Week 4: Reflection

Whenever I think about lights, my mind automatically jumps to the idea of looking up to find the sources. The stars and moon light up the sky each night, and the sun does the same each day. Even in theater and day to day life, the large majority of light comes from above as opposed to below. However, walking in neighborhood one night where faulty drainage led to a pool of water reminded me that some of the most eye-catching things are at our feet. The water on the ground created a beautiful reflection of a colorfully light house to highlight the holiday season. Reflections on water can create some of the most beautiful pictures as it allows the entire frame to be viewed as a whole, slightly blurred, rather than as many individual details. One of my favorite views is a lake matched up with lush mountainous terrain. The view of a rippling mountain on the water can take your breath away. Not even the ocean can outshine that kind of view, because stunning reflections are a sight to see. I enjoy how the street light does not just reflect off of the water but also the surrounding surfaces. Water has a much higher reflective properties, but is not the only thing that is reflective.  I will definitely keep a keen eye out for future reflective surfaces and the pictures they paint.

(View the picture as if it will rotate 90 degrees clockwise)

Week 4 Castle.of.Dreams

We all know what this is. It's the freaking Disney Castle! With gorgeous lighting to boot!

This was taken on the day that my friend had her birthday party in Downtown Disney. We went to Disneyland and stayed the entire day. I took this picture after the fireworks and before there were too many people in front of the castle. I feel as though the position I was in for this picture was just perfect.

I suppose for myself, the way the castle was lit was something that goes back to a much nicer place of my childhood and past. The color scheme feels so enchanted and magical. (I'm beginning to realize I'm a  bit of a romantic when it comes to my choices for lighting...)

I look at this castle and I realize that it isn't only nice and warm, but rather grand, mysterious, and at the same time frightening and exciting at the same time. For me, this picture leaves me with not a sense of security, but rather sheer awe. To hopefully put this into more relatable terms, it's like the idea of suddenly being able to fly. The idea itself is amazing and fun, but if you were to really place yourself in a situation with you going up to a dizzying height and then dropping down close to the ground again, it's both exhilarating and terrifying as well.

It's such an unnatural shade of blue and bright pink that makes it seem like they literally took the castle out of, well, an animated Disney movie. The idea that somethings that are 'dreams' can cross into the realm of reality... perhaps that's what this really reminds me of (and that idea that it can manifest into reality is the part that leaves me in awe).

Re: Week 2 Light:House

This is a tad late and I apologize for that. (For some reason, it refused to publish...)

This is a few blocks from where I live, and until I passed it, I never thought anything of it. It wasn't until later at night that I realized that it lit up, allowing the stained glass to really shine. I'm not too sure that the picture quality does it justice, but if you were to look at it with the naked eye, I swear it looks beautiful glowing in the middle of the street. I had gone around the entire building to find a good angle to take a picture of how it made me feel. The combination of the moon and the towering, um, tower being lit makes me feel like there's good in this world; that life isn't as scary as we put it to be and that there's a safe haven to look forward to or to look back at.

Week 4: The Epitome of Serenity

This picture was taken up along the harbor in Newport Beach.  The lighting absolutely stunned me.  The colors are so soft, it looks like a couple of Fresnels painted the evening sky.  Yet they are also extraordinarily distinct and bright.  They blend together so smoothly, in such perfect harmony.  I can't help but also notice the single bright light illuminating a little bit of the houses along the bottom of the photo as well: somehow, it adds to the peacefulness this photo exudes.  It behaves like a night light, lighting up the darkness just enough so that it is comforting but  doesn't create noise or chaos or distractions.  Of, course at the time this photo was taken there were background noises (sound of a car rolling by, voices, sound of water in the distance) but looking at the still of this moment in time I can't hear a thing.  I feel absolute calmness in seeing this picture, just peace and quiet as the sun gently goes to rest. It's the deep, happy sigh after good though maybe busy day.

