Week 6: A Very SoCal Obsession

Palm trees. SoCals biggest obsession. From Hollywood to our very own Irvine Spectrum and South Coast Plaza strip malls, they are everywhere. Palm trees are the emblem of Southern California, which is funny because most of the palm trees we see are imported because they are not native to this area. Also, another fun fact, they only live to be about 100-150 years old. Which means the beloved trees of Hollywood blvd. will probably have to be replaced soon. 

Anywho. I love trees. Very much. So it's no wonder that when I was walking back to South Coast Plaza from SCR I just had to stop and snap a photo of these trees. I guess you could say I was kind of obsessed- this is one of many pictures I took. I just couldn't help but gawk at the bright green and sparkly trunks. It's like nature on acid. Or some other trippy drug. And what is giving that effect? LIGHT. WOO! But really, without the christmas lights strung all the way up its trunk and the lights beaming up from below, this tree would just sit there, in the dark, looking like an average (yet still beautiful) tree. However, thanks to light, we can see all the details in the leaves as well as that beautiful, vibrant green color. This is a nice reminder that white light can really bring out rich colors and high light details in a show. The other aspect that adds to this bright white light is the black background. It really helps define the shape of the trees, just like a cyc would. Sometimes simple things can make big statements, as seen here. Also, we can't ignore how glamorous these trees look with those little specs of light running up their trunks. Light can bring festivity and movement into something as stationary as a tree. It's magic! Clearly, being obsessed with magic is normal. 

-Erika