Ten>>>

I woke up a few days ago to a morning where there was nothing but an off white-ish grey sky. Even though it is approaching the holiday season, this has nothing to do with that theme of winter. It's really mornings like this that I just love to wake up to. It occurred to me that in theater and what not, I've never really encountered the use of a off white sky being used to convey a calm type of atmosphere (blue, pink, and yellow being the most common I've seen). What I also like about this is the green that's involved. With the off-white, black, and chunk of brown, the green really pops out and gives this shot a great sense of vibrancy. Add that with the black from the lamppost and it feels very grounded instead of too vast and expansive.

008 // The Horizon

I was driving in the mid-afternoon with a friend to a location using the I-5 when I came across this.  What struck me when I took this picture was just how open the landscape was. The lack of any buildings or any sort of manmade structures really made the sky feel so vast. This position alone made me feel as though it was a backdrop for a theater production . What I love about this is just the way the sky really transitions from a layer of gold to this nice blue sky. The wide stretch of dark green trees right over the layer of green grass also gives this a nice stretch and depth. There's a nice serene feeling that I get from this that makes me feel as though things are just starting to die down. Granted, I feel as though any sunset does that, but just because I was out in the open, the effect of that was on a larger scale. It was worth stopping for to soak in.

Week 10, Holiday Cheer

With the holiday season around, lighting displays dazzle neighborhoods, malls and various public locations. A while back I had worked on adding a unique Christmas display at my own home. The spiral staircase provides a unique opportunity to show holiday cheer and illuminate the room at the same time. With no other lights on except for the stair lighting, the entire room glows from all of the lights used on the stairs. With so many curves and objects to attach to, deciding how to wrap the lights on the stairs was a very fun activity. I enjoy the lights so much that I think I will leave them up all year long! They will just transform into the next holiday's lights. Also I figured out how many lights I could put on that circuit in my home and if I wanted to, the staircase could glow like the sun!

Week 10: Kiss of the Spider Woman

I saw this spider web as I was leaving my BioSci class. The reflected light caught my eye as I was walking by. At first, it appeared as if there were marbles or beads lying in the bushes, but upon closer inspection I saw that it was a series of dew drops preserved in a cobweb. My first instinct was to take a picture of it for the lighting blog. I loved how the water droplets looked so clear and filtered. The vivid green in the background further accented the drops, making it a very busy, interesting composition. Upon further reflection (no pun intended) I realized that I inadvertently chose to use mirrored light as a subject for my lighting focus once again. This case seems a bit different, however, because the light seems to be intensified by the droplets, which is why it caught my eye in the first place. Perhaps the curved surface of the dew drop focuses the sun rays similarly to how a lens does. Either way, it is very cool to see nature playing with light and I’m pleasantly surprised with my new-found attention for how things are lit.

Week 10 - Candy Cane Lane

So I was made aware by my peers that I have been a bit overzealous when it came to these lighting blogs (writing them every week). I guess I could simply say that I have been overly aware of light and required to write more than necessary about it. I have also been made aware that I need to read instructions a little more closely. That being said, I will write my final post on what is most appropriate for this time of year. I went home this past weekend to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with my father. While there, I took a trip over to see which houses had begun to put up their Christmas lights. I live close to a very popular street known as Candy Cane Lane, where homes go all out for the holidays. I love that each house has its own style and the personality of the homeowner is shown through their decorations. I find some of the most beautiful and classic-looking yards have no color at all, but are rather lit up with a stunning amount of white lights. These homes seem inviting and lovely and the closest thing to a white Christmas the valley may ever experience. I've also found that the families with children usually have Disney characters or bursts of color in the front yard bringing a different kind of wow factor to that particular home. It's always a fun experience, but I really noticed just how much light can affect our mood. This street alone lifts so many spirits and brings so much joy to kids and adults alike through light. It's pretty awesome :) Happy Holidays, everyone! Thanks for a great quarter! P.S. This particular picture is from last year's festivities. I couldn't not post it. This family's home is just above and beyond. "It's a Small World" comes to Woodland Hills.

Week #10 Christmas Context

It's that time of year again, Christmas lights!! Sorry these photos aren't better, my phone is a few years old, and photos at night are a little blurry. I took two photos of the Christmas lights on my street. And one of the biggest lessons I took away from our lighting class is how impacting context can be, and i thought about context when i took these photos. If we think about it, Christmas lights are just different colored lights, sometimes forms to make different shapes, but because we all know that it's the Christmas time of year, we see these lights and are filled with joy and excitement when we see these lights.