Week 4: The Rain Clouds and The Mouse

This is a picture that I took last week while at Disneyland with my sister. It was the weekend that it was really stormy and I thought it would be a great opportunity to get a picture for 50C. I thought this picture was even more relevant considering the last lecture we had. At first after taking this very "originally" picture I thought to myself it's not a example of light, but then I realized, we learned that light doesn't have to be bright and elaborate to be considered good lighting. So when I first saw this picture I was not sure what the source of the light was since the lights on the rides are so much brighter than the sun in the sky. However, I realize that the source is still the sun, but it is just dimmed by the clouds. This enhances the lights on the surrounding attractions making them stand out more without it being night time. So even the sun can be dimmed and not necessarily "off" or striked. Looking at this picture and being in that moment I couldn't help but feel contrasting emotions. I was excited to see the attractions lit up and go wait in line for them, but at the same time I felt an eerie sense due to the clouds and what they created for this moment. The bright reds and blue pumped me up to go on this magical adventure while the sky above gave me this feeling of awe and uncertainty.

Week 4: lively sunlight in N.Y.C

On February, this year, I was visiting New York City, the center of the art in order to do audition for schools I applied. The moment I captured in this picture was just the first time I stepped onto the Broadway Street in Manhattan. As soon as I arrived at here, a plenty of tall buildings surrounded me just similiar with Seoul city, my hometown and I was momentarily dazzled by the strong sunlight illuminating from a clear sky between the buildings. At that point, The rays of intense light seemed like the symbol of the 'lively and energetic NYC street-view' or one of the various Gobos we learned in the class. Receiving the lively sunlight, countless New yorkers were walking through the complex, but vibrant streets. Especially for me, the rays of the sunlight indicated as the first greeting from NYC, the stage of the shiny dream.
As if the lively atmosphere absorbs me, I was naturally enchanted by the passionate energy of the active people lightened by the radiant sunshine which more enrichs splendid landscape. Again, I realized that the light itself is secretly coexistant with our daily life and it truly means a lot to us.

Week 4: SANTA MONICA SUN

I went to Santa Monica beach and the promenade today. I didn't want to wait until night time or sunset to capture a photo. So I decided to explore more natural daylight. Snapped a picture of the beautiful scenery to be pleasantly surprised by how the sun looks in the photo!

I've noticed so many things about this photo especially after our previous class on light sourcing and shadowing. Notice the shadows of the trees and people walking across the street. It is very apparent that the light source is from behind them. But what is REALLY interesting is that in this 2D photo, the sun looks to be way too high above the trees and people to cast such a shadow. In reality, the sun is a lot further away, and yet so powerful.

I also love the captured color spectrum in the rays of the sun. Even the rays look so awesome.

Notice also how at first, you only notice the sun and that the eye draws towards it. But if you focus your attention on the people, the sun kind of fades a little and more color appears in the people as opposed to the silhouette at first sight.

Week 4 Nature's Gobo

I really loved lighting in this photo. What first caught my attention was the light shining through this tall hedge I immediately thought back to some of the gobos we looked at in class. It was great to see it occurring on its own in nature. The light passing through the hedge lets through some light and creates a great contrast with the leaves, forming different shades of green. But my favorite part of the picture has to be the sun in the upper right corner. it is so bright and strong and if it had not been peeking out over the hedge you would not be able to tell that it was shining that brightly. It interesting to see how such a bright source of light can be manipulated to look much different when it is shining through a different medium. If I had cut the picture of right before the hedge ended and looked at the picutre it would have been difficult to figure out how bright it was outside. The hedge adds a mysterious kind of energy to the light source and makes you rely more on your imagination.

