Week the Tenth: Tis the Season for Giving

Downtown Disney

There is no place that quite sets you in the mood as much as Disney does. Even their downtown is a site to see. Trees are decorated with sparkling lights, there is an ice rink, joyful music playing as you walk through the shops and find a place to dine. And because Disneyland and California Adventure is right there, there are merry little kids everywhere! The setting at night is one of joy, warmth, delight, holiday spirit. The colors in the lights are wonderfully attractive and beautiful to look at. It is quite the place to be, and for the most part every shop's lights are inviting. 

For example, Sephora. I love this store in general, but never realized that perhaps the reason why I love this store so much is because of how inviting the lights are. Most of the inside of this store is the
same as any other. The makeup is displayed so that you can see all of your options by brand. There are mirrors everywhere of course so that you can see how the lighting affects your skin. The white lights allow you to see the makeup on the skin as they truly are-- it does not change the tone of it at all, perfect for makeup artists. But when you walk past this particular one, you can't help but turn your head to look at the store front. The style of it to me reads GLAM. You cannot see the individual bulbs that light the store name, but it has the essence of broadway lights. A friend I went with once said, "She could never walk past a Sephora without walking in and buying something." Then proceeded to tell me to physically stop her from doing so. 

Then there is this poor shop. Apricot Lane Boutique. I don't think I've ever seen many people go in. And although it seems like the clothing would be my style, I never found myself wanting to peruse their items either. The store lighting itself may not be as bright as the other shops, but what was it about this one that made it not as inviting? Then I figured it out: the actual store name was not lit. Every single other store or restaurant name was lit up or was lit by lights. This one wasn't. There is even a shadow cast on it, as seen in this photo. It's so crazy how simply lighting the store's name could have changed this look completely and made it so much more welcoming. Another aspect to the outside that I think detracts from having customers go in is the large top panel above the door and windows. It makes it so much more closed off. This may be solved if the store's lights on the inside were bright enough to shine outside as well, pulling the customers into it.

Week 10: I Can’t Spell Architectural the First 5 Times (thanks Siri)

This is the outside of a restaurant at Downtown Disney. I have no idea what the name is, but it’s like a New Orleans style resturant. I believe the lighting was successful for several reasons. Firstly, the architect of the Deep South is very specific, and very unique. I personally love it. The light in this picture highlights the architecture very well. The uplight accentuates the creases, angles, edges, and depth of the building. The color and intensity doesn’t distract the eye from the overall atmosphere, while adding so much to it. While the building is very square, with mostly edges and straight lines, the lighting softens it. The atmosphere is also very romantic. New Orleans -and the south in general- have a kind of old romance that never really left (not that I wouldn’t know since I’ve never been to the south). There’s a southern genteel, that is old, soft, and laid back with sophisticated ease, which is how I would describe the lighting. (That’s Erika to the left).

The front of this store looks like a night club. It looks like it’ll be fun, cool, and have some edgy styles. If this is what you expect when you walk in the store you will be extremely disappointed.

I’ll be honest, my camera is making the lighting look better than it really was. The lighting is stark, and hard on the eyes. Possibly, this was an attempt to go with the edgy, hard look. However, the lighting failed to convey this in an inviting mannor. It is probably difficult to convey edgy, harshness in a store. On the stage, people come to see these different kinds of heightened emotions. However, as a shopper, people want to be an inviting atmosphere, no matter how theme it is. The door outside told me that the store would have a dangerous, but inviting warm edginess. The white lights, and the pale and oddly laid out walls created a harshness that is acceptable in the theatre, but not in a store.

The only warmth in the store, was an uninviting rosy/pink wash on the clothes. Firstly, the color s just gross. I took a picture of the color condensed on some silver-white tinsel and it hurts my eyes to look at the picture:

The lighting doesn’t serve the purpose of the store. Lighting the clothes with a saturate or semi-saturate color does not allow the costumer to see the clothes how they will be in the real world. Overall, the lighting is uninviting, and the only hint of warmth and flavor does not serve the store.