Just like in our picturation or Our Town project, some cues could be almost identical, but because the context was different, they would have different effect on us. I find the idea behind context fascinating in regards to lighting, and that id probably the biggest lesson I will take away. :)

-Alyssa 

Week #8 Real Life Gels

I had taken this photo a few weeks ago, after we had some major rain. I was in the CAC to see a teacher and literally stopped when I saw how beautiful the sky was. I had recently presented my "Our Town" project and the sky immediately reminded me of gels. I know it's kind of silly, but i just love all different colors that our presented in the picture of the sky. This picture would have been a good inspiration photo for my project, it has many of the colors I was going for, from orange-y ambers, to grey blue purples. I thought of our gel book that we used, all the different gels colors. I also really like how different each side of the sky is, one is dark and stormy, the other bright and hopeful. Again, similar to the scene I did for "Our Town" from dark scary graveyard, to bright childhood flashback. I really love this photo!

-Alyssa 

Week 10- The light at the end of the tunnel

I saw this picture yet again from a quick drive home. It was so appropriate that it was the week right before finals and where I had a show coming to an end and a few scenes to present. This week was so extremely stressful and I'm still recovering from being sick, but this image made me think of a few things. First, I thought of such natural beauty this Earth can produce and how the light can really enhance that. It made me think that there is an artist somewhere out there giving us these images to communicate to us. What I got from this image and light was to hold on and there is hope. There is something more to what is going on right now and there is a bigger picture ahead. The light shines through the dark and grey areas. We don't have to understand it all, but if we remember the moments that mean a lot and create impact, we'll be okay, I'll be ok. The light here really spoke that to me. It gave me a "heavenly" feel. The source is so great and majestic. I'm just reminded here how powerful light is. I'm glad the last of my blog ended on this image, it's rather appropriate.

Week 10: A Carousel of Color

This past Tuesday, I celebrated my friend's 21st birthday at California Adventure! A group of us sat overlooking the lake on the patio of the Ariel's Grotto Restaurant, and in front of us was Mickey's Fun Wheel all aglow with magnificent neon colors.  My eye is always drawn to this ferris wheel because the lights exude so much positive energy.  The intensity and brightness of the colors stir immediate joy and the energy they contain is contagious.  The rainbow of colors the wheel goes through is so childlike and  fun, it's hard to restrain those hyper jitters and almost impossible to not be reminiscent of the days of innocence when magic was real.

Now, I know this is show and we're technically supposed to stay away from staged lighting, but I also want to briefly touch on the wonder of the "World Of Color."  Light alone already affects our emotions in powerful ways, so I find it extraordinary how much more deeply it can affect us by being just slightly manipulated by something as simple as water.  The lights in the show dance, sway, float, and shoot in ways that would never be possible by just straight lights with the simple addition of power jets. Watching it, you sort of forget that the water is there after a while, and when that happens the resulting image is emotionally overwhelming.  The rays of lights seem to be bending and dancing on their own, which is physically impossible and as such produces a sense of magic in the air.  It makes me as awestruck as a 5-year-old meeting Mickey Mouse.  

Week 10- Crystal Chandelier

This is the chandelier in our dinning room. I can't tell how many times I have seen this thing on and  not paid any attention to how truly beautiful the lighting is. I like how the lighting comes creates a purple/lavender glow while still maintaining the warmth of amber. The lighting also creates such vivid shadows on the ceiling. The shapes that are reflected are so intricate and exciting to look at. The shadows create a dramatic effect that draws your attention up and outwards. The chandelier itself is gorgeous, but its not till the lights are on that it comes to life. The crystals catch the light and reflect it back out making the entire area around the  chandelier much more interesting to look at.

Week 10 - Never Ending Break Lights!

I took this picture during rush hour traffic (don't worry I was just a passenger...not the driver). I know it's really blurry, but I think the blurriness adds to the unpleasant feelings this picture is capturing. The brake lights went on for as far as I could see. It was a horrible sight! It is so amazing at how lighting can affect your mood so intensely. The moment I saw these horrible, bright, red lights my mood instantly switched from an at ease passenger to a stressed out passenger writhing with angst. I think it is important to remember that lighting is a great way to express mood, just as we did in class with our Our Town Lighting Projects. We were able to express all kinds of emotions with just lighting. We didn't need extravagant sets or costumes or great actors to get across the mood we wanted. All we had were a few lights, and yet we still had success at getting the audience to feel a certain way. Lighting can speak volumes.

