Disney

In this picture you see the roof top of Hyperspace Mountain (a ride in Disneyland for anyone who does not know). The interesting thing about this picture is that during the day this roof top is white and then at night they paint it blue/purple/pink with lights. This shift in color adds a bright, slight "futuristic" look to the whole building. It is just amazing how a simple design can change the whole look and feel of a building.

Cloud Cover

This cloud arrangement was absolutely fantastic to drive through - the stark difference between the opacity of each of the cloud covers was striking. The spread of the light ahead coming through the clouds is quite wide, and the terrain is visible even though there is no ambient light from above. I do love the very consistent blue tone of both parts of the sky, with one so bright and hopeful, and the other gloomy and dark. This contrast brings on a very clear emotional, visceral reaction in me, showing a light at the end of the cloud "tunnel," if you will. 

Light & Water

I obviously am drawn to the way light interacts with water. This light was coming from a streetlamp after a fresh rain. It's intriguing that the "spotlight" essentially of the light changes places depending on what angle I was taking the picture from. The way in which the focus became larger or smaller depending on the angle reminds me of our lecture in class from a couple days ago. If this were a stage I'm not sure what would control that spot of light. I don't think it would be shutters. Perhaps the type of lens? I also think the pop of blue color from the cup is very attractive. In the midst of the dark colors I find the blue either feels like a symbol of hope to me, or a symbol is loneliness. 

"Painting with Light"

photo courtesy of http://sleazeburger.tumblr.com/

Gels are a really interesting way to create saturated color with light. I have always been pretty fascinated by color and the way that colored light creates and shapes an environment. I collect websites and boards on pinterest entirely dedicated to light - especially neon light.
I associate neon light with a few different things: bad 80s movies, Miami, and sleazy bars. These things all fascinate me because of the mood (almost mysterious) created by all the wild neon light, in-your-face and vibrant. It's so tacky but also a really powerful tool in films and photographs.

Much in the same way that neon lights evoke specific scenes in my head, vibrantly saturated lights - created in movies and photos by powerful lamps and dark gels - aid in setting that scene. Directors like David Lynch use saturated gels and powerful lamps to create moody environments with sharp shadows and contrasting colors.
The way that we create color with light in theatre is much the same, and the lecture about how we do so was interesting because it taught us in a more tangible way about the nature of light. Being able to see how colors react with each other as well as different textures and patterns in a controlled environment is informative for me as a design student. And understanding the way color is created through by combining light versus gels is useful because I have a better grasp on how to use light to create the physical environment from the ideas in my mind.

photo courtesy of messynessychic.com

Websites and Pinterest board on neon light and more:
http://sleazeburger.tumblr.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/tessannbook/neon-signs/

Mexican Coast

I took this photo while visiting Mexico. This was taken shortly after noon and I love the even wash of sunlight across the coast. The vast canvas of blue is broken by the spattering of sparse clouds and the enormous mountains in the distance that look like mere smudges of a darker paint from this distance. The sun hits certain parts of the rock and brings out the lighter, beiger, more orange hues. On the opposite side of the rock the deeper blacks and browns are exposed, contrasting sharply with the foaming white of the water. The white and lighter blues encircle the rocks like separate pools surrounded by a considerable, darker pool. The sunlight gently catches the wave crests, making them glisten and adding more variety to the extensive ocean.

Early Morning Sunrise

This is a photograph that I took at about 6:50 a.m. from my high school parking lot in February of last year.  I used to hate getting up so early in the morning for my zero period class, but every once in a while there would be a perk like this to look forward to.  What really intrigues me about this photograph is that most of the parking lot itself is lighted in grey, whereas just above the horizon there is a beautiful blend of orange, yellow, purple and blue.  I also really loved how these colors, in one form or another, are reflected onto the clouds above.  The lighting really captures the placid atmosphere (something not usually expected in a public school parking lot!), so much so that I think it could almost be the backdrop for a movie or a landscape painting.  Overall, this photo just sums up everything that I really love about nature and the continual rise and fall of our closest star!

This is a picture that was taken during a dance I performed and choreographed. I originally told the lighting designer that I wanted colors that encapsulated a moment of passion, to help convey the story. I think the lighting designer did a wonderful job in helping tell the story. As an audience member I feel the gel colors the lighting designer choose translate passion, love, and reconciliation. Now of course I collaborated with the designer before I knew about the craft of lighting but we can see that that my vision as a choreographer was conveyed. By me telling the lighting designer that this part in the dance was a "moment of passion" he choice colors that represented the essence of the piece. Much like we talked about in class. Expressions, feelings, and objects all can be convey through light. I think it is fascinating how light can translate into different words and feelings.