Week 4: Morning Shadows

     Today I woke up and noticed that the light had just so happen to cast a shadow of the trees into my window. This got me thinking a lot about light for a number of reasons. I was first just strictly interested in the shadow it casted, but soon after i noticed how the blinds themselves allow more light through the cracks and less through the thicker parts of the blinds.
     I thought how I could replicate this. Obviously, I would need to go with a leko and a gobo which could replicate the pattern of the shadows, but I thought about the blinds themselves. Maybe a second gobo with thin lines as the pattern could possibly replicate this. I think the light would cut through correctly and make this beautiful shadow pattern.
     The thing that made this photo really special to me was how it made me feel inside. It was a warming feeling. Since the light wasn't too strong, but definitely a presence it reminded me of home. We would get awesome days with perfect weather that would just wake you up in the morning. This feeling is something I think I could replicate with light. Something with a warm amber light that is dimmed and layered with some Lekos to give it volume. It wouldn't be quite the same, but I imagine those lights would give the feeling that you can sieze the day. That is the feeling I would want to capture.

Week 4: One light to rule them all

      This week I thought to myself that I should try and take a picture of a beautiful sunset, but as I thought that I looked outside the back window of my childhood home and saw this light. This isn't the typical lighting picture that people “Ooo” and “aww” over but it has a purpose which is what is important; it brings light to a place that never used to see light at night. Looking at the light I realize how big of a light source this is for my backyard. My childhood home is considered to be out in the country so it’s safe to say that there are not very many lights around the neighborhood. My dad set the light up two Christmas’ ago by merely attaching a lamp on to a huge tall log.  The light soars over my backyard in height and shines a yellow light throughout the majority of the yard with ease. The light looks bright in my dark backyard but I would assume that next to a normal streetlight it would lose in a competition on brightness, but the light serves its purpose well enough to light the surrounding area of my yard. The lamp is on the edge of my yard and sheds its light in a sweeping motion from the top left to the bottom right. When the sun comes up the light automatically turns off and comes back on once the darkness returns.
      The light reminded me of Thursdays lecture. If you placed one person under this light one may think that the light gives the illusion of being trapped or alone (just like one of the lights we discussed in class). However, I don’t get that impression from this lamp, not at all. The light has a specific warmth about it that I wouldn’t feel anywhere else but my home. One might find the light to be secluded and creepy but I don’t because of my background, history and interpretation of this light. I don’t interpret the light as something to be intimidated by but rather something to be accompanied by.

      The experience of capturing this light helped me understand that one light (setting, fixture, combination etc.) can be seen in many different ways until someone is able to sway your opinion with their own idea of what the light means to them. It’s very interesting to think that one light can have multiple meanings to multiple people.

Week 4: Bright Saturday

I spent the first half of saturday cleaning my house before I had to go to work that night. And though I tried to stay inside as much as possible because of how hot it was, I couldn't help it when I caught a glimpse of my cat sitting under the shade of the orange tree. I quickly went outside and snapped a picture before she ran away. I love Fall weather, but by the look of the photo it would seem as if it was mid June, the tree leaving a crisp shadow on on the grass and brick wall that could be replicated by using gobos. The sun was so bright with hints of yellow I want to say that using leikos could get closest to replicating that even sunlight. The brightness gives a feeling of high energy, but the shadow of the tree and the purples flowers on the tree in the distance give a very relaxed/simple feel. Both very different, but work very well together. 

Week 4: What is White?

Islay after Sunset

I took the photo above when I was home in San Luis Obispo last weekend, just after sunset. I ended up loving the unusual lighting in the image, and thought I should share it here. There are two initially striking things happening for me- the shapes within the light, and the creation of contrasting colors within two sources which would typically be perceived as “white light.”

In terms of shape, the silhouette of the house is very sharp because the subject is backlit by the west setting sun. The sky almost looks like a cyc, and the windows look like lamps with sharp shutter edges, cutting clean lines into the color. Emotionally, this photograph creates an interesting dichotomy. The light in the house seems warm and inviting. The vast and shrinking blue sky behind the house seem cool, natural and wild. The shape of the trees beside the house make is seem like a oasis of warmth in a cool and almost wild area. 