Week ten: I can't think of a witty title it's week ten (at the Spectrum)

My boyfriend was more than happy to take me to the Spectrum this weekend. I was really surprised how easily he agreed to drive me around just so I could take millions of pictures. He didn't want to let on but I think it was because he was really interested in the lights too! Anyway, I had work every day at two so I went to the stores during the day and luckily my room mate went to the Spectrum Saturday evening so I asked her to take some pictures of the architecture as well. I have to say that I was really surprised how BAD the lighting is in stores! It was really hard to find a good example, and I was appalled! I didn't even realize until I was actually looking for it though, I guess it's just become the norm! Well here are some pictures to help illustrate the facts:


 I was welcomed by very happy enthusiastic sales representatives, so I walked in pretty happy!






 THEN I REALIZED THE LIGHTS WEREN'T EVEN HITTING THE CLOTHING.







 The lights were all out of focus, and way more intense in different areas, where they shouldn't have been! What a bummer this store was for me. If your clothes are so expensive why can't you hire someone to take a look at this mess? The florescent lights were really bright on everything and made it look very fake and artificial. I didn't like it at all, the more I realized everything was skewed!


 When I got to the Oakley store I was more satisfied. Oakley shades are sophisticated and cutting edge, and I think that the lighting really helped show them off. In the cabinets they used side lighting so the lights hit the frames just right and the shadows from the glasses above didn't project below onto them.




I'm not an Oakley fan, but I still wanted to buy a pair because of how polished and neat they were presented. Something else I noticed is that the color of their lights are all slightly different, and the purple tinted light was hitting the purple clothing. It was probably a coincidence, but one that was working in their favor!




 Due to the fact that I work nights, my room mate was gracious enough to take photos of Spectrum at night for me. This is one of the ones that showed the practical light with the architectural. The lights were up for Christmas so all was pretty merry and bright. If you look in the top corner you can see the buildings lighting, which has the lights coming from mainly the bottom, so the shadows of the swirls is cast upwards. This is really cool because it makes it look more regal and impressive. The architecture itself is very ornate and decorative, and the lighting helps accentuate its elaborate more high end nature with it's simplicity and how it directs your eyes up and at the grand additions to the plain buildings. I think that the designer was effective in his purpose and goals... those the ones for the stores really missed their mark.

Week 10: Inviting.. and then not so...

Ah, Downtown Disney. A sprawl of lights and stores and restaurants. Filled with lots of people and children. It's fun when you are in the mood for it. 

Anywho, while walking around, I saw lots of catching store fronts, and a few that were a little off putting. The first one, pictured above, is the House of Blues. My iPhone didn't take the bet picture of the outside lighting, but overall, the bright lights and blue colors are inviting. From the outside, you get the idea that the restaurant is pretty festive and yet has a laid back appeal to it. The lighting designers wanted something exciting and spontaneous, yet inviting.

Here's what you see when you walk in- lights overhead that fade into different colors, festive holiday lighting, and framed artwork on the walls. The lighting designer did a good job of creating an exciting and inviting atmosphere. Most of the lighting was warm, but the constant change in the overhead lights helped in keeping the eye from getting irritated. The designer also made sure that the fad time on that was not to abrupt. I almost didn't notice it at first. The designer also lit the artwork on the walls, which gave a certain homey feeling to the place. While that seems contradictory to the exciting atmosphere, it actually complimented and balanced it nicely. 


The lighting by the bar also kept with the festive holiday lighting, while highlighting the goods. The shelving for the alcohol was lit from underneath with very cool light, which contrasted the warm light throughout the bar. This really made it stand out, and drew eyes to the liquor, which serves the restaurant. 

Overall, I think the lighting designers accomplished their goal. Their lighting created an exciting environment that wasn't too overwhelming and kept with the vibe of downtown disney. 

The next place is a clothing store called Vault. This store also had changing lights in the front. BUT this store also chose to have a really weird front entrance. You can enter on either side of the vault looking door. Very strange, and not inviting. I think the lighting designer tried to make the most of this opening by put cool changing light that shifted from pinks to purples to blues-it was a nice touch, but from this picture, you can already tell it doesn't really go with the lighting inside...

Once inside the lighting seemed very generic. It did light the products well, but the vibe from the outside of the store did not carry into it. There was an attempt to tie the two together, and while I can appreciate the attempt, it was not successful. 