Week 10: Sacred Lanterns

This is a club called La Vida in Los Angeles. I came here to see one of my favorite DJ s.  As soon as I entered this place, I recognized these lanterns on the ceiling. It reminds me one of the rituals at the Ganges rive in India which is about floating a little flower with a lit candle with a wish. They made me holy even though it was the club and I am not a Buddhist. I think the color of the lanterns also gave me that feeling. It looks very warm, friendly, gentle, and oriental. Also, the strongest lighting at the left corner of the picture looks like the sun which lights the lanterns.

Week 10: CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET!

This is Main Street, Disneyland, CA.

Going here a week ago today, seriously brought me into the holiday spirit. And brought me into it right!

How you ask? Well... ALL OF THE LIGHTS!

I snapped this picture right when I saw main street for the first time that night because I was just so awestruck by how gorgeously Disney had decorated this icon of a tourist attraction.

From the lit up wreath-like things going from one side to the other, to the giant Christmas tree that was probably more ornaments and lights than actual tree, to the revolving laser light thingy in the back.

It was all so amazing. Such a spectacle. It's so interesting though how lights are so connected to human emotion. The whole reason why people want to go to Disneyland during the holidays is BECAUSE of the decorations, the lights.

From the start I've been so fascinated with how subconscious that connection to light is that we have. We all have reactions to light and feel something when we see certain colors, certain lights, certain designs. But I wonder, do these feelings change from culture to culture? Or is there something universal about light that every human being can perceive the same way?

Whatever the answer may be, one thing is for sure. Everyone loves Christmas lights. And Disneyland.

Week 10: Christmassy Light

These Christmassy decorated displays are derived from the new Musical production 'Tinseltown Christmas' supported by UCI Drama Department. I took photos right after watching the musical show last Thursday night. The most famous and general colors for the Christmas season are justly green (Christmas tree), red (Rudolf deer's nose), and white (snow). These colors seem to be different and distinct, but the harmony of these three colors are incredibly splendid. In my memory I have experienced the previous Christmas days, my father always decorated the Christmas tree with twinkling Christmassy lights, bells, and stars; in addition, my mother and elder sister used to prepare for the most delicious food and deserts for our family. The mood has been warm, peaceful, joyful, genial, and happy all the time. Judging by my personal memory, I truly believe that the Christmassy lights are the best tool of conveying the feeling of happiness, impression, delight, and love to everyone. Besides, these Christmassy lights play a meaningful role of reminding the childlike innocence in adults' mundane lives. While staring at these Christmassy decorated lights, I could realize the significance of the light itself by passages: 'there is nothing without light' and 'we can't imagine the life without light.' Although we do not recognize how important the light is for our life due to the fact that light is everywhere nowadays, light is indispensable for our daily life. Just like the Christmassy lights naturally lead us to invaluable things, I hope we ruminate of the value of light's existence and appreciate for it in our everyday moment. Lastly, I wish and pretty sure that the Christmassy lights will enrich our life, embrace and heal people with a hurt.

 Merry Christmas, Everyone.  

Week 10: Romantic Fairytale

Irvine Spectrum is a really romantic place at night. There is no harsh lighting. Dim lighting is used all around which gives everything a softer look. The colors are all artificial but give a feeling of a fairytale. Lighting is used to highlight all the beautiful shapes as shown in this picture with the ferris wheel . I always enjoy how in such dark nights beautiful soft lighting can be used to brighten up things.

Week 10: Summer in October

I took this photo using my best friends really fancy SLR camera in the beginning of the fall quarter. It was still incredible hot outside for it almost being October and we decided to take a trip to Will Rodgers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. We took a tour of the home that Will Rodgers had built during the 1920's and while outside I spotted these plants that were covering an outdoor fireplace that crept up and all over the outside of the house. It might be the quality of the camera that really makes this so vivid and clear, but either way it is the light hitting the planter that gives it that feeling of a hot summer day in California. The blue sky and dark hidden shadows make it very cool, but because the green and yellow leaves are so prominent, it creates a hot and very harsh image to look at for a long time. I remember while taking the photo I had to wince while looking up, because even though there was no direct sunlight there was a glare from it being so bright. One thing I really like about the lighting is how spread out and even it seems, while still having so much happen with the shadows. There is an obvious natural quality because of the colors, but a slight mysterious feeling from the shadows.

