Let’s Roll.

Mood: Intense

Rating: 10 if I win, 0 if I don’t.

Description: This is a picture of an IBJJF Tournament. IBJJF stands for international federation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The lighting here is incredibly bright for obviously maximum visibility of the athletes and judges. I feel that this is also done because it creates a feeling of high energy, as well as because of the need for visibility. I feel that this lighting is all throughout the building, but it seems from this image that it is more concentrated in the center. I’ll update this when I get a chance to compete there myself.

Come On, What’s Better Than a Cup of Coffee? … Two Cups of Coffee.

Mood: Intellectual

Rating: 10- Santa Monica is next to Venice, which is the right kind of crazy.

Description: I’ve actually been here before. This is one of the coolest coffee shops I have ever been to. It’s this place in the central area of Santa Monica (I did not take this image). The lighting in here was very relaxing and very soft, when I went there it was also raining so it felt darker overall. In this picture though it seems like the sun is shining through which gives a very energized feel to the room. Also, coffee is the best.

Hello Luxury Living…

Mood: Refined

Rating: 9- locale could be better.

Description: I cannot help but be a bit biased in my description of this because I feel that LA has a vibe to it, a feeling that is in the air if you will. In this picture I see a lot of distracting light at the bottom of the building, it looks like there are a lot of stores. I can see that a lot of the lighting is very flattering to the architecture of the building though. The light coming from the windows also makes it feel alive. The lighting in what seems to be the lobby is a bit too yellow for my taste.

MOMA

Mood: Thoughtfully minimalistic

Rating: 10- I love San Francisco

Description: This lighting to me is very interesting because I usually do not like yellow tinted lighting, but I feel that in this case it works brilliantly. I cannot help but get the feeling that you’re supposed to stand around and think with these pictures. I’ve been to SFMOMA and that is actually what I did. The overhead lighting in this picture comes from thin lights and it helps create the feeling of amplitude. Not to mention that it highlights all of the individual works of art perfectly. This lighting is simply brilliant.

A Day in the Sun

Mood: Free of stress

Rating: 7- Miami can get too hot for my taste, and the water is super salty there.

Description: This picture does not give me the Miami vibe, but it definitely gives me the vibe of stress from freedom. It is super bright giving off a radiant energy, which seems to be ubiquitous in this picture. The contrast between the light water and dark water is also really appealing in this image. The white buildings also make a nice buffer between the two.

Backlight

I really enjoy backlight. It's a very simple way to create an interesting image. Backlights are so efficient because they are one light that can do so much. They create shadow, distort visibility, and even influence emotion based on the angle and intensity of the light. Shadows are always interesting to look at. Backlight can also give visibility to a wide are, without giving visibility to details which can be interesting if used correctly. Combining color with backlight can further elevate the manipulation of your audience. Backlighting is such a great tool.

Rainbows

When it comes to colored light, nothing beats a rainbow for me. It's really cool to see a natural formation of so many colors. A rainbow in nature is so much better than a rainbow on paper. It's like how your favorite song sounds better when you happen to hear it on the radio. I just appreciate the science behind rainbows. The effect of refracting light is so simple, but produces such an extraordinary effect,