The lights inside of the house were your standard A type incandescent, and while inside the house, the lights appeared white and perhaps a bit yellow. The photo is unedited, and it appears orange and blue. While outside in the yard, the sky appeared grey, but compared against the windows, the sky looks blue. Compared against the sky in the photo, the windows look orange. Try covering up the windows in the photograph for a minute, the sky becomes grey and desaturated. 

It is so strange to me how the our eye adjusts to make neutral light white. But when two very different “white” lights are compared, they look like brilliant hues. How confusing, but how interesting, that our eyes and our brains create a “new normal” for which to measure from. This concept is so intriguing to me in terms of color theory. Is all color relative only to whatever we are currently perceiving as white? What are the boundaries?

I included the photograph below, which I took at Newport Beach, because it has a really really similar gradient, color palette and silhouette effect as the photo above. Except that the entire color range is naturally occurring rather than stemming from both a natural and an artificial source. I'm not sure what to make of that. Food for thought.

Newport after Sunset

Week 4: By Curiosity Goaded

•

So I took this picture Friday morning at the top of my spiral staircase. The light was shining in through the window and I noticed the shadows of the window panes as well as the stair railing. As I moved towards it, my head created its own shadow. This reminded me of that scene in Mary Poppins when Bert spots Mary’s silhouette and traces it in chalk on the floor. Later in that scene, they escape into the chalk world and go on a fun-filled adventure. Golly, what a movie!

•I’ll stop myself before I start ranting about the sheer amazingness of Mary Poppins and refer back to my picture-- I wanted to use this picture for my blog entry because I feel like it is a good representation of what shadows can emote in a scene. All of the shadow lines are perpendicular and boxy, with the stair railing forming shadows that almost resemble the bars of a jail cell. The only curved shadow is the one produced by my head. In this way, it is breaking out of the 2D “boxy-ness” and setting itself apart from the mundane and the ordinary. (Just as Mary Poppins and Bert did. Okay, I'll stop now.)

•This sort of shadow manipulation could certainly be useful in lighting a show. Certain shadows can give the impression of jail cells or spider webs, creating a gloomy, foreboding vibe. Likewise, other objects can be isolated and accentuated by producing shadows unlike the others in the scene. 

Week #4: Trees on Fire

Last class when we were going through our potential plots in the little theater, one thing that stood out to me was the idea behind the light getting "warmer" depending on the intensity of the light. So while driving around doing errands today I noticed how reddish and vibrant these trees were with the late afternoon sun shinning on them. The top half of the trees that are getting the most sunlight are blazing, they look like they could be on fire, while the bottom half is almost an entirely different color then the top. Obviously the top and bottom halves of the tree are the same color, but it's amazing how drastically the color can change depending on the degree of light shining on it. It made me think and i think i'd definitely like to play with different lighting degrees when it comes to my "personal picture" project.

-Alyssa Tyson

Week 4: After a Long Drive...

I had taken this picture after I had just arrived back in Irvine from back home. The time was just around 6:30pm, so basically whatever sun that was left from the day was about to go away. I managed to snap this picture in midst of its departure. At first when I saw this, my first reaction was “Hmm. That’s nice”, but now as I really look at it there are a few things that I found pretty cool. For starters I like how the clouds covering the sun left two different types of color one on top and the other the bottom. Coming from the center moving upwards you get this kind of effect making a gradual change from white light to a more bluish purple light. Whereas, the center going downwards you just get this kind of white light that gradually gets more intense and bright. The overall impression I got from this picture was this calm kind of feeling because of how eventually as time would progress it would be come dimmer and sooner or later it’ll be dark, insinuating that it is time to get shut eye.

Week 4: Recovery from the Sun light

I went to Newport beach and when I got there, the sun light was so strong and intense. Also, it was right above my head. It gave me great energy because of the intensity and warmness of the sun light. At that time, I was a little bit depressed and gloomy, but I felt like I got energy from the sun somehow. Moreover, I felt that it looked like a spotlight. The sea was a stage and the reflection of the sun light was the area of a spotlight. I realize that the shape of the sun light has some straight lines of light around the sun. It looked like it has holiness.  

