The Last One- Faerie Bokeh

Welp. Guess who got swept up in studying and stressing? This girl. So this one's late. But I wanted to share anyways.

This is one of my favorite photos I've taken--so much so that I set it as my desktop background :P This photo was taken fairly unassumingly, just trying to capture some random shrubbery silhouetted by the beginnings of a rich sunset the other day. But I clearly got much more than I anticipated. This photo is unedited and I had no filters or special lenses or settings when I took it. I was intrigued by the sheer amount of variance nature alone provided in this shot, far beyond what I was expecting to see. What I love most is the splashes of color--pink and green. In lighting design, I feel like it's easy to shy away from using bold, vibrant, "unnatural" colors. But this photo puts me at ease with the understanding that something a pure a natural light source as the sun created such colors itself, vividly and beautifully in a setting I would not have otherwise expected it.  I also love the atmosphere that the colors and qualities of this photo create in my mind--antiquated and delicate, but magical, lively, and evocative of faerie play.

Saw this a couple weeks ago right before my 8am class. I loved that the sun was still rising so the light is coming from a pretty low angle and it created a very warm color. It was pretty early in the morning but it was much brighter outside than it usually is at that time, just this area in particular was pretty shadowy. I liked the long shadows the trees made because of how low this angle was. It was a nice mix of bright and sunny and kind of creepy.

Week 9/10

Continuing with the theme of "sun and trees," this morning I was astounded at the power of the sun and just how beautiful the whole morning was. The brightness of the sky really served to bring out the lush details and contours of the trees, silhouetted against the pastel sky. I also loved having soft clouds in the picture to serve as further contrast, aiding in separating the worlds of earth and sky.  The white winter sun always serves as an inspiring source of illumination. I'm so sorry for the tardiness!

Week 9/10

This is a photo of the Colorado River I discovered on my laptop while procrastinating...I mean studying for my finals.  This photo was taken around 7 am this past summer morning from a canoe trip my family and I took down the river.  This photo evokes a sense of happiness and accomplishment.  The canoe trip consisted of a 12 mile track down the river and was on one of the hottest weekends of the summer.  The temperature of the weekend was around 120 F and I remember feeling so incredibly tired and at times not thinking that we would make it.  But, we made it and this photo was a result of the morning after a very long weekend.  I love this photo mainly for the shadow at the bottom of the mountains and the reflection that is being created on the water.  I love that this picture was taken so early yet the sun source is already so powerful.  Reflecting back on when I took the photo, the sun reminded me of a very fast lighting cue.    

Week 9/10 - Chandelier

     I took this photo at a performance that I had this week at a faculty members friend's estate here in Irvine. Though the photo doesn't contain much, I really enjoyed the way that the family designed and lit the area above the chandelier. They created an inlet that allowed for the installation of lights and then had the upper ceiling personally engraved. I enjoy how the light from the inlet gently details the mural above the chandelier with a warm light without providing too much light that would warrant for the Chandelier to be unnecessary. I also like the positioning of the chandelier in regards to the rest of the room that were in and how the surrounding lights make each of the crystals glisten, leaving the reflection of the crystals on the surrounding walls, though it is not apparent here in the photo. Visiting this home inspired me to incorporate different lighting elements into my home when I purchase one in the future.

Week 10

This is a photo I took over thanksgiving break. It is from a lookout point in San Francisco. I really enjoy the pink painted sky of this photo. The sun is going down and it wasn't much of a clear day. The gloominess that is created in the image is interesting to look at as you have to search for the light source. The way the light sweeps across the landscape almost gives a sense of vastness and creates a nice carved out landscape separated from the water and sky.

Weeks 9/10: A Look Back

This photo is from my cousin's wedding over the summer. We were out on the patio at the hotel we were all staying at. There wasn't much light outside- most of it was either coming from inside or wall sconces outside. The light was fairly warm and cast everything in a sort of glow. I'm drawn to this picture because it looks like a Baroque painting; all darkness and dimension and carefully placed highlights. Everyone is so incredibly carved out. I find it stunning.

Weeks 9/10

So like, here are some drama students doing the thing. What i specifically like about the lighting at this moment is that the overcast clouds are acting as a frost gel. They're softening the light and making it more cool and even a little bit less directional. While the softening of the light takes the directionality of it a little bit away, it is still clear that the source is the sun as the light is a cool, blue-ish white. The direction of the source is most likely from behind and out of the photographer's position given the shadows falling on the building in the extreme background. There is a siren nature to the lighting and the emotional context of it. But there is still a lot of life as it is well lit and the coolness of the light gives energy to the scene. I can not tell for certain if the subjects appear flattened by the camera quality or by the front light nature of the sun. There is not a huge amount of shadowing and carving going on on the subjects, but they are visible and their shape is defined. I personally love overcast lighting because it is very calming to me. 

Week 9/10 A brief relief from stress.

