Week Nine - 1950s

I was walking my puppies yesterday afternoon with my sister and brother-in-law in downtown Sonoma and we came across this beautiful Porsche. I think I liked how it looked so much because it was parked perfectly on the sidewalk and the car itself made that whole section of the street look like it was cut out from a movie that was set in the late 50's.

The lighting had a lot to do with the effect because as we walked down the street the reflection off of the car caught my eye. As shown in the picture, the car looked like it was just washed and the sunlight bounced off the car and made it shine causing everything around it to be affected. You can't tell in the picture but the right side of the car (where I'm taking the picture) was the side that was affected. It was parked right beside a little planted tree and a lamp post the was getting shined on from the reflection of the car. I liked how the light was the factor.

Week 9: Front Lighting in Real Life

 

So, I have noticed this before, but it really struck me when I was taking this picture the other night: front light can really be your enemy and wash things out. As I said, I've seen this before when taking other pictures just for fun, but the difference between these two really struck me. We've also gone over this in class, where front light can really wash out your entire composition. But just looking at these two pictures, the second one is so much more interesting and complex. You can see the different parts of light playing in the sculpture, underlighting and highlighting the form. However, in the first picture, the sculpture is flat and washed out. I just thought it was interesting that I've seen this happen before, but never applied it to stage lighting.

Week 9: Water Colors

I went to Vegas a couple weekends ago and saw this amazing light show, and i'm a little sad that this picture doesn't do the show any justice... ha ha but it captures the idea of why i loved this show so much. I loved this picture/show because it made me aware of color and how the eye blends them, as well as how timing in a show can make such a difference. There seemed to be a million cues to create this show, and if one single cue was off, the entire show would be ruined. Yes, i'm sure they probably have some sort of fancy machine that helps them with the "calling" of the show, however, the programming of the colors and angles were supurb. There was a cue for every sound change, lighting  change, or emotional change and the colors never seemed forced. Each color blended into the next seamlessly creating a beautiful spectacle for the eye to feast on.

Week Nine - Home, Sweet (and sticky) Home

So, I went home for the short break, home to San Luis Obispo, California. One of our local landmarks is what is shown here in these images: Bubblegum Alley. A delightful place. As I was walking through, I noticed after I took these pictures that I did not need my flash. This urban alley, the mysterious darkness between buildings, is presented safely for tourists. Notice the streetlights and window angled to illuminate any shadowy areas.

I'm sure that if this were not such a tourist area, this alley would not have been given enough attention to make it safe and well-lit. I do not know if this illumination is on purpose, or if it just happened to happen, but I suppose these are the things that architectural lighting designers must think about. How do you most effectively showcase people's already-chewed gum, while still maintaing that urban feel? I'm not sure, but this seems to work.

Some parts of the wall actually look spotlighted, such as the top corners of the right image. If the entire alley was lit that way, I wouldn't be surprised if this became a popular hangout for beatniks or stand-up comedians, the "spotlight" gives me that kind of feeling.

On another note, I am fascinated with how the streetlights appear, with the cross shaped beams, like in the Transformers movies. It is only a lens thing, but I wonder why our eyes and cameras see things so differently.

Week Nine: Home Sweet Philly

I took these pictures one summer evening while hanging out in a friend's apartment in Philadelphia. I have to say, they make me miss the city. I love the way the white lights glow up on the old architecture of 30th Street Station (creating great shadows!) while the newer LED lights are sprinkled over the PECO building behind it. The street lights paint the concrete an amber color, and capture the romance of the city while giving a warm, calm feeling that juxtaposes the busy cars racing down the highway. I also love how in the second picture, the street lights reflect off of the water of the Delaware River, making everything look like it is floating. These pictures make me think about how much I used to love walking down the sidewalk and getting lost in the bustle of it all.

Week 8: Concert Finale

I went to a concert a couple weekends ago and during the finale they turned all the lights on as they shot confetti into the crowd. In the moment I thought this was the most spectacular sight I had ever seen!! This really made me think about the power of LED lights and how the angle of the lights were affecting the confetti. When I looked at the confetti once it hit the ground all the little pieces were the same color, however when they first were floating around in the air they all looked like they were different colors and they looked like rhinestones rather than paper. The intensity of the lights mixed with some fog and the confetti created this amazing spectacle and I'm really surprised/ excited that I was able to capture the moment on camera!