Moonlight on the Bay

This is a picture from my home town in Monterey Bay. Looking across the bay you can see the lights from another town and moonlight reflecting on the water. I really like nights like this just because it always seemed so calming to me, and I love how the light is disbursed. Because of the fog lingering over the bay, the moon's edges are not clearly defined and that quality reminds me of home. I really like this picture and I know it's not the best quality because I am not a photographer and also trying to capture sublime light on film is extremely difficult. However, having seen this in person this photo brings me back to the moment when I looked at the sky and thought "wow what a beautiful night."

In the first day of the class, I saw a picture from Taiwan, where I am from. This is one of the festivals we have in Chinese culture, its called "Tian Deng", which means lanterns in the sky. The principle is similar to hot air balloon. You light up a fire in the bottom center of the sky lantern. And in the physics, we learned that hot air goes up due to its own big volume and low density. Thus, the hot air will fill up the lantern and go all the way up. 

You may be curious about the reason why we Chinese do this. Well, it is because people believe that the wishes you wrote on the lantern will be seen by Gods and eventually come true. People nowadays gather to a specific place in Taiwan and light up the sky lanterns together. When all the lanterns go up to the sky at the same time, it creates the beautiful view in the picture attached. As they go up higher, they become smaller, and they look like the stars in the sky. The view is incredible and definitely recommended if you ever visit Taiwan in February or October since that is the time of the festival. 

It is so ubiquitous, and so pragmatic, that we often forget just how fortunate we are to have fire; fire was our first source of light after all. From the Sun, to when man, or woman, first struck two rocks together and made a spark that probably made everyone piss themselves, it has been an instrumental tool used by us in every which way imaginable. E.g. rock concerts, cooking, to the way we prevent wildfires. The physiological response fire illicit's from me is that of a curious child opening his eyes for the first time; I love fire, but not like in an arson-y way or anything, so it's chill.

Venetian Hotel

 I look this picture in Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. It was a big big pleasure to stay at this hotel, because everywhere is super pretty and fancy. This picture demonstrates the significance of lighting. First of all, in this hotel and specifically in this picture, all of creatures are indoor facilities, so enough lighting is necessary. Moreover, the combination of various lightings (The lighting from the sky-look design ceiling, lighting from various stores and the streetlights plus the reflection from the water) successfully created a beautiful city view scene. Walking on the sidewalk along the river, sometimes I had the illusion that I was really in Venice (even though I've never been there:). 

Rainbow

I had the privilege of going to Amsterdam during the month of December while I was abroad this past quarter. During this month they had an event called, "Amsterdam Light Festival". The light festival has different pieces of art featuring artists around the world. Each artist brings a concept and message to their piece. This bridge of the rainbow symbolizes the open-mindedness and diversity of the community in Amsterdam. I took this picture at around midnight while roaming the streets of this amazing city. This spoke to me because the reflection of the light onto the water was breath-taking. As you can tell, not all the colors of the rainbow spectrum are part of the art. However, the reflection of what seem to be LED lights create a beautiful sight. It's shocking to see how the smallest light(purple) is reflecting the most color onto the water. This picture doesn't even begin to capture the magnitude of these lights and how powerful they are. I remember seeing the buildings surrounding this piece of art glowing at night. This is just one of the numerous art works created by lighting that have been placed around the city of Amsterdam. I highly recommend anyone in Europe during the winter time to go check all the beautiful art work especially as it is always bringing in new artists.

A Slow Saturday Morning

I took this picture last Saturday morning after laying in my bed for awhile. I noticed how simple and soft the light was coming through my shutters. The three columns of light on an angle are overlapping and in contrast to the upright metal bed frame. It's fun to notice the little things like light and how it paints our worlds. On a usual Saturday morning I would get up and get going with my day, but opening my eyes to the light around me forces me to slow down life and be present in what I am doing.

Sunset

During winter break, I was able to take some time to go see the sunset at Laguna beach. I was amazed  at how beautiful the light reflecting off the ocean was. The warmth it gave off set such a calming mood and a tone that really felt therapeutic and soothing. The gradient in the sky from cool to warm to cool again as it hit the water blended in so effortlessly and as light was actually disappearing, the sky grew richer to deep red as it slowly retreated. Light and the process of taking away light gives such beautiful effects to the world around us!