As you can see, the lighting designer tried to carry the same colors that are outside into the store, and they chose to light the clothes by the entrance with this light. Sure the colors are pretty, but where this fails lies more in how the colors affect the clothing. From our color theory class, we know well that colors can change the color of material on stage, which is exactly what these lights are doing here. The lights are literally turning this brown jacket (up right) into an ugly pink jacket and, as a result, losing the store owner money.  Nice try on attempting to tie in the colors from the outside (in literally one section of the store may I add) but it did not work. I'm sorry lighting designer. :(

I WILL MISS THIS CLASS DEARLY. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. :)

-Erika Quintana

Week 10: But Not Least

Greetings, all!
I went to the Spectrum, which is somewhere I've seen relatively little of (I can count the number of times I've been there on, if not one hand, definitely both). As such I took the opportunity to wander around a little, and so here's some
pictures that I think capture the atmosphere:

Relatively bright, and embracing the holiday spirit, as you can see.

I was only familiar with a few stores, and so I tried to branch out and explore a few places I hadn't had reason to visit before.

One of the first places I ended up visiting was the coffee shop next to/affiliated with Nordstrom's (e-bar), because passing it made me think about what I notice about lighting when I get coffee (if I notice it).

Directly in front of the door upon entering was this display, and I was struck by the spotlight-like quality of the design here, especially in relation to the rest of the shop, which had a warmer and mellower feel to it. There are, in fact, literal spotlights on the products they wish the customer to buy, and with attention drawn there first upon entering it seems like the design is a success. As you'll see in the next picture this light is far more white than in the rest of the shop, and it's easily the brightest section. Although the next picture does not convey it well I did have cause to wonder if the light over some of the tables in the main part of the shop would be enough to read by.






This is the main seating area, and the more amber, balanced tones make this a much more pleasant place to sit for longer periods, I would imagine. The light actually appears brighter in this picture than it did in reality, but there is a definite feeling of coziness conveyed with the tint and reflective nature of the lights, especially as they compliment the colors of the decor. Overall I thought that the lighting accomplished its presumed goals, creating a welcoming atmosphere/refuge that contrasted with the cold beyond the windows.

The other store I explored (as a contrast) was Urban Outfitters, and here you can see a basic idea of the layout.

The light was far more white, there, and even just being in there a short time it felt like it might easily become so tiring to the eyes as to be harsh. With the downlight so intense, it seems to me that people would not want to linger for all that long.

There were decorations that explored other shades, including what I assume is a Christmas tree themed one (featured below) that explored more tinted colors. I thought that was a nice touch, a sort of color oasis among the harsh light.

Perhaps the goal of Urban Outfitters is to keep people moving through their stores, but with the exception of the decorations, which added some nice angle and color variety, I thought that the lighting design could have been more conducive to wanting to remain there and look at clothes.
Even the gold background of one of the holiday decorations (pictured below) had a reflective element that made it more harsh - edgy, perhaps, and maybe that's in line with their brand?

While this is a far larger space, in comparison to the coffee shop, and I think the concentration of lights (instruments) was probably greater there, here the light is more invasive. Partially, I realize, that's because this is a clothing store and so visibility is far more key. But I wondered if the lighting might be more effective not with less light, but with a better balance of warm and cool, and playing with tints (only slight ones, so as not to compromise visibility) to make the atmosphere less harsh. So overall, I had more questions about the successfulness of this store than the other.

(This has so strict relevance, I just thought these lamps/lanterns were really cool.)

And with that, I say farewell.

Week 10 Lighting Disney Fieldtrip

We had so much fun going out to Downtown Disney! Me, Yasmin, Erika and a couple friends went up to Anaheim tonight and saw the sparkly Christmas Disney lights. Overall, I completely forgot how magical this place is, and I'm glad I got to revisit it with a lighting perspective in mind. The angles and colors of these compositions make an unbelievable atmosphere. Disney would simply not be Disney without the artistry of the lighting designer. There was everything from color changing LEDs to lamps reflecting off of shiny copper to make pink light- Downtown Disney is a lighting playground.