Week Eight - The Irvine Spectrum

The Irvine Spectrum

The Alhambra

I went to the Irvine Spectrum the evening of Friday, November 18, 2011.  Overrun with high school students, families, and holiday shoppers, the environment was fun, friendly, and warm. The ice rink in the middle of the outdoor mall lit it up with colorful fluorescent lighting, and the sound of top forties pop music played in the distance. The huge Ferris wheel added to the jovial lighting, as the structure changed from one colorful design to the next.  If the Ferris wheel is not enough, there is also a carousel across the way to entertain children of all ages. The Spectrum is lit as a carnival of sorts, with white string lights leading shoppers down rows of stores and restaurants.

According to the company’s website, “Irvine Spectrum Center was inspired by the world famous Alhambra, the 13th century citadel that overlooks the city of Granada, Spain. The historic palace is comprised of buildings connected by magnificent courtyards, which feature an exotic blend of classic architecture with a colorful overlay of Spanish details such as tile mosaics and elaborate carvings.” After looking up a few pictures of the Alhambra, I can understand where this influence came into play when considering the white string lights hung over the corridors and around the palm trees. It also has a warm, colorful feel to it, similar to what can be seen in a European square. However, in combination with the light from the ice rink and the amusement park rides, I thought the designers were aiming for more of a carnival feel.

Anthropologie

The first shop I chose to go into is one of my all-time favorite stores, Anthropologie. The overall theme of the store is shabby-chic and bohemian with a sophisticated twist. It always reminds me of an old, warm and comfy farmhouse. All of Anthropologie’s clothes are always very soft and comfortable. They are often very whimsical looking, and harken back to a more rural, country feel. The lighting in the store had a warm tint to it, and was made up of an array of instruments, from hanging lamps to focused bulbs. For the most part, the displays were brighter than the walkways to accent the things they were trying to sell. I noticed that sections of the store were slightly more shadowy, giving the displays a little bit of dimension.

The second shop I went into was Old Navy.  While I generally like their clothing, the store always makes me feel like I’m walking into a warehouse. The lighting is very stark, and is from long, white florescent tube lights that hang above the clothes. While the store is very well lit (no shadows here!) it makes the clothing look flat and one-dimensional. I suppose this lighting goes along with their obviously fake white mannequins, but I don’t think it makes the clothing look very pleasing. Oddly enough, I found that a thin sweater at Anthropologie somehow looks warmer than a thick fleece at Old Navy. If the store is going for a cold, plastic warehouse feel, they are successful. However, I’m not sure that makes me want to buy clothes. 

Week 8 - Natural Backlight

Didn't have a lot of time this week to explore lights, but I found this image from Halloween a few years ago. I've always liked the brightness of the sunrise in the background. Despite the flash of the camera (which, like flat fronts, washes out the body and face), the background still is a vibrant yellow/pink. This reminds me of our super-cyc in class, which we are still suprised at it's own brightness. I think that, even if the flat front/camera flash color were different, saturate or tinted, the cyc/sunset would remain the same. Likewise, the color of the cyc has no significant effect on the main acting area, unless you are creating a silhouette effect. The tree next to my hand is washed out by the light a lot more than the tree in the background, so that's something to apply to stage lighting. For those who are wondering, it is a costume of Flynn Rider from Disney's Tangled.

Week Eight - Streetlight Settings

I know this picture is blurry but I thought this was so cool - I took this one day on my way home from classes. I was originally aiming for a picture of the clouds because they were amazing but as my friend kept driving I lost my balance and took a blurry picture of this. The best part is that bright light between the trees is a street light.

I thought it was really cool how something as simple as a street light could look like a sun about to be setting even with the low intensities it has. Even the color can pull it off.

I realized that we do this every day in class with color, intensities and different lights.

Week 8: Windows and Patterns

This pattern with the light coming behind it is absolutely beautiful in my opinion. I am not really religious, but I  appreciate the beauty and artwork that goes into a lot of religious architecture. Not only can you see the light shining through the window and highlighting the colors and patterns of the glass, but on the table you can see the reflection of the pattern and colors. This reminded me of instances in which we would use gobos in lighting, to emphasize that there's a window or stress something specific that would cast a particular shadow. This particular picture made me think of using colored gobos as well- I know that we can color lights that have gobos, but I wasn't sure if you could individually light pieces of a gobo in any way. This picture just made me think of all the possibilities that I haven't really been considering- using gobos for realistic pieces and for highlighting something more abstract. 