Week 10: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

When I was younger going to Disneyland was such a huge, rare, and amazing occasion. It was always built up into a big day of churros, dole whip and a dozen rides. When I moved to Irvine for college I got a Disneyland pass and now I go several times a quarter. Just recently I went to Disneyland and was pleasantly surprised to see that all the Christmas decorations were up. I watched the fireworks show and as the show came to a close the castle lit up with all these beautiful lights. The castle is lit with bright pink lights on each of the towers. These pink lights define the towers which prevents the castle from being completely engulfed in white lights. White icicles/twinkle lights cover the top of the whole castle. The bright white lights give the illusion of snow even though snow is something that we would never expect in southern California. If I were trying to create the illusion of snow on a house/castle on stage I don’t think I would use this many lights. I would probably use icicle shaped lights for the rims of the house but when creating actual snow I would use foam falling from the ‘sky’ while using light blue lights to create the background.

What’s great about this whole setting is that we know it’s not real, it’s not real snow, it’s not real icicles and yet we don’t care. It’s real to us, we know that they’re just pretty lights but with the whole atmosphere of Disneyland your imagination runs wild and you believe that everything is real instead of manufactured. It reminds me of a stage, whenever something is put on stage you believe it, you believe the story and the characters even though you know in the end that it’s only a play. It’s wonderful to let your imagination believe in these things because it allows you to accept the beauty in it.

Week 10: Reflection

For my final post of the quarter, I am using a picture I took in my first or second week after receiving the assignment. I was playing with the various affects light can accomplish against different materials.
This one, clearly, is trying out reflection. It's a little bit of a hokey image, but it got my ideas across. I actually think that the shadows outside are really cool as well, using the tree and the chair as a gobo.

I particularly enjoy this picture because I took it so long ago, and since then I have learned so much more about light. Seeing Tyler's use of reflection today in class, in a completely different way. I am feeling like there is so much more that light can do that I haven't thought of, which is exciting.

Week 10: There goes the sun...

This is another picture I took on the way back to Southern California, on that stretch of I-5 that seems to go on for days.

The thing I find most interesting about this is the effect of the cloud/haze - it obscures enough of the light to lend an air of mystery without diminishing too much of the brightness of the sun. The way that the strip of cloud reflects the light also serves the contrast with the dark of the Earth below, and I really love that.

There's a very idealized romantic view of sunsets, and some are beautiful in a romantic way, but I also think the inherent darkness can bring about another kind of beauty. I suppose the haze adds even more to that - the mysterious and dark quality that takes over as night falls. But one of the biggest things I've learned this quarter is the extent to which light  and the interpretation of it - varies from person to person.

Week 8: Mountain Sun

Over Thanksgiving break I took a quick three day trip to Zion national park in Utah with my family. I had been to Zion previously, but I was very young and I really couldn't remember much about it. Driving to Utah it was mostly desert and not much to look at, but once we reached Zion I was really astounded at how beautiful and green the park was. While on a hike I took this picture and really loved the beams of light that shine throughout the photo. The sun is very bright and probably a little too powerful, but the way it shines on the water makes it feel almost cold. I also like how the shadows on mountains in the background seem further away than they actually were. I took many pictures on this trip, but this photo stood out from the rest because of how harsh the lighting was.

Week 8: Windows

This photo was mostly playing with light and shadows. The sun was very bright this day, and the greenery contrasted with the cement walls very ceiling. Each scene in context of the other was thereby intensified. The lighting and color scheme of the image deliver two very different ideas, one inside the other.

I found another example in this image:

It was taken in FedEx. You can see the clear, blueish sunlight on the trees outside, and the dimmer, green fluorescent on everything inside. It is just another example of layering lighting ideas which I found really interesting.

It would be fun to play with this idea of windows on stage, although it would certainly be easier to light the two scenes side by side rather than one inside the other. It certainly gives a different effect.