House of Blues had everything going right. This corner behind the dining area was especially well put together. With a blue overhead source, the room was already lit fairly well. It had a dreamy blue glow about it. Then, the artwork was lit with a warm (no color) light. The room had so much atmosphere. It feels worldly, and sexy and fun. I tried to imagine the setting with classroom fluorescents, and was repelled. Literally, all of the atmosphere and appeal would be gone. It's incredible. By using lots of cools in the internal lighting composition of this restaurant, they were able to highlight focus points in the room with warmer brighter beams without giving the atmosphere to much overall reveal. This restaurant has focus and visibility while maintaining a whole lot of mystery.

Honestly, finding locations to critique was more difficult than I thought it would be. Although there was a large variety of atmospheres, more of them seemed to fit what they were selling. As suggested, I looked for stores that had no one inside of them. Sunglass Hut was literally empty. Sure, it's December, but still. Not a soul. The lighting inside was bright, fluorescent, and overbearing. Once I was noticing all of this incredible saturate beautiful multi angled lighting everywhere else it became so clear why I wasn't into sunglass hut. It's like standing in a brightly lit wear house. No fun. No-one would want to go in there, although I must say, if the goal was to make you want sunglasses, that is one way of approaching it.

Week 10- The Spectacles of Vegas

So, as you can see I went to Las Vegas this weekend. I went inside New York New York and was instantly mesmerized by the lighting composition! They had lines of par cans all filled with crisp yellow ambers and random spots of light green (which I could not quite figure out why, though it seemed to work). They are trying to convey city lights and make you feel as if you are actually in the Big Apple (I have never personally been to NYC but I can only imagine this vibrant feeling was accurate). There were spot lights on all of the shops, highlighting the names, making them extremely inviting. Very spectacular. The ceiling lights created an outdoor source of mock high skyscraper lights and lamp posts. I would like to say that this casino as a whole (including it's shops) was very successful at portraying a city night life feeling. I feel as if the height and angles of the lights add an immense amount of warming illusion.

 

On Friday night, we went out to eat at Margaritaville (pictured lower), and I have to say that it's lighting composition was very unsuccessful at making us feel excited to be apart of the restaurant's environment.

There were many lights available, but few were lit (as you can see above, only one violet light is lit from the ceiling). This created a dull feeling while we were eating because it was very dim and drab.

 This is above the bar, and once again only a few lights were lit. I think they were trying to convey a dark environment so that the people ordering alcohol would not feel as if they were in a harshly lit area, especially while the more intoxicated they become, the eyes are less opened. Even so, there were so many opportunities to add different colors or angles, but it seemed half-assed. The weirdest part was the vast difference between the dance floor (strongly lit by LEDs about 10 feet away) and sitting under the drabness of the bar and eating area. It seemed very chaotically boring, contrasted by the lack of color yet intense flashes of LED streams. In my opinion, the darkness of the overall environment was the biggest flaw.

Week 10: search for serenity

So my first quarter as a grad student is coming to a close, and having never done the quarter system before, it feels like the quarter began yesterday as well like it has gone on for an eternity - interesting how it can feel like no time at all and all time.

In the craze of week 10 finals and classes, prepping for finals next week, and tech and opening a show, I went to The District for this blog.  The District is spread out and a lot of it feels like any other mall.  But there is one particular section with some restaurants in a row on a cute walking street that really spoke to me.  It also was decorated for Christmas, and I think that this seasonal design added another layer to lighting at the District.  I think the designers wanted to unify these different sections of the district with similar lighted signage and the christmas decorations made the whole area feel connected, and each shop a part of the whole district.

I chose this particular picture for the overall feeling, because it captures what I think the design intended - serenity and tranquility (or at least as much as you can get) amidst the shopping to and fro.  I love the juxtaposition of cool blue light in the water feature with the warm garland lights and pillar lights.  Even the lights that reflect into the water speak to that idea of serenity.  And since shopping can be far from peaceful, this design prompts the shopper to feel a little more comfortable I think.  When I was walking around, I noticed that almost everyone there was a family or larger group.  The place must evoke a feeling of coming together and unity, and draws those groups to it like a magnet.  Overall, I think this part of the district was very successful in creating this easeful and community-oriented atmosphere.