Week 4: Concealed but watched

This picture is actually the un-cropped version of my current Facebook profile picture.  It was taken in my room back at home, and it actually took about 20 tries to get right because the iPod's face side camera doesn't preview correctly (you see the preview of what the camera sees, but then when it stores the picture it mirrors it, so the only way to get a good picture is trial-and-error).  The blazing light source in the center is my LED retrofitted AA Mini Maglite, and the red chromatic aberrations at the bottom of the image are a result of the light source overloading the iPod camera.  Moral of the story: LEDs are really bright.
The other thing I like about this picture is the very clear areas in and out of light.  The only other light source in the room was the iPod screen, so my face has this very noticeable area in darkness.  When I was taking this picture, I meant it to hold the ideas, "I'm here, I'm watching."  The darkness carries the knowledge that the world doesn't see, but the one eye in light carries that I can see.  I tried to keep my face otherwise expressionless, to further add to myself being the neutral observer.
That being said, looking at this picture a few more times gives me the impression of someone not merely observing, but searching.  This might just be because I'm listening to "The Wall" (Pink Floyd) again, but the short summary of the feeling is "Is there anybody out there?"
The picture was taken late at night and I was tired, and it does show do an extent in my eyes and in the shadows, as if I were not just searching but also tired of searching.  The face does not show discouragement or dispair though.
The LED light is completely incoherent, but the shadows still form and still tell.  Now you see me, now you don't, but I see you and I'm watching you.

Week 4: Light Iconography

As I was driving up to LA 2 weeks ago, choosing probably the worst route I could have possible chosen, and sitting on the freeway for 3+ hours, I had a lot of time to look and think about things. It was night, and I saw the light block of skyscrapers downtown slowly get closer. It was kind of funny to see them all in a clump with empty space all around. I was struck by how unmistakable those lights were and what they meant.

This made my start thinking about other light icons. Mostly I came up with other driving-related light icons: headlights, tail lights, stop lights, street lights, then you have things like those lights on the bottoms of helicopters, interrogation rooms, search lights (like hollywood searchlight, maybe that's not the right word for it?), etc.
These examples, and many other lighting icons are easily replicable on stage, and give an immediate sense of either context or plot point.

This photograph was taken later that weekend when my my mom was driving me back from a play. I think that this light icon (headlights and tail lights, divided, on the freeway, especially densely packed), is not only iconic, but also emotionally charged -- when I see a freeway full of cars moving slowly, I go to agitation right away, before the actually waiting in traffic even happens. Thus adding tone to the scene as well as context. All without sets or actors.
I think this is very interesting and useful.

P.S. I am working on Jet of Blood (which everyone should come see tonight!) and have been able to see the space progress and the huge jump it took when we added sounds and lights. It is truly amazing what these design elements can accomplish and set up for the actors.
Come see Jet of Blood.

Week 4: Good Morning :)

I couldn't help but capture this picture while I was heading to class one morning on the 4th floor of HIB.

It was a pretty cold fall morning, clearly the winter season is well on its way as the air becomes crisp. However, the sunlight brought a wonderful warm beam that can even warm a person from outside in. Before the sun emerged from behind the clouds, I woke up grouchy because of the how cold it had become and it felt as though the day would be one of those pretty gloomy ones that just drag on. But, the sun woke me up and brightened my mood almost immediately, making me excited for another day out in the sun. It's warmth really affected me positively making me state that "today is a good day". One of my favorite parts of this scenery is the contrast between the bright sky and sun with the darkness of the buildings and trees. Because of the clarity of the sky, it reflects onto the glass ceiling in front and made me remember how positivity is contagious because the more happy and positive one person is, the others around them will be affected by it and feel somewhat the same. Just as the sun brightens the the sky, it also brightened my day immensely.