Saiyans: Light=Power by Andrew De los Reyes

For those unfamiliar with the Dragonball series, some of the characters belong to the Saiyan race. This branch of characters include many of the main protagonists in the show including the character pictured here, Goku. Some Saiyans have the ability to extend their powers to new heights and become so powerful that they emit bright beams of light that also brightens their hair to a gold-blonde tint. Basically, the more powerful the character becomes, the brighter their lights and hair becomes. I am very aware that this is a cartoon, but the use of light is very similar to what is used in theatre and in the world in general. Light brings clarity, strength and figure to those that it is illuminating. The Saiyans and Super Saiyans are a prime example of this. Here are 3 examples of how the Dragonball series uses light to display power.

Picture 1: This is the protagonist, Goku, before he reaches his Super Saiyan abilities. This form he is in is titled Kaioken, a slightly enhanced version of his original form in strength, speed and endurance. He produces a good amount of light but it is still clear that his original color and shape are maintained. I like to refer to this transformation as a "glow" because it shows his potential for the greater abilities to come.

Picture 2: This is Goku in his first transformation into his Super Saiyan form (SSJ1). As you can see, his hair becomes a bright gold color with beams of light radiating around him. Something to note is that his muscle and hair definition becomes more prominent as he becomes more powerful with the addition of this added light. This really emphasizes the point of light bringing clarity and shape to the figures that are being illuminated.




Picture 3: This is Goku in the third stage of his Super Saiyan form (SSJ3). As you can see the light has become very powerful to accentuate the transformation he has experienced. His hair and muscle definition now have reached almost ridiculous proportions. There is an added feature of electricity around him now which gives him the sense of being dangerous to the touch. In this form, he loses his eyebrows for some reason but I saw this as the light being so powerful that they could have burnt them off but the lack of eyebrows really brings out the definition of his face and really transforms the demeanor of this usually soft-hearted and humble character to a brash and relentless one. When this transformation happened, the screen went almost completely white for 15 minutes of him screaming brutally in the background only to reveal this insanely detailed figure that let the bad guy really have it soon after. I'll never forget seeing this as a kid and having one of my first "OHHH SNAAAAP!" moments.

Thank you for reading. I hope this blog shines some light on the many uses of lighting not only in the physical world but in the world of art that is beyond our beloved theatre and film.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           - Andrew D.

Old Town City Hall

While in Old Town Pasadena, the sun was setting and the rays were just about to fall behind the City Hall building. I find it fascinating how light bends around objects and, as seen here, the sun looks as though it is on the other side of the wall that it is peeking over. The sun also has an outer glow that looks like a giant sun around the pinpointed dot that is the focal point of the light in the shot.

The lighting gives the leaves on the top left an almost painted-on look, and the street lamps turning on give a sense of nostalgia for another time as the sun sets and this older lighting style turns on. This picture gives a feeling of both time and season due to the positioning of the light that could either be early morning or late night as the sun goes through its rotation, and the illumination of the leaves and the shadows cast across the scene along with the orange leaves makes me think it is in a colder season, which it was, showing how light can tell such a large and detailed story all on its own.

San Jacinto Mountains

I took this picture during the winter break. I got out of the car once I finished an errand with my father. My family moved out from Los Angeles, California to Hemet, California due to finding a more rural area. I have seen the sky through the day and night time. The sky always produce a stunning presentation that seems that it always set goals in a lighting design aspect. It sets  the atmosphere of this photo. It brought out the mood and the creation of an environment. It brought a sunset in the mountains rather than in the usual beach or urban area. I was the selectivity person trying to be the camera and thinking creatively on how a beautiful landscape or image would be in.

Snowy Spire

Over the winter break I drove up to Lake Arrowhead with my family. I took a lot of pictures in the snow, since I don't get to see it often as I'd like. Rarer were the pictures I took of the buildings in the town, but this one struck me as very quaint, charming, and visually interesting.

The light interacts with both the snow and the structures in an almost playful manner. It highlights parts of the snow to make it nearly blinding, and then casts it into the deep shadow of the roof and eaves. It acknowledges the reflections of the pines in the window, but at this time of day, that isn't the focus - like a secret for astute viewers. The contrasts in the picture complement the almost vintage feel of the architecture.

