perception. Through this process, she aims to capture not just the visible, but the wonder of seeing itself.