Week 4: Adventures in Neon

I was at the Spectrum last weekend  - (if you're looking for a bonus movie review the musical arrangements in Pitch Perfect were great, and I laughed a lot) - and the lighting there is difficult not to notice. There's a lot of neon happening there, to be sure. It's bright, and alive, and with the Carousel and Ferris wheel, it all feels and looks very frenetic. It's energy.

My favorite part is actually not pictured here - right across from this theater there's a restaurant that uses flaming torches to light the patio. I really enjoyed the contrast - neon and flame. New and old. The flicker of the fire was a relief from the constant beam of the neon.

Week 3: Unintentional Halloween Lighting

I've obviously walked the path to my apartment many times over the course of the last year and a half. I really noticed this week, though, with the change of weather and Halloween coming up, that the lights that are supposed to light our way at night are a little creepier than usual. I noticed that they use an orange-color bulb in the parking lot. Perhaps this is cheaper, but it also makes the shadows it casts on the pavement look eerie. What is a beautiful landscaping job during the day, becomes a dark and ominous image of somewhat distorted wildlife. As I mentioned before, this could all be a result of the upcoming holiday and the taboo surrounding it. However, the way the light hit the pavement induced me to walk at a quicker pace toward my door. Cheers.

Week 4: Color and Sharpness

I was sitting on my couch while talking on the phone and this beautiful stream of light caught my eye. I immediately paused my conversation so I could take a picture of this light. The color of the light and the sharpness of it's beams filled me with joy and peacefulness. It was as if the sun was painting it's beauty on the walls of my house. It is so interesting how much light can affect your mood and also how it can really command your attention.

The window and the bookshelf in my house are working together to direct the light onto the wall. Without these two objects the light would not have found the shape that it has on the wall. This caused me to think of the importance of knowing your space and the objects in it when lighting a production. The light you are working with on stage is going to be altered by the objects around it, and it is our job as lighting directors to use the entirety of the space to create the necessary light on stage in order to evoke the proper mood.

Week 2: Inspiring Sunset

It is days like these that I truly enjoy being on the beach. Summer is over so the evenings are not overwhelming hot. I enjoyed being on the beach watching the sunset and how the clouds covered part of the sun. It’s more amazing to me watching a sunset where there are a few clouds that cover the sun rays and create a more romantic and inspiring feeling. The cloudiness and darkness of the clouds make you feel more cozy and relaxed. The combination of the bright sunlight and dark clouds creates a mixture of feelings of happy and sad. In this picture one can appreciate the brightness of the sun and how it shades the horizon. We can also appreciate how the sun lights up the sky where we can see the beautiful shades of blue.

Week 2: Gloomy Lamppost

Last summer I was lucky enough to take a two week trip to London, and after about a week into my trip I finally got the courage to ride the tube by myself and ended up at Waterloo bridge. While walking over the bridge I was able to see the London Eye, Big Ben, and House of Parliament, and for the first time there I really felt like I was in London. Once over the bridge I stood in front of the National Theater and caught a glimpse of this beautiful lamppost. I chose to use this picture because I feel it sums up two very wonderful aspect of the city: Its gloomy weather and beautiful architecture. Though it was mid day and during the warmest part or their summer it would get very gloomy and rain very suddenly. The lamppost is beautiful on its own, but it is the dim grey light in the top half of the picture and the little bit of blue shinning through the bottom left corner and top right corner that gives it a calm and mythical feel. The lighting surrounding the lamppost could be replicated on stage by maybe using par lights to get the uneven look of the clouds, and would be able to get certain areas darker than others.

Week 2: Hidden Stream

I took this picture while I was out running on Thursday. I was going through the San Juaquin Marsh and I noticed a stream off to the right side of the trail. I was very struck by the warm glow around the stream in contrast to the cool tones around the water itself. There were plants and trees growing around it and above the water, so the sparse rays of light that could penetrate the heavy canopy were reflected in the water and bounced back up to the branches. It made the whole area very ephemeral and other-worldly. This eerie feeling was amplified by the movement of the branches in the wind. The shadows and rays of light were constantly shifting and changing. While I feel like the photo I took looks very pretty, a video might have better captured the mutating shadows of the scene.