Shadows

Today I was standing outside of the Nixon Theatre and I went to take a picture of the nasty puddle you can see in the photo because why not... it's gross. When I looked back at the photo, the sharp lines presented by the shadows really struck me. These shadows really transformed the space from a big open patio to a small box that highlights the disgusting puddle. Even further, if you look at the buildings in the back the shadows play a little bit of an optical illusion because it looks like the buildings are facing a different angle than they actually are.

neon lights

I took this picture when I was at dave and busters for my friends birthday. Currently, I have been obsessed with neon lights and lighting and what it creates in an image or atmosphere. I have also been obsessed with neon signs and I was so excited to see that dave and busters used these neon signs for their bathroom signs. The blue color was used for the mens restroom and the red color was used for their women's restroom, though if you look in the middle of the photograph you see this purple shade aside from the red or blue. I just thought it was cool because when you mix colors like red and blue, it creates purple. It's showing that their are two different types of restroom by having separate colors, but at the same time I thought it was showing how we are all just human. I also really like that it is completely dark in the surroundings so it is creating this mysterious feeling when you go into this small environment with only two neon signs to lead you.

Light Values

Christmas Tree Lane, photo courtesy of thehomestory.com

Christmas is my favorite time of year, and it has a lot to do with light - or more precisely, light's relationship to how that time of year makes me feel. It comes down to a few different things. The first is the physical act of putting up Christmas lights. It is a tradition, a way for families to come together, to enjoy each other's company and to create something simple and beautiful as a family. As a little girl, it was always my dad and me who would put up the lights at Christmas, and our house always ended up looking like a giant, magnificent birthday cake. It was something we did together, and it was a tradition I will always carry with me. In the creation of something beautiful, this is where we, as well as countless other families, came together and took pleasure in simply creating. Then there is the symbiosis of each house on the block, each separate family's endeavor coming together and creating an entire street of houses that twinkle and shine when the sun goes down. For a month out of the year, everything becomes a little more saturated. I was thinking about that this year, as I was decorating my tree. I was thinking about how silly it may look to an outsider, how one might question why we get so much pleasure out of stringing tiny plastic lights on a giant pine tree inside our homes. One might look in from the outside at me, see me getting such pleasure from the multicolored light, and wonder from where do I get such pleasure. For me, the pleasure is in the beauty of it, the symbolism, and the memories I carry with me from 23 previous years of decorating Christmas trees. I imagine that most people feel the same way I do, and perhaps even for the same reasons, or why would we all continue to do it every year? I love walking down different streets during Christmas, or driving through Griffith park to see the light show, or down Christmas tree lane, because the lights create a world that is filled with magic and beauty. It's one perfect and magnificent example of how light is transformative. Once a year, I get to partake in a communal transformation that is celebratory and beautiful, and it always reminds me that light is synonymous with ecstasy.

Griffith Park Festival of Lights, photo courtesy of beastandbean.wordpress.com

Pillow Shadow

I took this picture of the shadow of my pillow on the wall. I know that this is not a pretty picture, though I did like observing the quality of light and shadows that it shows. It was taken at night, so there was complete darkness except for the light created by a single small LED light. The light creates a pretty focused circle, but as you can see, the edges of this little spotlight are very soft and there is some bleeding of light that illuminates the surrounding area. I particularly liked the hard shadow that my pillow made on the wall. Because the solid pillow blocked the light, its shadow is sharply defined and completely black. I think this kind of frontlight effect would be useful in movement-based pieces where a performer's clearly defined shadow could be cast on a plain backdrop. Is there a word for a shadow version of a puppet show? It's a bit spooky, but if the backdrop is a somewhat soft color, then it could be a beautiful way to tell a story. Or scary. It would be very useful in a sinister part of a story.

World of Color

I have had an annual pass to Disneyland for as long as I can remember. I visit the park often, so sometimes I feel like I underappreciate many aspects of it. But since enrolling in this class, I think of the show "World of Color" in a whole new... light! The park puts on this show every single night. One major component of the show is, of course, light. Now I can only imagine how much power is used for the show. The picture does not do justice. Disney fan or not, I would recommend seeing this magical show at some point in your life.

Blinding Light

     Today something happened that very rarely happens, I was in my room in the middle of the day. At about 1:00 pm the sunlight comes into my windows at the perfect angel to land across my bed through the blinds. The last time I was in my room at the time of day to see the light come in this way was in September. What is different now is it has shifted lower, to the foot of the bed and it got to this point much later in the day. This reminded me of that attention to detail and shadow we were talking about on Monday and how time of day and year can drastically change the type of lighting you see. The passage of time can be shown through the shifting of sunlight coming through the blinds or the quality of light entering a room.

