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.

Week 6: Here, Yet More

I spent the day at the Irvine Spectrum when I had stumbled upon this area. It wasn't exactly the busiest night at the Spectrum, but for about a minute, this area was completely empty. After I took a quick photo of this area, I reflected right then and there of what it made me feel. The lights on the palm trees definitely gave off a Christmas-y type of vibe while the yellow buildings resonated with the light, making it feel a warm place. It had a pleasant atmosphere to it at first glance. But with closer inspection, it felt lonely and empty. This is interesting to me because it was the first time (this quarter at least) that I had some sort of juxtaposition of feelings with the lighting. Though the absence of people could have been my initial reaction to why it felt quite peculiar to me, I realized it was the way that the lights seemed to lead towards something else into the distance beyond the last building at the end. The lights going from tree to tree support that, as it zigzags and makes me feel that the lights aren't exactly there to blast right in front to make it feel as though the excitement was then and there, but rather to illuminate a path to something even better/more exciting.

week6: Natural Gobo by leaves

 

 Last Thursday, these pictures were taken by me when I was walking along a road in front of a box office located on the UCI Arts campus right after finishing my spanish dance course. The time this light scenary was discovered was at about 6 p.m.  The biggiest reason I chosen this photo was due to the unique and miraculous harmony of the floor light lamp and leaves just lightly put on the light. At first glance, it immediately reminded me of a fabulous natural Go-bo created by harmonizing the natural material and the artificial light source. Depending on the shape and size of leaves, it was able to render a variety of patterns of the light design. Consequently, this marvelous figure made me realize the huge difference of a normal street view and the view without leaves, natural gobos. it was incredible for me to be aware of rediscovery of natural resources for enriching perimetric surroundings. Before taking these pictures,  I have not known the true value of a perfect balance meeting natural ingredients and evening light lamps on the street.



Since this date, I reflected on myself how indifferent I was about the beauty of the nature and light and decided to observe the scenery more closely and to recognize admirable appreciation and pleasure of the natural landscape which God created for us.

Week 6: Bouncy House

I had a chance to bounce in this bouncy house over the weekend. It got me really thinking about light and more specifically, light in motion. We got just enough sunlight to really slip through the cracks and it made me feel and think of many different things. I wondered how I could replicate this light cracking through. I was thinking about goboing something with these cross patterns and set it on something movable since you can't imitate this effect without something along those lines. It also got me thinking about colors and the emotions I was feeling. Bouncy houses always make me feel like fun and freedom. It really made me feel happy and the combinations of colors remind me of that. During class we discussed how the typical colors are usually used when dealing with emotions ie. a red for passion/anger or a blue for calm, but that we should think beyond the cliche. These blues and pinks of this bouncy house will always remind me of happiness and I would love to see how it would look projected on a stage.

Birthday Fun

This past week I went to a family friend's birthday party. There were decorations everywhere but what really caught my eye were the lights laying on the table around the birthday cake. These colors just scream fun and remind me of all the parties from my childhood when my mother would decorate the entire house. The colors are bright and bold and grab your attention. I also liked how little pools of light formed around the bulb and made the colors seem very saturated. It seems as if the light is spilling onto to the table as if it were something you can actually hold.

Week 6: A blanket for the Abyss

I see this image each time I come home and I love it. It makes me feel like I live on a mystic creek. Unfortunately as hard as I tried my iphone was not able to fully capture how the lights are. In this picture they look really bright, but they are actually rather dim. These lights illuminate these small bridges that run throughout the complex. Each time I feel like I'm crossing a large river and because the lights are so dim you can't see the bottom of the running water, but it's really only about 3feet deep. The lights really blanket the top of the water and don't reveal anything below leaving a mystery beneath. On some nights, the lights have a "creepy" effect on me. Especially when the frogs jump into the water and the cat above this bridge looks deep into my soul. The way the lights hit the water also have a dreamy effect on me. They remind of flash backs for some reason and they also have a calming effect which goes against the erie feeling. If I had it my way though, I would remove the other lights around the bridges to give a better effect. I almost forget that there are bulbs in these lights and sometimes pretend their candles...I know a little weird. These bridges and lights are the first thing guests usually comment on.