In comparing shops/restaurants, I thought that most fit very well into this homey feeling.  The first of the three pictures shows one example of a super successful lighting design.  I love the real fires, creating visual as well as actual warmth.  Though mostly warm colors, you can see some blue lights in the background that, just like the water feature, juxtaposed the warmth and added a cool flavor on top, that smooth serenity and ease.  The second picture was the shop that stood out like a sore thumb.  The lighting was harsh inside, and pretty dark outside, and it felt very much in reverse of what it should be.   Like, the OPPOSITE of mood lighting....or MOODY lighting.  It was weird.  I didn't like how bright it was inside compared to outside and it made you want to look away.  There were a lot of people sitting both inside and outside at the first restaurant, but here there was only one family eating, and I think that speaks volumes.  This second restaurant didn't fit into the family-oriented, serene setting that the rest of the design was going for.  The last picture is a shot of both restaurants.  You can see that from an angle, the design definitely is trying to unify the area, with the shops looking unique and still tied together.  But the thing that stick outs is the brightly lit green wall of that second (unsuccessful) shop.

Overall I thought this area of The District really captured a quaint, family-oriented atmosphere that felt warm and still serene.  And the Flame Broiler was the thing that didn't quite fit.  The rest was warm fires, lower intensity mood lighting, and the feeling of coming together in unity.

Week 9: Belatedly

Oh, look, Gilly posted another sunset. Absolutely zero percent of the readers are surprised.

This was taken last week, and I got several interesting shots on different days as I was leaving campus (or simply moving to another section of it for the evening). What with it being the holidays I wanted to look at sunset in a different way (and actually, one that links back to my first post here. Which was also a sunset). But in a way this feels full circle.

Looking at this in terms of texture is interesting, because of the way that the clouds seem almost to smudge rather than reflect. Capturing that in a painting would be a very different technique from the creation of the shade itself, and that makes me think of other things where the technical process of creating it differs wildly from what one might expect. (Or, conversely,  that you might imagine could be made through a trick of the light but cannot - like haze, etc).

Week 9- Gathering Under the Warm Shadows

I understand that the title is contradictory- how can shadows be warm? Well, when you are surrounded by family after a long day of eating and playing, these shadows become welcoming, and this represents warmth. I took this photo around 9 PM Thanksgiving night. My aunt (left) and her children were huddled around her, ready for the day to come to a close. My nephew/brother (sleeping on the top of the sofa) was also OUT. They had been playing hard all day. It was such an endearing moment when I entered the room, I had to capture it. I wish that my phone could have captured the exact lighting of the moment, it was as if they were being draped by a pool of "no color", yet the incandescent lights in my mother's home were dimmed to make it literally feel warm. I just thought this moment was beautiful, although there is a lot going on visibly (that reflects my family's chaotic lifestyle) it is still capable of honing in on the gathering that Thanksgiving brings!!

Week 9: warm winding willow

willow 18

This weekend was a time of family and gratitude and eating and warmth and loveliness, hopefully for many of us. 

This is my backyard at home, a little pen when we have our rabbit hutches and used to keep a baby lamb and also a ducks and geese at one point. This willow tree was planted from a sprig from a bouquet I got from my Mom on my 18th birthday, and it has been growing in an adobe pot since then. 

The light in this photo really reflects the comfort and loveliness of this place for me- the backyard I grew up in. The gentle and flattering light highlights the familiarity of the subject and the setting. It feels pink and rosy and peaceful and captures the way the light felt at that time of day and the simple happiness that I feel when I'm in this spot. This side of the house was blocked from the sun because the house is in the way, but the sunset was beginning and light was still spilling around this area over on the hills creating warmth and three dimensional angles. 

It's funny to me that this photo feels both "warm" and "cool" at the same time. Actually, it feels more cool than warm, in a comfortable way. Even though we are looking at pink and amber, we also see purple and green and blue, and the photo feels cozy but cool. 

Week the Ninth: Window Stopping

Upon shopping on Black Friday at the Stanford Mall in Palo Alto, CA. no other window display caught my eye as much as this one did at Nordstrom's. And it literally was all of the lights that attracted me! It even had it's own cyc!