Week 8: Stargazer

This shot was the result of a midterm-induced study session. My unfortunate procrastination compelled me to stay up all night studying, and I dreaded the sunrise because it signaled the arrival of my school day. However, the dread for morning was somewhat diminished by the beauty of the sunrise. I happened to notice it through my window as I was gathering up my study materials. The warm glow of the sun-rays was slowly overtaking the serene blue of the night time sky. Yet, as if a sign of defiance, a single star remained in the sky, seemingly holding back the sun’s light from overtaking the expanse. I thought it looked so beautiful pouring in through my window that I knew it would make a great picture for lighting analysis. It conveyed so many different emotions. Just as I was clinging to every last second of the night in order to soak up as much study time as humanly possible, so did the solitary star stand its ground in the celestial realm above, making it’s last hurrah before being overtaken by the unavoidable path of the sun. The areas cast in shadow enhance the beauty of the colorful sunrise by providing more information. The dramatic silhouette of the rooftops creates a scenic urban mood, enhanced by the framing structure of the window itself. These powerful lines in the foreground give the picture substance and context. Without them, it would just be a sky-- a beautiful, thought provoking sky, yes, but one with no distinguishable location or angle. 

Week 8: the Beam of Human-made Lamps

    On October 19, 2012, the former U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Bren Events Center at UCIrvine to give a speech for supporting Democrats and Barack Obama's president election. Approximately tens of thousands of UCI students and Irvine citizens flocked to the center and I was one of the crowd passionately taking photos to capture the meaningful time with the celebrity. The first reason I decided to take a picture of this moment was due to the uniqueness to watch numerous people gathered in one place and really gorgeous and splendid figure harmonizing with spotlights and shiny display screens on each's cellphone. Especially, the middle of crowds and the platform were illuminated by strong spotlights. It seemed like the intense beam/ray created by the vivid human lamps. Besides, the people in the center remind me of the core of the Sun which has extremely high temperature and dynamic solar energy. Consequently, these human-made  ray of lights naturally indicates enthusiasm and acclamation of the crowds. In addition, this photo has the clear contrast of the color as black shadows(surrounding edges) and white light(middle). Through this photo's analysis, I could discover the broader possibility of the new and fresh lighting design utilizing the crowd and human-made lamps. It was pretty interesting and phenomenal to my viewpoint.

Week 8-- Night Light

This picture was taken in the parking lot of the in-n-out near my house. As I was enjoying my burger and fries with my friend I noticed these trees. What really caught my attention was how the light from the street lamps were hitting the trees. It was clear where the light source was specifically hitting especially on the fuller tree in the back. You can clearly see the bright center of the pool of light and how it begins to fade out. The center is so bright but the top edges become hardly distinguishable from the night sky.  The light adds so much dimension and color to the tree. Instead of it appearing to be a pretty bland one tone green. there are multiple shades and shadow that bring life to the tree especially since it was so dark. 

Week 8: The sun and the moon

It was the early in the morning. I have never thought that the sun and the moon can be on the sky at the same time. Actually, it can be. It was the first time for me to see it. It was very strange and unique. The moon brightens because of the reflection of the sun. I thought how it could be possible even though they are on the same side of the sky. It seems a miracle according to the general theory. 

The time is that the sun is coming up and the moon is coming down. The sun represents a new world's or a new hero's birth. The moon is an old world or an old hero's vanishing. Clearly, it shows transition between the night and the day. 

Week 8: Colors In Dark Light

So this week my family decided to come join me here in Irvine due to me not being able to go home. One night while I was taking my sister to newport beach, I noticed how interesting this picture captured the colors of the trees and the buildings in the background. It got me thinking about how color looks in different tints, especially considering what we have been discussing in class with the Our Town projects. One thing I noticed is that the colors seem to be a different tint then they are when they are fully lit with the sun and I wondered how I could imitate this effect on the stage. Their is always a source light and fill light, but I think more in the terms of literally dropping two very similar colors into different lights and see how it would look on stage. This is definitely different than what is being represented in this photo, but I am interested in how I can duplicate this fading light but completely fill. Honestly this might be something very easy to do with how much light I actually send through, but its still something that has me thinking very heavily on how light can be played with onstage to create a certain effect. I will definitely play with this moving forward with my Our Town project.

Week 8: Natural Gobo

While on a drive during the Thanksgiving break, I saw and interesting piece of lighting that I could not pass up the opportunity to photograph. It was past noon and at the angle the sun was hitting a nearby building, the reflection projected on the ground gave the impression like that of a gobo! The feature on the ground was symmetric and unfocused, yet still clearly visible and slightly defined. The actually building that sourced the reflection had vertical windows. I was quite astonished to see such a sight, even in the daytime. However, that was made possible because other surrounding buildings in that Westwood area sent that street in shadows. It is even possible to see a different gobo design in the intersection ahead as a result of the building in the left of the frame. If I had more time that day I would have liked to drive around a bit more to see other designs, but this photograph turned out great! It is quite interesting to see how mother nature creates her own theater production using the earth as her stage.