Fire Alarm

I found this fire alarm outside the Nixon Theatre, facing the sunset as I left class at about 5 pm. I assume that this fixture was once red, as most fire-related fixtures are, which points out another amazing capability of light - light fades color over time. This is a very clear example of the color fading ability of light. The only other example that I have seen is in a home with a large amount of natural light that had only slightly faded the paint color inside, much less drastic than this fire alarm. This shows that theatrically, color and intensity of light is indicative of time, but light can also show time in its affect on the condition of the pieces that it comes in contact with.

New York

 

I was lucky enough to travel to New York during Spring Quarter last year. I went to the city of Edgewater which is in New Jersey, directly across from New York. The lights of the building shined so clear and beautiful that night that I had to take a picture. I found the refection of the lights on the water very striking, you can see the various colors from the building reflect onto the water. This picture demonstrates the importance of no light, as the water shows, since the water has no light it can reflect and bounce light off of it. I believe it is important to remember how no light or shadows can play into lighting and how its effects can be helpful into achieving your design. 

In the Courtroom

While fantastic displays of lighting in a production may be most noticeable, I think it crucial to note instances of simple designs that produce sublime effects.  I particularly like this production's lighting concept, because from it a patron may easily identify the location as a courtroom or police interrogation room with no other context.  The toplights create tension and an unwelcoming atmosphere, especially because their lack of color makes them appear quite harsh.  A photo like this tells the prospective audience a lot about the tone of the play, while generating interest at the same time!

Reflections

I thought it was interesting how the light hit this puddle creating a mirror, which allows us to see a reflection of the surrounding trees! The trees look like a watercolor painting to me.

It's also striking how only part of the sky is reflected in the puddle so we get one section that's really blue.
I only thought to pay attention to this puddle because I saw another girl taking a video of the puddles. It's interesting how other's intrigue can inspire us to see things we didn't know we were looking for.

Water and Light

January 10, 2017 Tuesday 10:30 P.M. 295 Arroyo Dr. Irvine, CA

I brought out a bowl of ice and a bowl of water to see how light was represented differently in both forms. Nothing changed in the ice between it being inside my apartment and outside under the streetlamp. The water was much more visually aesthetic because it allowed light to to travel through more easily than the ice. I love how the light focuses in the middle of the bowl even though the source of the light is not directly above it. As the light radiates out it softens until the edge of the water, where it is hard and focused.  

Also, in the background, a low fog-like haze appears in the picture that I did not see with the naked eye.

Flight Home

Over break I flew back home to Nebraska for Christmas. I have always loved flying and seeing how the light looks different from the higher elevation. For this flight I flew in the evening and was able to watch to the sunset from the window of the plane. It was gorgeous seeing the rich colors of the sunset develop, these pictures were taken maybe 15 minutes apart and the of colors as the sky changed were breathtaking.

Forest of Light

This past week, I got the chance to walk through Enchanted: Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens. While it was very cool to walk through and admire the beauty of all that technology, it was hard to be as impressed as others, whose comments I overheard. In the end, about 80% of it was just a bunch of LED uplights on trees, with some haze here and there. I do think one of the most successful parts of the evening was seeing the lighting interact with the unplanned rain. That really made the whole experience feel more immersive. It felt like we were on the set of some cool horror film waiting to happen. The rain also made my pictures have a watercolor feel to them, which was pretty cool.

Hello!

Welcome to the blog for 50C: Introduction to Lighting Design.

As we move through the quarter, I hope that your eyes will adapt to seeing light in a whole new way.  Perhaps you'll see colors you've never noticed before, you may recognize the angle of a certain light, maybe you will find ways to articulate how light makes you feel.

In order to assist with this process, I've created this blog so that each and every one of you may contribute a short piece every other week on an aspect of light that you have noticed throughout your journeys.  This can include a particular moment in a play, a beautiful sunset, a great rock concert of a well lit store.  Anything and everything can be included.  I only ask that you take this assignment seriously, remember that your posting count towards your final grade.

If you have photos to include with your post then please add them.  We'd love to see what you are describing!

Just think of the illimitable abundance and the marvelous loveliness of light, or of the beauty of the sun and the moon and stars.
St. Augustine

A given visual phenomenon may not be perceived at all unless it is actively looked for.
Bumham, Hanes and Barteson

Thanks and Happy Blogging!
Jaymi