If I were to recreate the lighting onstage, I feel that the most difficult part would be the light reflecting back up from the water. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show that used mirrors on the ground to imitate that sort of aquatic reflection, but it would be an interesting thing to try out. It would also be interesting to try and recreate the shifting patterns of the sunlight with a pair of gobos and a twin spin. 

Week 2: It's Not Easy Being Green

I saw this little guy while I was filming a short scene for another class. It was already dark and I was in the social science plaza at UCI. There were many other opportunities for pictures that reflected water, lights of color, but this particular image caught my attention as I sat for a short break. I looked down on this long vine and there at the end was this bright green "subject" if you will, center stage in all it's glory. If you follow the vine backwards, you notice it's true green color seems to grow weaker under a different brightness of light. The light from above came from lamps that were much higher and seem to have a less intense level of brightness. Here, however you can clearly see the color of this vine and it reminded me very much of theatre and a spot light.

Week 2: Bright Sunshine

Last summer, this marvelous scenery was captured by me when I was walking along the Venice Beach with my previous roommate. At that moment, the reason I decided to take this photo was due to the indescribable image harmonized by the beauty of the 'bright sunshine' and the happeniess of an elderly couple. If we look up the meaning of the word 'sunshine' in a dictionary, 'sunshine' indicates 'Happiness' as well as the general meaning, the light and heat that comes from the sun. As soon as I found the meaning, this gorgeous photo differently seemed to me. More specfically, the figure the elderly couple walks grabbing each's hand signified eternal love and shiny happiness, and the bright sunshine toward them enriched their beautiful lives more in my viewpoint. Through staring at this picture and meditating about it, I could realize the wonder of the bright sunshine illuminating the vast sea and the lovely old couple.

 

Light itself plays not just a useful role of brightening darkness, but also an invaluable role of making our daily life much brighter, richer, and happier than livng without light.

 

This is what I realized thanks to this bright sunshine on the beach.

 

Week 2: A Magical Stroll

While casually strolling through Downtown Disney after work, it came time for the nightly fireworks. The buildings around me were luminous, equally competing for the attention of the guests as they make their way to their next destination. Creative designs with attractive colors came alive with the hustle and bustle of food locations and shops. However, there were some groups, including myself, who were most dazzled by the display igniting the sky. With each flash of a firework, the surrounding clouds appeared to react with excitement by also making a quick flash. This made the main show just the centerpiece of an entire night sky bursting to life. Walking through Downtown Disney, it appears that the most commonly used light fixture is the neon sign. It draws the eye in and is often accented with a flashing element or a variation of matching colors. It is quite interesting to see a store’s choice in colors for their sign’s logo because that is the key in attracting a customer’s eye. I found myself most drawn in by blues and reds. Due to the prominent storefront lighting all the way down the stretch of shops, very few atmosphere lighting is needed or even used. Just a few planter and bench lights are used to shine the trees from underneath and designate a sitting ledge. The area was truly a mesmerizing area to walk through. 

Week 2: Hope

While driving through a relatively rural area, this scenery caught my eye. The first word that came into my mind while I took this picture was the word "hope". 

It had just rained and for the entire day, the storm clouds had left the sky extremely dark gray. It was upsetting because my dad and I had planned to spend most of the day outside. However, the little opening in the sky that allowed the bluest of sky and the brightest light shine through. It brought a flutter into my heart because it reminded me of days when you're at your lowest and you feel like your days are gray, sans color. But, there is always that light at the end of the tunnel as long as you walk through. It brings happiness into the sadness and brightness into the dark. The light also looks warm against the cold clouds and brings that warmth into your heart. Much of that is mostly due to the color contrast between the darkest of the clouds and the brightest of the sky. It shows you a glimpse of how great the other side might be and light into life.