Week 8: TREE LIGHTING

I went home for Thanksgiving break in San Jose, CA. And somehow, stumbled upon the Christmas in the Park Tree Lighting ceremony. This is a picture of the first lighting of this giant Christmas tree!

I've been going to Christmas in the park pretty much every year since I was a wee lad. And as far as I remember, this tree has been lit the same. every. year. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of how this tree is lit. Stretching out the lights to accent the length of the tree turns this into a giant cone with an itty bitty star on top. It doesn't really scream out Christmas tree to me because I am just too focused on the cone shape it creates. It also detracts from the gorgeously lit giant ornaments that are hung, what seems to look like, underneath the string lights. I much prefer the string lights wrapped around, to not "shape" the tree so much as to accent it. It was still quite the spectacle to see this tree being lit for the first time.

And then the question of how the whole lighting of trees during the holiday season even came about arose. So I did some research.

"Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles." - History.com

And there you have it! The ever-so-popular lit Christmas tree. Another fun fact, Christmas lights used to be called Fairy lights. An appropriate name, I'd say.

Week 8: The Perks of Being Stuck in Traffic

       It took over five hours for my friend and I to get back to Irvine today from our hometown in the Central Valley. On a good day the drive will take four hours (or sometimes maybe just a little under that) but today was not one of those days. After sitting for two hours in traffic we finally reached the grapevine where we awaited more traffic, during this I looked over and saw the setting of this photo. Getting on the ramp of the grapevine I noticed a fog that was sitting gently on the mountains, not yet settling itself on the road (thankfully for us drivers). The fog created a type of blue/gray-like haze. In the midst of this haze there are beams of orange/yellow light that are being projected off of the sun setting. The orange/yellow light is trying it’s best to shine its way out of the haze but is slowly being drowned out by the blueish haze. The orange/yellow color is projecting its light across some of the mountains creating a very defined lining of the mountains. This lining creates a clear division of the mountains and the sky, it also clearly identifies the shape of the dark blue mountains. The setting at first seems cold because of the gray/blue haze, but for me it feels warm and comfortable despite the darker shades of color. Although there isn't much bright light in the setting the orange/yellow lights seem to get the warmth spread throughout.

       Looking at this setting and thinking that it appears to have a gray shade to it reminds me of how we were told in class that gray isn't a color that can be projected through light (correct me if I understood this wrong). If I were to put this on stage I would try to create the fog by using blue, purple and lavender gels. I would then use soft oranges and yellows to create the sun's beams. I feel like these gels would be able to display the same beauty on stage that I saw when I was stuck in traffic. 

Week 8: Welcome Home!

I pulled over and took this picture on the way home to NorCal. I decided to take a more scenic route home and I'm glad I did. I was already feeling really bummed that I had to leave Irvine so late, but seeing this in nature really made me feel warm. Sure, at first glance it can look like a fire, but to me it reminded me of a warm blanket and oddly enough, a turkey. I like how the colors in this are dark and rise up to lighter colors. There is a strong center and focal point or source of light. As I said before, this made me feel very warm and the feeling of going home. It brought back memories of all the good times going home and it made me excited to eat turkey. I love the black shadows that are created in between the beam of light and I love how much depth is created beyond the horizon. It gives the image that there is more than just a flat image. I also love the color created underneath the individual clouds. Due to where the source of light is created, the color on the clouds is only shown on the bottom of the clouds. Its like the clouds create mini images of the larger picture below.

Week 8: Fog

This was taken at around 7:30 one morning this past week.  It actually kind of confuses me.  Looking at it from the tree to the light source (right to left), the picture is haunting.  It has a lost-in-the-woods feel.  However, looking at it in the opposite way from the source to the tree (left to right), it seems heroic, as if something good is coming, a hero is rising from the ashes.  I also thought this lighting was interesting because it does not look like morning.  Upon closer inspection you can see somewhat of a bright blue behind the fog in the upper righthand corner that suggests is to be so in addition to the lighter hue of the yellow around the source.  I really liked the shadows in the photo as well.  The fog makes it so nothing is distinct. There are only silhouettes. The tree in front is sharper, and the ones nearer the source all just kind of blend together.  At first glance this seems like a pretty simple photo, but there are actually so many details to look at!!