Nordstrom hired a a great lighting designer for this display because it is absolutely pleasing to the eyes. The white mannequins and model buildings really stand out and apart from the background. The cyc colors are a nice blend of cool blue and warm pinks with blended lavender areas, a really nice contrast to the darker clothing the mannequins are wearing. This was a very successful display in that it made me want to go into the store to check out more things that I cannot afford.

Week 9: silhouettes

I was really confused on how to use the cyc for my Glass Menagerie project. As I was walking home from work I passed a bus stop, one of the ones with the lit advertisements. I didn't think much of it until I passed the stop, and I felt lots of strong light hitting my back. I turned and saw that the side didn't have an ad, so light was just leaking out. I was thinking of how powerful it would be to have my black figure shown walking away from the sign. Sadly I was alone and it was 2 in the morning, so I couldn't take the photo myself or ask someone to be a model because no one was in sight. So I looked for the same concept in another setting. I was ogling the sunset as I usually do, and then I noticed how the trees were entirely black because all the light was hitting them from the other side. Bingo, I found my other picture. You don't really think about the trees usually because the sky is much more eye grabbing, but how different would it be without the trees being in shadow? If you could see them clearly it wouldn't make the scene as powerful, and would really turn the whole moment a lot more normal. That's what gave me inspiration for my project, but I'm not going to reveal anything until it's my turn to go! I can really apply this to my project though, the reveal of the figure's form while concealing their face can really prove for some interesting thoughts!

Week 9: Warm and Cozy... and YUMMY.

Home for the holidays, and like my classmate Travis, I'm gonna write about it! I love coming home because my mom's taste in decor never fails to make me feel warm and cozy- very homey. As you can see in this picture, family dinners are a big thing for my mom. She loves to set the table and make it look all pretty- I love it. 

But, after taking this picture, I realized something. Yes, everything looks lovely on it's own, but the dim lighting really helps accentuate that warm and cozy feeling I mentioned earlier. I've mostly blogged with out door light, so to come inside and see how different sources really work is interesting. The light hanging over the table coupled with the two lights on the credenza (left- there's two!) really give off that warm feeling. And, while you don't blatantly see it, the light coming from the kitchen can be seen a little on the bottom right of the picture on the floor. This light has always been a lot colder than the rest of the house. As a result, these lights all blended to give that warm feeling, while not irritating our eyes. 

Another thing I found interesting is how the material of the table cloth absorbs the light. The pattern is very clear where the source is, and as the light moves outward, the pattern is seen less.  Another thing I found interesting is when we put all the food on the table, the intensity of the light seemed to change even though it didn't. The difference was in the colors of the serving plates- they were all white and didn't absorb light like the dark brown table cloth did. As a result, all the food looked brighter- which is perfect because when you see food, you should be happy!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! And yes, you are seeing correctly- there is no turkey on our table. 

-Erika 

Week 9: Gratitude

So, I am home on the east coast for Thanksgiving, and since I am not able to come home for Christmas, we are celebrating it as well.  The flight home was an all-day affair, and there was a lot to do at home when I arrived.  But it was all worth it.  I love being home, and love getting to see my family.  As I get older, I realize the importance of not taking this time for granted.

For years, I have kept a gratitude journal, and every evening, I write at least five things I am grateful for from the day.  It has helped me through hard times, and I am able to more keenly appreciate and remember the amazing times.

When my family was together last night, I couldn't help but sit back and just listen to the chatter - the memories from past gatherings, the recaps of the each person's last short while, and the retelling of funny stories - not feeling the need to even add my voice to the mix, I was so enthralled with just being there, all of us, connected.  I got up and snapped this picture to capture the moment.

I love this picture because of the chandelier light.  It shines from above, reflecting light like sun rays all over the ceiling.  What a beautiful source of light.  It is so bright the individual candles blur together, and the rays reflected on the ceiling look like a sunburst.  The quality of the picture itself isn't that great and the people are slightly blurry, yet the emotional quality is heartfelt, light, and warm - and the blurring together in this picture just feels like family.  To me, it feels especially warm and bright.  This chandelier light (and this room) hold so many memories - it was perfect to capture this moment for this week's blog.  For me this picture, and this week, is all about gratitude.  I try to live life with a grateful heart, and what a great reminder this is this week.