Week 6- Out of a Dream

Lighting, for me, is a way to exemplify a reality that may or may not be "real".  Walking out of my apartment and looking into the sky to see this made me stop and think about the amazing beauty light brings to nature every day.  This picture reminded me of the opening background of Toy Story, which is the wallpaper in Andy's room.  The light hit these clouds perfectly and made them look puffy and innocent.  So much in our every day lives is dictated by harsh deadlines, people, and expectations.  It is so rare that we get to see something as pure as this because we never take the time to look.  Had the sun been out differently on this day, I wouldn't have gotten this feeling of hope and determination that I got when I saw the sky.  The sky looks different depending on the light around it; a stormy sky will not bring about the same feeling that this sky does and vice versa.  The sky was painted beautifully due to the light and it really spoke to me.  I hope we all can learn to take the time to observe and love the beauty of the natural light around us more and more as we progress in this non stop world.

Week 6: Lights Without a Play

The lights in this photograph put me in a time and a place, without considering any external information about where the photograph was taken. I think of a night time stroll through Venice, down a romantic lamp lit urban street. The photo makes me feel like I’m in a timeless romance- the colors are warm and rich, and the reflection in the water is soft, and almost makes me hear music- perhaps twangy guitar. This time and place for me is created entirely with color, shape and texture. 

I did a little experiment, and tried asking some friends and peers what the photo made them think of, seeing as it brought such a specific context to mind. I asked them what the photo made them feel, or if it put them in a time or place. One replied, “Christmas in San Francisco” another bluntly replied “I feel kind of sad, and it makes me want to drink something warm.” Someone suggested “wintertime in your home town,” or, “late night in a parking garage.” Another reply: “the end of a war.” In reality, this picture was taken on campus, of the whispering fountain by the Claire Trevor Theatre.  What I took away from these responses is similar to what I took away from the past couple weeks of class with our emotions project. Two people could have presented very similar cues, but based on the context we were given by the student, we saw the two cues in very, very different ways. Lights, on their own, can be interpreted a myriad of ways. 

I should not have been so surprised that the answers were so varied. Lights are truly there to support the story. We, as audience members, can give the lights alone on the stage our own unique context based on our personal experiences, but undoubtedly it will be different for each audience member. Instead, if the lights are already supporting the given context of the play, all of the audience members will hopefully be invested in the story on the stage, and letting the lights support and enrich that story. The lights can do incredibly powerful things to perpetuate certain elements of the story we are being given.  

Week 6: Homemade Gobo

So I was doing homework at my desk one night this past week, and I noticed that my desk lamp was making a really cool light shape on the wall. It caught my attention and I started to move my lamp around to see how the shapes would change as I moved it. I tried moving it closer to the wall and farther away, it was kind of hard to capture on film, but it reminded me so much of a gobo I had to share it this week.

To me it kinda of looks like birds flying away, like seagulls flying over the ocean. That's how I envision i'd use this gobo, for a beach scene, it would be cool if the gobo would move or rotate around. It's also interesting that the shape on the back of the lamp is an oval but when the light reflects through it, it turns out like V's on the wall. Gobo's seem like they would be fun to play with as a lighting designer, I hope we get the chance to user them at some point.

-Alyssa Tyson

Week 6: Sparkle of Light

This picture was taken one evening on my way home back to Berkley Court from work at 24 Hour Fitness. I really loved the way the setting sun lit up no only the sky but also created the contrast between the shadows and the light.  Somehow, despite the availability of the sun, the picture still gives me a sense that its a crisp winter evening. Perhaps the from the clouds or perhaps its how dark the shadows become. My favorite part about this picture is the fact that the sun was shining through just a very small break in the branches of the tree. It really gives you the sense of direction and source of the light. Instead of a general wash over everything in the picture, which would have given a much warmer feeling, the confined light made this picture feel more cold and crisp. The little sparkle of light gives me the feeling of comfort and warmth. The darkness in the pictures feels ominous  despite the visibility of light within the picture. The clouds only add to that but suggesting that perhaps thicker clouds will soon form and bring in misfortunate rain. However, the sunlight provides a small tunnel of light that breaks through the darkness. It creates beautiful shadows in the clouds, giving them not only a more 3-dimensional feel but also makes the lightness pop out over the dark hidden objects underneath. Thus, the sky is definitely what stands out from the picture. 

Week 6: Winter light

I took this photo on a spontaneous afternoon trip to the beach a few days ago with some buddies. Being there and now looking at the picture give off two different feelings. Being there it was very cold and the light from the sun gave a somber feeling because of the clouds diffusing it. But now looking at the photo the sun gives off hints of yellow and light brown, that when shining on the black rocks make it feel very warm. The beach air was very damp, but the light in the picture to me feels very dry and almost desert like. If I took the photo and tried to light this on stage I feel the light source representing the sun would be very harsh to the audience. Because though it is being covered by clouds it is still is coming though very brightly.