I took this photo the other day when I was on campus taking a break from my preparation for finals. I really loved the calming feel that the light gave. It helped relieve the some of the stress I was feeling. I imagine that recreating this same feeling could be very useful after a very heated moment in a play that you need to relax the audience for. To recreate this I would use a mix of warm and cool tones and use primarily back-lighting.

Week 9/10: Final post of this Quarter

Today, I took a picture of an apartment construction. This clearly shows it is sunsetting and the source of light is coming from the top right because of the shadows built where there is boards/ hood. I love the different shades of blue in the sky created with clouds. It is like grayish blue where it is further from the sun and light blue where it is closer to the sun. I love the shadow created of the tree on the brick color looking apartment. I like how there is a different intensity when the sunlight hits different colors. If you compare the construction apartment and the brick color looking apartment, the intensity is brighter at the construction apartment than the brick color looking apartment because it is lighter. Also, it is very interesting to see how it is so dark where there sunlight doesn't hit.

This class really open myself to light.  had limited view of lights but now that range has grown. Thank you, Karyn, Ebony, and Martha for all the help!

Final Blog Post

I took this picture at sunset on Wednesday night. I had just gotten home from a long day at school, and I took this picture just after the tragic events that took place in San Bernardino. Overall, I was feeling very down, but then I walked out of the elevator when I got to my apartment. I was immediately mesmerized by the sunset happening outside. I took a deep breath and realized that there is such beauty in life, in nature; although there is so much hatred and bitterness, I have been truly blessed in my life with love and friendship. This beautiful picture is a representation of the serenity we all should aspire to; our lives are so busy and distracted- we as a society are caught up in our screens. I think we should all take time to look up and appreciate the lives we have been given.

Week 9/10: My final Post

What I love about this image is the contrast, where the light is versus where it isn't. This was a very satisfying picture to take. I like the shadows from the trees, and I like how you get to see how artificial light reacts to the different surfacing on the ground. This was taken at the ARC at night from the 4th level of the parking lot. It is just a calming picture for me.

9/10

With the quarter coming to a close I was able to go back home and grab a drink from my local bar.

This beautiful bar which I also call my second home (no, I'm not a drunk.. I work here. Haha.) just brings me so much happiness.

When it gets late, I never really appreciate the restaurant/bar because it is 3am and I just want to get the hell home. But, this one evening I took it all in and got this picture.

Streets empty. The lights inside are out and and warm welcoming glow of "Magnolia House" and street lights shine on.

If you're ever in the Pasadena area, come in and grab a drink or some food.

Until then, cheers to an AMAZING quarter. Many thanks to Karyn, Martha, and Ebony. Lights are now much more beautiful than what I thought they were before I began this quarter and it is all because of you lovely ladies.

First round is on me! ;)

Week 9/10

I was sitting outside of the Little Theatre during my dinner break in between shows the other night and noticed the beautiful scenery of Aldrich Park that I'd never noticed before. It was slowly getting dark and all of the lamp posts which I had never noticed before were all on. It created such a beautiful and mystical atmosphere. I almost expected a low fog to roll in or something! I think that this captures a beautiful scenery with the tall, dark trees against a powder blue sky just beginning to go dark. The many lamp posts illuminate the scene. I love how the lights are sprinkled about the park. I love the magical and mysterious vibes that they give. They don't give a lot of light to the scene, but they give a real pretty glow. The fact that there are many posts gives an image of a lot of little bulbs, almost floating, illuminating the empty paths, kind of giving an aspect of loneliness and vastness, but in a really beautiful way. I would love to see this kind of look on stage with cool colors and shapes of the night slightly illuminated by the many unique lamp posts. 

Week 9/10

Yesterday, I visited my parents down in Dana Point. We had a great time: ate a great dinner, drank some good drinks, talked, just enjoyed each other's company. We had a little too much fun and decided it was best to get some fresh air. Now, around this time of year, this city decides to put up a few festive lights and allows you to walk around under them; it's really fun and magical. However, I noticed that this lighting event really sparked something in my parents and it was lovely to see them in love and happy. I love my parents dearly and I wanted to share how this experience - which revolves around lighting - made me feel happy and warm. 

Also, I really loved how sweet it felt to be walking under the lights and feel so joyful. I simply love this tradition. Definitely something I needed right before finals week and the holiday season. 

Week 9/10

I took this picture over Thanksgiving break while on my way to work. It just seemed so picturesque and interesting. The color gradient and the very interesting pattern of light really captured my attention. Also I like how the road seems to run off into that larger pocket of light at the bottom of the sky. I have been waiting and hoping for the weather to get colder for some time now and this cloudy image makes me very excited for it to come!

Week 9/10 Blog

Today while driving home, I noticed the sunset looked particularly beautiful. The clouds are so far out on the horizon and the last rays of sunlight are reflecting off of them. The sun's reflection makes the clouds look like pink wisps of cotton candy. The horizon is lit in a golden glow which fades and gives way to the dark blue in the sky up above it. I was struck by the beauty that is created by the vast difference between the dark blue sky and the golden orange horizon.