This second one was taken at the same time as above, around 7:30am, more just for comparison purposes. Four weeks back, I took an identical photo around the same time in the morning that had very different lighting (See week 4 blog).  I found it intriguing how all the shadows disappeared, the lighting was incredibly diffused and softened.   This lighting is so flat and dead, hardly radiating anything while the other one provokes many strong feelings.  The above causes an emptiness and its counterpart joy.  This is just one good example of how lighting can really effect our everyday emotions, even if we don't know it or take the time to notice.

Week 8: Vibrant Energy

This past weekend, I was on a hike on Turtle Rock with a friend and I couldn't help but take a picture of this interesting looking flower. Unlike the darker flower in the back, because it was sitting in the shadow, the little bits of light hitting the flower in the front not only allowed the color to become more vibrant to the eye but also made the flower look like its almost surrounded by a translucent circle. The natural color of the flower is already extremely beautiful but the subtle hints of light allows the flower to give off a very energetic power in the picture. It makes the flower seem fun, spunky, energetic, and special. The lighting around the flower also makes it seem as if each little strand of the flower will dance with any light air flow. Not only that but I loved how the light hit around the top edge of the flower and below it, giving it a very three-dimensional feel. It makes the flower pop out from the green background giving it a great amount of contrast so it doesn't blend and become clashing colors. Though it's practically winter time, the sparse but bright sunlight around the flower makes it feel as if the energy and presence of spring were still here.

Week 8: Blinding Light

I had taken this picture on the evening of Thanksgiving. My family had decided to hold our get together in my aunt’s house in Los Angeles. I was outside talking with my brother and then a ray of sunlight shot at my eye, which is exactly why this light had grabbed my attention. Besides the fact I was blinded by the sun, I really liked how this photo came out. What I gathered from this is that not only because it was evening and the sun was starting to set, but from this perspective the sun’s light totally washes out a lot of the color of the surroundings. Another aspect I enjoyed from this photo was the glimmer/glow from the sun, I’m not completely sure what exactly caused that I would assume it was an effect of the camera, but regardless I liked it. Personally the streaks of light surrounding sun remind me of times in movies when either some heavenly figure makes an appearance or someone had died and is walking towards the light.

Week 8 - Reflections

I took this on the drive back to school - sunset over the water of a lake/reservoir not far from home. I took a couple of pictures that didn't feature the fence as prominently, but this was the one that I felt best reflected the way that the light hit the water.

It was almost two bright to look at, the double image of the sun and its reflection, but the way that the light seemed to encompass everything was gorgeous.

This picture shows a little more of the water, but it got me thinking about mirrors. Obviously they play a role in the development of lenses already, but the natural mirror made me think of the possibilities in a theatrical setting. The term "smoke and mirrors" is thrown around a lot, and referred to in terms of haunted houses and other spectacle. But how  else could it be used? The specificity of some things can be lost in a large space (which is probably why it's a convention more commonly used in film), but I love the idea.

Week 8: No Place Like Home

Since I live relatively close, I tend to go home often. The house always looks nice, but during my recent trip home for Thanksgiving, I noticed just how warm everything feels around the holiday season. My mom really brought in a Fall atmosphere by using lots of warm colors in our dining room. We have yellow walls in there already and the use of added oranges, ambers, reds, and even the natural glow of candles brought so much more to the room. It felt cozy, familiar, and welcoming and while my home is usually this way regardless of the season, the holiday spirit was lifted simply through the use of dimming lights, creating warmth, and inviting family over for a home-cooked meal.

Why is it that these colors are associated so often with the Fall and Winter holidays? Perhaps we look for the comfort of a fire's glow during times when the weather grows colder. Whatever it is, I can tell you that it is my favorite time of year and I am thrilled to see what other lights and colors abound in the coming weeks!

Week 8: Light and Shadow

I took this picture while driving in the car (don't worry I was just a passenger). The reason I felt compelled to take this picture was because of the stark contrast between the brightness and darkness of the sky. Parts of the sky were so bright with sunshine while other parts were so dark. I began to think of this picture in terms of stage lighting. How would you go about getting such brightness on parts of the stage while creating such dark shadows on other parts of the stage. I think the most important thing to pay attention to would be the angle at which your light is coming from because the shadows can be intensified by simply changing the angle of the light.