Week 6: The Deep Mist

This is the mountainside of Angeles National Forest. I went there just to chill out with my friends. There was so much fog and it was hard to see 10 feet of the front. When I looked at a car coming down from the top in the picture, I felt like it was a scene in a horror movie. The atmosphere was bleak. The lights of the car looked like it has a metaphor for that the driver would face a hardship or a misfortune. I converted this picture to the stage in my head. An entire stage has a deep haze of smoke and beams of lights indicating a car come from the upstage center. I believe this creates great mood for a bleak or a mystery situation.

Week 6: A door of light

          I encountered this setting as I was walking back to my apartment after class. This picture takes place right in front of my apartment door. I was very surprised that I had never seen this lighting display before since I walk through this path every single day. As soon as I walked onto my porch I immediately saw this image and took the picture. What caught my eye was that the light almost makes a perfect rectangular shape on the floor. The rectangle looks exactly like a door. What drew me to the rectangular light was the fact that it was the biggest source of light that afternoon. I live on the backside of a building so the sun doesn't always directly shine on our side but this time the sun slowly attempted (and succeeded) in peeking its way in. What’s interesting is how expanded the rectangle is when its source is a small window type opening, the rectangular light is twice the size of the actual opening.  If this light shape were on a wall it could easily be used on stage to display a door that could lead someone off somewhere to a place “beyond”. It clearly is not what an actual door would literally look like but the interpretation would make it clear. It’s like what we've discussed in class, it’s someone’s interpretation that really helps make the setting.

           One of the reasons why I liked this setting so much is because it reminded me of one of our first days of class, when we had to make a triangle with the lamp shutters. Although I remember the triangle being challenging for me to make, I think a rectangle would seem to be a lot easier to cut. In regards to putting this on stage it would be very manageable.

Week 6: Early Morning Light

This was another picture that was taken on my morning trip to the ARC. When I had taken this picture it was quite cold. As opposed to my previous picture with the foggy day, it was interesting to see how the lack of moisture in the air did not give off the diffused look. Originally when I had snapped this photo, the image came out a lot darker giving more emphasis to the silhouette given by the shape of the surroundings, but as I uploaded the photo it was brighter than I expected. Initially I wanted to have this hidden effect concealing everything and just having the casted outline, but this works too. In fact I like how there is very minimal light that expose the surroundings, but still leaving a lot to reveal with more light. Giving this image a second look, I imagine possibly recreating this type of light for my Our Town project because when I see this type of light it gives me this idea of a dawning day and how towards the beginning everything is still left a mystery, although with the outline of the buildings you have the general impression that what you’re looking at is a town.

Week 6: Well, this is a mess

So this is my desk, in all its maddening glory.  The general lighting is from the fluorescent tubes overhead, however the diagonal streaks along the bottom come from sunlight (BLINDING SUNLIGHT ARGH IT BURNS) sneaking through the vertical blinds.  Because of the camera used, the light in this case actually conceals more than it reveals, as that beam of sunlight is doing a very good job of cutting my gel book in half and masking what it really is.  Similarly, it reflecting off of the box and empty packaging next to the gel book try to conceal their true nature (empty package that my new mouse came in, Starcraft II game box).  Looking at this picture again, I'm wishing I had taken a few more similar pictures, moving the blinds around, to see what effect they had on the visibility and the camera.
Something else interesting I noticed is that the two statues atop my desk become almost featureless in the fluorescent light.  The figures are fairly dark normally (black plastic construction, bronze colored paint), but they are also extremely detailed (the paint) and that detail fades to blackness under the relatively weak fluorescent light.  This makes me think I should have tried them under sunlight as well, to see what that looked like.  Also looking up there, I notice the sunlight creeping around the side of the blinds and creating a reflection of the desk on the side wall of my (defunct) wifi router.  Reflections are interesting things, and actually not things I've gotten to work with enough.  I know that firing a high-intensity light at any sort of colored surface will cause that color to reflect on objects near the surface, and I know that those reflections are a real pain when image projection is in play, but I have yet to see them actually deliberately exploited in a show.  Have I just not been watching the right shows?  Or is it a trick we do not exploit much?  And if not, why not?
Because it is daytime, most things are sort of bathed in light, and so the shadows don't conceal much.  What does conceal is that I have so many random things splayed out across my desk.  The props offer as much concealment as darkness could provide.  Other than the two statues, however, everything in this picture that appears dark is actually flat black in color.