Week 7: Museum Lighting

After taking both 50C and this class, I have started appreciating lighting in more commercial venues that I might not have noticed before. One example of this is in museums. Now when I visit, I notice the source and strength of the lighting for the different exhibits a museum might have, such as the difference between lighting an art piece and lighting the above suit of armor. The armor in particular I found exciting because the light plays over so much of the reflective surface. You can see the source light from the upper right of the photo in the bright, highlighted reflection it creates on the armor, and the shadow stretching away on the wall behind. However, although this light highlights the figure, the reflective floor also serves to give the suit more color and variation. The yellow of the floor highlights underneath the armor as the source light highlights the top areas with whiter light. Last but not least, the ambient light of the room serves to fill in the rest of the armor with enough light to see it clearly without muddying the rest of the lighting. Overall, I have more of an appreciation for more static lighting that is still used to convey something to an observer.

Week Seven: R to the B

I know when driving on the freeway, especially at night one should keep their eyes on the road at all times. But it’s kind of hard not to glance way for a quick second to look at these big beautiful billboards that surround the freeway on both sides. I was the freeway when I saw this giant Arby’s sign, it was bright and looked so beautiful that I just had to get off the freeway and get something to eat from there I call that good advertisement. This photo made me think how lighting a theatrical piece and lighting a billboard probably are not that different. For instance, when it comes to lighting both one has to think how they would be able to get the message across to drivers/audiences through the positioning of what is being lit, to the types of colors that are used and the intensity of the light.

Week Seven - Refreshing

I went to a retreat this weekend with a friend and her church. We drove up North for HOURS and once we got into the site and into our cabins - it began to snow!! I was the happiest girl on earth. We went to bed and got up extra early to do a morning "hike"; We walked up and around the retreat's property and saw all the amazing huge trees covered in snow. Because we got up so early, the sun was still pretty low and hidden behind clouds. By the time we got back to our cabin, the sun was up. The picture captures it well. It was awesome because it wasn't fully burning through the mist or the fog, but it was intense enough to brighten the whole area as shown in the picture. It was so refreshing and the way the sun barely breaks through the cloud shows the crisp feel of the morning. It was an incredible experience.

Week 7 - Virtual Skyscapes

So, for my entries so far, I try to find something in my week to discuss in terms of lighting. For example, last weekend I was filming a movie, so I wrote about film lighting, because it is how I spent my time. So, concerning this week: On Thursday at midnight, I waited in a line for the release of a new game, and that is how I have spent my time this week.

This is The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Since a lot of posts so far have been of natural lighting, i.e. sunsets and sunrises, I thought I would share some virtual examples of natural lighting. This first image I took at approximately 5:00 AM in game-time, just before sunrise. Notice, firstly, the sun's reflection on the moon, which allows us to see the moon, as in real life. It's just a lot closer to the planet in this game. Secondly, I'd like to draw attention to the clouds and the lighting of the sky in all of these pictures. These in particular stand out to me as wonderful, realistic graphics, in comparison to the mountain, trees, and ancient temple. Next is the same location, around 7 AM.

I like how the sun coming from around the mountain not only brightens the sky, but creates a silhouette of the clouds, while the clouds in front of the mountain are not sillhouetted but white. Here is an image from around 2PM.

I think the sky in this one is extremely close to the daily sky we see. If it weren't for the crosshairs and compass at the top of the screen, I would think the sky was a photograph. Here is an image from sunset.

Here we can see the purples and pinks that we like so much in sunset. And finally, a later image from around midnight.

Week Seven - Reflections

Once you know what this picture is of, it's completely unremarkable. However, I found it pretty cool. This is a picture of my florescent kitchen light reflecting off of my counter top. Because the counter top is out of focus, the outline of the light cuts through and makes it kind of look like two floating squares. This picture made me think of gobos and shutter cuts how we use them in theatre. It also made me think of how important angles are in lighting. It's interesting to think of a reflection as a main light source. Also, I think this picture shows the different things you can do with focus, texture, and frost.