Week 9: The view of the Dr’s Office

The day after my car accident I went into the walk in clinic because my family was being paranoid. I was waiting in one of the medical rooms and I was looking out the window. I noticed that there were layers of gobo leaf patterns outside this window. (To me the window framed this picture of gobos). I thought about the debt of this view. There were gobos, non-textured light, and then another layer of gobos. I thought this was kind of cool because usually (at least how I think of a textured wash) when one washes the stage in a texture it is the entire stage. If I were to transfer this picture to stage lighting, I wouldn’t wash all of the stage in texture.

I think of depth of as layers. Creating a three demential world in a natural organic environment.

Week 8: Perception

When I think about depth, I automatically think about depth perception.  After taking several, I chose this picture because I love the play on perception.  It was taken from the 3rd floor of the CAC, looking down onto the walkway.  There is a feeling of depth, like the people below are deep in the sea, or at the bottom of a fish tank.  I love that there is a reflection of people walking in the window as well.  The window is on my level, and though it is virtually two dimensional, you can see deep into it as if it was three dimensional.  The viewer's perception is altered due to the reflection of light into the clear window, almost making it appear like a mirror.  But the color in the window is a much darker reflection, which to me plays to its falseness.  I think that reflections, mirrors, and windows/glass are things that I would love to explore with lighting, and can be powerful tools to a lighting designer.

Week 8: The Depth of my Melting Emo Heart

Well HELLO lens flare! It looks like a flower! I cannot believe how amazing the skies have been in November. I am usually driving while the sun is setting, so I can never full appreciate the natural artistry. Yesterday, however, I was standing on my own two feet while the sun was saying goodbye. I was at my best friend's house getting ready for our "Friendsgiving Feast" and she called me out to her kitchen to tell me that there was going to be some beautiful magic happening in the sky. I waited. And waited. It amazes me how subtle and glorious the sky can turn at each given second. The clouds that roll in create different shadows and tints, my whole body feels like it is melting with excitement as I watch it all unfold. I love the layers of depth that are shown in this photo. At the bottom, you can slightly see that I was standing on a patio with a cement wall in front of me. Beyond that are the bushes and tree in front of the house, and even further are the mountains and the sky! I love the hole in the tree, the absence of leaves gives it a completely different feel. This picture made me start to shout random things when I took it, my ADHD kicked in...especially because I had no idea where the purple flare came from! Such a beautiful day!

Week 8: The Trees that Dance

So I looked over the other blogs really quickly and thought it was kind of funny that water and ducks are already posted. BUT I still really wanted to talk about this photo I took during the last day of filming Allison & Jeremy because when I took it, I thought.. hmm... this will work for lighting somehow. And here it is! 

We were filming at this really nice park filled with trees and ducks, but it was this pond that made me stop. The sun was in just the right position to hit the leaves in the trees, cast shadows, and bring light to the pond to cause reflections. And then the ducks disrupting those reflections. It's a photo with much to look at. But my favorite part is actually how well you can actually see the distance in this photo- the depth from the bottom of the picture to the top. Most of the reason I think this is possible is because of the angle of the light (and my camera). We see the trees and their reflections straight on because they are well lit, but then their shadows are at an angle because of the direction of the light. 

In this photo, the trees almost remind me of dancers, being lit from one side to show the form. The shadows have so much movement in them, which also adds to the effect of the trees "dancing."We touched on the fact that light can create another creature on stage by casting shadows in our last class, and I think this photo speaks to that. Reflection also serves as another form that's being lit in this photo, which is kind of fun even though I know this wouldn't work realistically on a stage. 

One last think I'd like to mention is how my eye keeps getting drawn to the tree with the squiggle trunk. That tree is lit so that half of it is in light and the other half in shadow. This tree resembles the movement of a dancer in quite freaky ways- and also shows how lighting from one angle can make something thats far away still eye catching. 

Ah... Nature. 

-Erika 

Week 8: Ice Rink

Dusty

What to do on a clown portrait shoot when it rains and also the sun sets at practically 4:30 in the afternoon?

