Cities illuminated only by stars (11 photos)

What would the world's largest megacities look like at night without lighting? French photographer Thierry Cohen decided to test this and created a unique photo project, Darkened Cities—cities illuminated only by stars. According to the photographer, he has created a third reality, something that doesn't actually exist—cities without electricity. See what cities would look like illuminated only by stars.







Shanghai.

When power outages plunged eastern Canada and the United States into darkness in August 2003, some New Yorkers saw the starry sky for the first time in their lives. Large cities are illuminated at night by millions of lights: streetlights, traffic lights, windows, neon signs, storefronts, and car headlights. Seeing the starry sky in such conditions without light pollution is virtually impossible.

San Francisco.

So Thierry Cohen decided to create images that would accurately simulate cities illuminated only by the stars.



Hong Kong.

"By combining two realities, I created a third, one we can't see, but which exists to a greater or lesser extent. I showed only the stars the city took from us," the photographer said of his project.



Rio de Janeiro.

"Photography is a demonstration of what doesn't exist. It's a unique way to fulfill my dream. I don't create post-apocalyptic megacities, only those that have been deprived of electricity."



Tokyo.

For the "Darkened Cities" photo project, Cohen visited nine cities, including New York, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, and Hong Kong.



New York.

Each photograph in this project consists of two separate shots. Thierry first photographed the city, then searched for a suitable, unlit location at the same latitude to capture the starry sky.



Los Angeles.

Interestingly, Thierry photographed the cities not at night, but during the day, using gray filters. "This required the right weather conditions. It's best to photograph when the sun is behind the clouds and there are no harsh shadows," the 50-year-old photographer noted.



Shanghai.

Thierry Cohen lives in Paris. He approaches this project poetically, he says. "It's artistry, not reality. It allows you to show the world as you would like it to be."



Paris.

Thierry Cohen has been working as a professional photographer since 1985. It was only twenty years later that he found time to pursue his own photography projects, including "Darkened Cities."



Hong Kong.

You can find Thierry Cohen's other projects on his website, thierrycohen.com.