Week Six - life lesson

I took this picture at the end of this week on a Friday. Life has been very difficult and trying this quarter for a bunch of reasons and it all seemed to turn around during this weekend; around the same time I took this photograph. I thought it was an awesome picture because it captures the lighting and colors of the sunset on the water in between the houses as well as the dark shaded palm trees. I love how the angle and intensity of the sun affects EVERYTHING else in the picture; it is all dark and silhouetted. My favorite part of the whole picture is the lights emitted from the cars passing by. I thought of how life is so unbelievably busy but if you look beyond the chaos, there is beauty and purpose to it all. When I saw this setting I ran for my camera immediately because it lit my life lesson this weekend.

Week 6: Color Pop

I took this picture driving back from Yosemite with my family. On one of my other blogs, I had another picture that demonstrated the way colors can work together in a palette- this picture is almost the exact opposite. In this picture, I love how certain colors pop because they are different than the rest of the palette. For me, the yellow trees and the intense blue of the sky depart from the darker and less vibrant colors of the surrounding area. The sunny yellow is a color that I usually don't see and abundance of in nature, so seeing so many trees with that vibrancy was a treat for me, and made me want to take this picture. It is a nice departure from the subdued colors of the area around it. In addition, the blue sky in the top color is just so blue, it also caught my eye. This picture makes me want to experiment more with popping colors out of a palette as well as mixing them together. 

Week Six: Under The Pond

Yesterday I was out and about and I came across this image. I’ve always paid attention to the lighting that I am surrounded by every day. But I never took the time to examine the lighting used in waterfalls, pond and garden. It just amazes me the different locations where a light can be placed or positioned and the attention it draws from people. The ripples in water are more noticeable due to the lighting which makes for a more beautiful composition. I love the way the light highlights only one side of the figure displayed in the image. The fixture also make the figure look more 3D. I also wonder what types of fixtures were used; the lights were not that bright so I’m not sure if there were LED fixture. But I do know LED fixtures are being used in waterfalls as I said before LED's are the future.

Week Six: Fireworks

I took this picture on the Fourth of July. Usually, pictures of fireworks all look the same to me, but this one is kind of cool because you can see the light shooting out of the can and shedding a reddish light on the asphalt. You can also see the mini explosions (the brightest sections), and how the embers bounce off of the street. I love the red, yellow, and orange colors in this photo, and the way you can see the smoke. This picture reminds me of what a fun time I had on that day and a feeling of general celebration. We lit these fireworks right outside of my boyfriend's sister's house, and it was almost pitch black outside. The nearest street light was down the road, so the colors and light from the fireworks really stood out. 

Week 6 - Film Lighting

I didn't have too much time to look at lighting because I was shooting a student film all weekend. But, thinking back on it, it was a lot of work. Not for me or any of the other actors, but for the crew. Most of the time was spent looking into the camera screens and fixing our environment so that we actors look "normal." Our setting was a local coffee shop, similar to this one. But the decorative lighting that was already set in the shop was not enough, so our crew had two large standing lights available to use, in addition to the windows. Once the crew thought they had set everything up, they would look in the camera and notice a strange glare coming from a random window. Then, to cover it up, someone would hold up their jacket to block the window. It's very interesting to compare this to theatrical lighting, where we look to have more lights rather than less. While we can sometimes alter the angle of refletions, film people have to get much more creative and handy to block/add certain lights. They start with a lighted setting, while we start with a dark space. Also, the time of day makes a huge difference, because the sunlight is harsher/colder during noon and warmer during sunset. It was definitely a learning experience for me, seeing the difference between theater lighting "designers," and film lighting "adapters."

Week 6: Disneyland

I took some pictures this week that I really loved, but most of them were pictures of sunsets or the sky.... and i decided that i needed to switch it up a little and then i captured this beauty during my weekend trip to Disneyland. Walking around California Adventure the entire atmosphere of the park changed once they turned all the lights off and turned on the LED lights for the Tron special. I loved the way the park seemed to glow once the lights were turned on, and how the lights created a pathway of blue circles. Their lighting choice with the LED and the blue fit the Tron theme perfectly, and I felt as if i was transported into the magical world. I think if they would have used another type of light other than an LED or if they would have picked a different color I wouldn't have bought into the world as much. Having only one source of light straight down created an alien feeling and the dark blue made California Adventure seem like we were now walking in a different dimension and it made the usually happy and bright streets seem eerie and mysterious. This picture was so interesting to mostly because of that reason, simply by using some down LED lights and adding color in the perfect places I was able to be transported into another world without having to actually leave the park!