Well, it turns out you get creative. I thought to myself... where can I find really really bright lights? This led us to the roller hockey court at the arc, where a freshly rained court turned into a magical icy wonderland. Seriously, I couldn't be happier with the way our negative shooting circumstances turned into a aperture and magical depth of field experience. 

Looking at this picture, I feel like I never would have known that it was a sports court and a parking garage. The way the bright beaming white lights hit the water seriously fools me into thinking the ground is somehow icy. The frame becomes so deep as we see all of the ground behind the subject. The soft focus little baby fresnel lights are in fact lights from the parking garage, but are so deep into the frame that they become super soft focus and also look like twinkling little stars. Had there only been front light on my subject, I would not be able to experience the depth of our surroundings. The light coming from behind him in many different forms, both source and reflection, allow us to experience the context of the scene. 

The deeper you pull something out of the field of focus, the more things it can become in a photograph. I'm trying to translate this to stage lighting, and I suppose it makes sense. When you throw really harsh light on something, there is no tricking the audience into believing it is anything else other than what you are exposing it to be. Soft smudged strokes could potentially give an scene room to make magic happen or allow the audience to make assumptions. 

Week 8: Depth Perception

This weekend while I was studiously working on my color plot for the final (which is how I spend all of my free time, naturally), the light coming through the blinds struck me. Well, not literally struck, as you can see, but I think there's a dimensionality to the light in this picture that's more than it might originally appear.

Although the source is obviously outside the picture, an open set of blinds, we can see on the other set the light that is not getting through (being reflecting up, a little, it appears. There is depth to the shadow in this picture, certainly, but the brightness of the sun as it makes itself know feels like a different kind of depth - light rather than dark. I'm not sure why I associate depth with darkness, but thinking a lot about the dynamics of light this quarter is making me consider those associations in a whole new light. No pun intended. Okay, well, now that it's out there, maybe I'll take credit anyway and say it was a little bit intended.

It's interesting to consider also how much light is getting through (if the blinds were gels, how would the transmission vary). Obviously there's a contrast there, but it all seems to tie in with the idea of different kinds of depth to me. It's just a question of where the depth is, and whether we notice it if it doesn't appear as the idea of depth we're used to.

Week 8: depth

Water really amazes me. The way that you can never really tell how deep it is, or what's beneath you. It can be violent or calm, harmful or helpful. (Or relaxing in this case, I was hot tubbing at my friend's house, we were amazed no one else was there) Lighting to convey water has unlimited possibilities, depending on how elaborate you want to get. When people see blue, they automatically think either sad, or water. Just like red is either fire or anger. It's so accessible and simple to show. Then you can move to gobos, projections, or 3d effects. In a production of Hamlet, the entire floor was a blue/ aqua color. When Ophelia drowns herself, the lights shown on the water area, with a projection of movement on top. Fog rolled in as she stepped in, and the light bouncing off of that was really interesting to watch because both were moving. As she drowned a trap lowered and I was totally suspended in the belief that she actually drowned. It was an amazing collaboration of the different design teams to create the moment. I think that the blue itself is effective, but the gobos or textures given add the extra level of belief and realism, so when you use a blue for night (hopefully a different tone is picked) there isn't confusion. I love all the different options that are available. To give further depth, I really have no idea what to do, I'd have to research and test out theories! Or maybe I'd just ask my mentor for ideas, and collaborate the best solution.

Week the Eighth: Depth

This photo was taken as I was driving south on Culver. I noticed how the trees caught the light and had a sort of mind blowing realization once again about the particles of light "sticking" to the matter (i.e. the tree). I realized that the light particles from the sun are sticking to the leaves and branches of the tree that are facing it (the sun is on the right) until no more particles can stick, then the rest go through and land on the other parts of the tree. Which is why in this photo you see that parts of the tree is lighter than the rest. It's not the light isn't going through that makes the other leaves dark, but that not as much light particles are received because it lands on the closest leaves first. BOOM.

Alright, now to the actual theme of depth. I suppose in this photo, what creates the depth is more the shape of the road itself... making it look like the cars on driving deeper into the photo. The fact that it is angled inward like that suggests how far it goes (this shape: / \ ) Then of course, the deepest darkest shadows suggest depth as well. The lighter areas make it look more open and accessible. The darker looks mysterious and far off.