Week 2: A New Dawn

I took this in my front yard around seven in the morning.  It caught my attention because it wasn't as soft as the early morning sun would be most mornings.  The hue is a harsh, deep, sharp yellow versus the more diffused, white-yellow of most mornings.     The area around the light, including the sky, is shadowed and soft, making the lighted area seem all the more bright, direct, and bold.  The color and brightness reminded me of the sun peeking through the ash-covered sky after the bad California fires back a few years ago.

The photo has a slightly ominous tone to it, with the shadows juxtaposed against such a fire-like glow.  A certain hopefulness lingers though, since it is quite obvious this was taking in the morning as the sun begins to rise over the hills.

If this were part of a movie, the character would have just endured a excruciatingly long night, full of trials and battles for their life.  This would be the point at which they look up and an hour they never thought they would see has finally arrived:  the breaking of dawn, the moment they don't have to fight anymore, the minute they realize they have won.

Week 2: Dusk

This image of the sun going down left a huge impression on me. This picture was taken at dusk on my trip to get dinner. After I left for dinner, I noticed this and immediately thought of how I would light a similar image. The dim lights over the horizon were perfect for setting a mood and I was thinking about how I could duplicate this on a stage. I really enjoy how the blues seem to fill and fade. I like the image of the sky as the light fades down. I thought about how I could replicate something like this. It would definitely require a lot of gels to change the light and a bulb that could dim down to this ambient level. It also made me wonder if I could do this with par cans and set a mood with them. It would definitely require a bluish gel to duplicate that light.

Week 2: Mythical Sunset

I took this picture from my backyard about a week ago. What really caught my eye about this particular sunset where the bold colors because it gave the sky a magical feeling. I am used to seeing a sunset full of shades of pinks, oranges, purples, and dark blues, but the light blue in this sunset caught me off-guard. The texture of it makes it seem as if there was something powerful about to come out from behind the trees. When looking at this I feel anticipation for what is to come next. And although it is beautiful to look at something about it makes me feel uneasy just as if the next couple of moments could turn into something breath-takingly amazing or something very worrisome. I think i get this feeling because of the contrasting colors at the top, one side is a light blue and the other is a dark purple blue, and how either one can take over.

Week 2: CRYSTAL WATERFALL

Last weekend I went home to surprise my mother for her birthday. That Saturday I found myself in San Francisco along with roughly a million other people from all over the world to enjoy Fleet Week, the American Cup, and the Giants game. Anyways... a long day passed by of scootering (yes, Razor scooters) around SF and Berkeley; I desperately needed to pee so I stumbled into the Hyatt right by the Bart station on Embarcadero to find a restroom. To my pleasant surprise, what I saw was quite spectacular. Here is what the inside of the hotel looked like:

As like most pictures, this definitely did not do the magnificence justice. It's a long, cascading series of strings of crystal lights that fall from the ceiling down, right above the bar and dining area. Immediately I knew I wasn't walking into just any ordinary hotel. Doesn't it just scream out, "We're fancy!"? To the left of those lights you can see the elevators, and even those are lit at the top and bottom. The entire lobby area is dimly lit, definitely setting the mood if anything. 

And even though I didn't stay in the hotel, I definitely felt like a million bucks walking around this place to just use their restroom.

Week #2: The light of inhumanity

Nowadays, people can't live with electronic devices, especially, computers or smart phones. When I wake up, I unconsciously push the power button on my computer and go to the bathroom. The computer is really a part of my life. This picture is the power button of my computer. I noticed the light and the shape of my computer and I realized this is the button that takes me to another world. I feel like this button is an entrance in order to contact and communicate with my family, friends, school, and the world. Also, I have entertainment, for instance, watching movies and TV and listening to music. I recognize lights of electronic devices are so bright and sharp. I think people would be more surrounded by bright and sharp light like a laser beam as many as they takes electronic devices. This high intensity light makes me feel cold and inhuman because it's not nature. It's machines. Even though I contact people with a computer, it's not a real contact. As a part of nature, people need to see, hear, and touch other people in real life. 

-Youngchul Park