Week 7: Suspended Disbelief of Time and Place

My best friend and I visited our old high school to see their current theater department's production of Charley's Aunt. I was unable to take a picture this week since I was at a play and no recording or photography was allowed. However, I wanted to comment on their lighting design. The three-act show took place in three very different settings and with the help of the lighting cues, I could easily be transported to each one. For example, when the main characters awaited the arrival of Charley's millionaire aunt, warmer colors like ambers were utilized to signify the approaching of noon after a lovely morning. Yet, when the second act opened at twilight, the use of pinks and cool colors such as blue and purple allowed our own eyes as audience members to trust that time had passed and the scene was now outdoors in the garden. Then, in the third act, we were taken out of the garden and into an elegant dining room in the evening. The lights were brighter downstage where the indoor action was taking place, and yet upstage (where they had placed a balcony), we were made to think that the twilight had darkened into a clear night sky. The contrast between the bright lights of the room coupled with the cool colors of the night made me believe that both times and places had really shifted - even though we had not physically moved at all. In all honesty, I had never really paid much attention to just how much the lighting can do for a show. I've always acknowledged it as beautiful and it definitely enhanced a production, but I truly understood how crucial it could be to suspending disbelief. I was pretty impressed and excited to learn that I was beginning to appreciate all elements that go into these works of art.

Week 6: Snowfall

As soon as I took this shot, I knew it was going to be one to remember because of the intricate detail involved with the two different sources of light. The first I would like to talk about is the net lighting on the tree. Due to the placement angle of the miniature lights, some appear to be brighter than others, creating a starry night effect. The lights also create a clearly defined outline of the tree, leaving the shape up to little interpretation. The lights are also very evenly spread over the outside surface of the tree, creating an organized look over the tree. The second source of light I would like to discuss is the Leeko at the center of the frame. A snow machine is billowing particles of snow into the sky, and the light is aimed right at the path of the snow. The scattered effect of the chaotic snow flow creates disorder opposing the look of the trees nearby. However, neither sources fight for attention as the differences allow them to co-exist in the space equally. The natural movement of the snow with each rotation creates fluidity in the air that is able to be captured by the light with an apparent flicker of the particles. Unlike the tree where every bulb is the same creating unity throughout the entire surface, the snow is chaotic and dissimilar.

Week 6: Gobo Crazy

Whilst sitting in my room this weekend i notice this stripe texture on my wall. I say texture instead of pattern because instead of these being very clear stripes on my wall, they are varying sizes. These shadows were cast from the other side of my room by my plantation shutters on my windows. One of them was fairly open and the other was almost closed. But together they form this really interesting pattern. I could imagine this being projected on the Cyclorama of a show. The combination of the two patterns reminds me of the water effect we were shown in class. And it emphasizes the fact that two gobos can be better than one. And that two gobos can come to together and produce something we could actually find in nature and not just in a theater.

Week 6: HOLY COW

First off, can we take a moment to appreciate my punny Post Title? Hehe.

Now in all seriousness, this was such an amazing shot from the early morning hike I went on.

And yes, those are actual cows. What I love the most is how the fog dispersed the sun's light, blocking it from fully lighting the scenery but giving just enough for us to make out what it is. The amber of the dying, thirsty grass. The black of the cows. The subtle shapes of the bushes and trees along the hills. The shape of the hills.

The light source definitely has a Fresnel feel to it with the softness, the fullness. Though this is probably more the fog than the actual light source. So in terms of recreating this look, a Leko and Fresnel would probably both be used.

I also find it interesting that there is a holiness feel to this picture. The bright white light, the rays at the top of the mountain. How from the bottom up, it goes from dark to light. There is a huge sense of hope and strength. That you can overcome all obstacles, move all mountains. You just have to set your eyes forward, and above.

Week 6: Infinite Glow

I took this picture while I was walking through Disneyland after the park had closed. I noticed the reflections of the lights across the Rivers of America and snapped a quick picture. The scene reminded me of those infinity mirror illusions, how it continues on a distance and then fades into nothingness (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll include a link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZkdQeevJu0)

If my blog posts thus far have not made it obvious, I am very fascinated by the effects of reflection upon light. This effect implemented in the photograph produces long glowing shapes. The few specks of light at the tips of these shapes seem to be like water dripping off long stalactites in some icy, glowing cave. This picture does not offer much in terms of color, but it should be noted that the lights appear to bear a warmer tint rather than a cool one.

I find it interesting how my phone camera captures a scene so different than my eye perceives it. For example, my eye was able to distinguish far more light than the picture depicts. The picture seems to give each of the light sources a diagonally-streaking lens flare. I’m not exactly sure what this is (perhaps you know?) but I don’t recall seeing those streaks with my naked eye.