The most interesting thing I find in this picture is the thing that I really failed to exploit better, as I usually see it as an annoyance.  That was the sunlight.  On a low-end camera like this, sunlight overloads it so easily.  It completely wipes everything from where it lands, because it simply overloads the digital light sensors that much.  A secondary interesting thing I see is that my keyboard looks actually white in this picture.  My keyboard is a 15-20 year old dull (somewhat dirty) beige model.  It is not white, and yet it appears white.  Conversely, the sheets of paper in the background are actually white, but they appear grey and blue.  I really don't know where that blue is coming from; it could just be another camera chromatic aberration.

I've probably waffled enough about this now.  In other news though, adorable fuzzy plush anteater is adorable and fuzzy.

Week 6: By the light of the silvery... lampost.

This is a street corner I often pass, and it struck me that the glow of the lamps at night is extremely warm, as are most of the street lighting we tend to encounter (and thanks to this class now I know why!). 

It's difficult to capture on film, and so diffused that it's actually far less bright than one might think. Obviously the goal of it is visibility, but considering it in a theatrical setting (replicating it with the idea of imitation and visibility intertwined) means that I imagine it would be a difficult trade off - the effect would need fill in order to make detail visible over a larger part of the stage (assuming you wanted it to be visible). 

Week 6

This photo was taken at the Carrie Underwood concert a few weeks ago. The lighting at this concert was incredibly spectacular. Not only was the lighting focused on the stage but at times it was focused out towards the audience. When the lights shone out into the audience it really allowed me as an audience member to be even more drawn into the show and its grandeur. The lighting was all different colors and intensities which allowed the lighting to convey many different emotions/feelings. I really was in awe of the lights! I think that if I wasn't taking a lighting class right now I probably wouldn't have been as aware of the lights and therefore wouldn't have been able to appreciate them as much as I did. I'm really amazed at how much lighting can affect the whole mood and experience of a performance.

Week 6: Painted Sky and Color Theory

We looked at color theory this week and discussed the creation of different natural color settings, mood and the like. I snapped a photo of the clouds at sunset and was struck by how many gorgeous colors were made simply by the sun. It is almost as if someone painted the sky that night and I thought of how I may recreate this on a stage. There seems to be a distinct separation of shadow that splits the sky in half - there is the warm pink-ish color to the left of the photo that divides into a cooler gray. Based on our lighting presentations, this layout may represent a kind of hope. They are the same clouds, but the ones that are pushed into the light are the ones that have a brighter and more beautiful hue than the ones that stay shrouded in a darker part of the sky. To truly outgeek myself, the quote that came to mind when I thought of this picture was from Harry Potter: "Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” How true :)

Week 5: Why Don't People Turn on the Light in Horror Films?

With Halloween this week, my friends and I were having a blast trying on costumes, taking scary pictures, and naturally, playing with light. My friend had purchased a mask a while back and we were playing around with other Halloween props before we ventured out to a party. I was amazed after look at the photos of just what turning on a light does. In the darker picture, there is not really a distinguishing characteristic of my friend. I see the mask and a shadow of a man. There is mystery; he is menacing and I'd be nervous if I saw him randomly in a dark hallway. I see a gleam of something in his mouth and everything kind of blends together. Yet, when the hall light is on, I see the sword is plastic, his shirt is purple, and I can see him clearly. While still a bit unnerving due to the mask, he is my friend playing a character. Mystery has left - all because we turned on a light.

Week 4: Telling a Story Through Light

Forgive the blurred photo. I was having far too much fun to truly focus the lens! I attended a Luke Bryan/Jason Aldean concert with a cousin of mine who first introduced me to country music. While we were pumped up for the concert way before it started, I noticed that the light show programmed for each song truly set the moods for the set. For example, when Luke was playing piano and one of his softer ballads, the designer used a cool blue color to calm the audience (as much as they were able to). Yet, when he started with his upbeat songs, the colors changed to pinks, oranges, and reds to awaken the eyes and get us, for lack of a better word for this feeling, fired up for what was coming next. The designer also blacked out the stage after every song so that each song had it's own story to tell. I thought this was a great idea when it comes to country music because each story is specific - a vignette of an experience and then it ends. All in all, every part of the concert blew me away!

Week 6: Contrast

I was walking back to the Mesa parking structure at the very end of sunset, and I was so interested by the different colors created by the various lights, as well as the materials they interact with. In this case, the semi gradient quality or light hue, culminating in warm yellowy-white at the entrance, gave the parking structure an almost inviting, cozy feeling which is definitely not something I would normally associate with that place.

That is really all I have to say on the topic.