Week 4 - Floating on Quicksilver- Matthew Byrd

This video was from a time I was able to join a boat in Santa Barbara as we were coming back for the day the water changed dramatically. As we were staring at it, the water no longer looked like water it actually looked like quicksilver. It was absolutely mesmerizing and non of us could look away. It provided such a sense of wonder and comfort and pure serenity, as if one had passed over into the afterlife but in the best way possible. I was half expecting some guy I'm a boat to pull up and start asking for a coin. I would love to figure out a way to replicate this effect on stage and my only thought would be a large piece of metallic fabric with a light source low almost level with the fabric shining parallel to it as a slower fan moved air underneath the fabric to create the ripples. 

Week 4- Katherine Cotter

For this week's post, I took a photo of my cat. She was walking past my colored light when I walked into my room, and the shadows and reflection of the light really caught my eye, so I snapped a picture before she ran away. I like the contrast in this photo of the dark and light, and the soft blue color sweeping over everything gives me a calming feeling, that I also associate with my cat.

Week 4- Madi Smith

This week's post is the view of my house from the backyard. I've been spending a lot of time outside because it's been so nice to sit out in the sun. The other day I looked up and loved the colors and the way the tree's shadow. The contrast between the yellow and blue is really stark, along with the green and reddish-brown, that all feel like they compliment each other, though the reddish-brown feels more out of place. Also, as a side note, I like the pattern the tree's shadow casts on the house too.

Week 4: Shadow - Kari Setlak

My picture this week was taken inside of my apartment from my couch, the light source being a bug zapper that my boyfriend set up recently. It's about a foot and a half wide and a foot tall and has two long UV lights that cast the room in a purple glow. The purple doesn't show up quite as well in the picture, but the deep colored light creates an ominous feeling in the space. The shadows that the directionality of the light source create behind the bar stools also remind me of the shadows that Expressionist film creators would paint onto sets to achieve a sense of mystery and suspense, even just flooded with one source of light. The geometric lines and curves of the shadows also give a particular harsh feeling that interacts with the color of the light to create an air of foreboding to me.

Week 4 | GREEN | Erika Clark

I took this picture while I was driving in the parking structure of my apartment complex. I noticed how green the plants looked and how bright the sunlight was, so I stopped driving to take record. I really like the way that the sunlight hits the plant and bounces off the shiny parts of the leaves. It creates a glowing effect. This, contrasted with the darker greens and shadows from where the sunlight does not hit, creates depth to the image. In addition, I like how saturated the green of the plant is. It makes me feel happy and brightens my day just a little bit.

Week 4: Heat -Alyssa Mendoza

I took this picture as we were letting the breeze in from the outside. It’s been so hot out, so we will open the door to our balcony to let the air in. The lights from around our apartment building create intricate shadows around our apartment. The railing on the balcony creates a grid on the door. The photo has almost a greenish tint, the contrast of the dark blue sky and our yellowish building, with help from my terrible phone camera. It’s been difficult, being stuck inside especially when it’s so warm out. But going out on our tiny balcony with the light of the other apartments and the night shining on our faces makes the world seem a little better.

Week 4 / Normalcy / Tyler García

Normalcy

For my photo for this week's blog I've decided to use one that I took on my "Daily State Approved Outdoor Walk" as my roommate and I have been calling it while we walk our dog.  This shot really stuck out to me for a number of reasons, and I think the biggest one was the lightly Spanish influenced house that I found in the middle of Orange County, California.  For someone that grew up in a desert in the middle of nowhere, where everything was Spanish influenced buildings, and family owned Mexican restaurants, seeing something that reminded me of home was very compelling.  Being stuck in my house, and not being able to see my family, especially because my mom is an immune-compromised person, has made me very homesick recently; wanting something that I know I can't have has been very difficult.

For this photo in particular, the looming shadow of the tree over the bright yellow of the building felt very calling to me; the shadow seeming to overtake what I can't have, and the pockets of light reminding me that although I will be able to get it sometime, who knows when the shadows will part and we'll be able to leave our homes and go outside again.  Who knows when we'll return to a sense of normalcy, or whatever normal-adjacent the world becomes after all of this is eventually over. One can only hope that we will soon return to something that is at least next to normal.

Week Four - Growth - Stacey Manos

I saw these flowers as I was taking a walk with my parents. I was struck my how green the grass was and the vibrant yellow/orange hue of the flowers. The contrast between the two colors really caught my attention as well. It wasn't particularly sunny and the day was a bit depressing. However, the light hit these flowers just right and I was able to see some good. My dark green sweatshirt interrupted the photo, but I thought it actually ended up blending in nicely with the shades of green in the grass.

-Stacey Manos

Week 4-Purple Tree-Lissette Garrido

When going on a bike ride with my brother earlier this week, I stopped to take this picture. I love how the light shines through some of the branches of the tree. I also loved the color. Some of us are finding this time very difficult and seeing this was very calming. Lilac is a very calming color and when looking at it, you can try and find your happy place. Looking past the tree you can see the sun shining throughout the block. Almost saying "there is light at the end of the tunnel." Because of the way it is lit, it reminds me of a picnic or a couple laying on the floor looking at the clouds.

Week 4 - Darkness Around One Light - Hector Hernandez

Hello everyone!

Today i am here to demonstrate a picture i took a while back as i was walking to UTC to get groceries. I noticed how the lamp brought my attention in the middle of the night. This lonely lamp illuminates the dark ambiance close to the bridge. The light that the lamp gives to it's surroundings slightly illuminates the floor around it, but the rest of the scenery becomes even darker than normal as shown by the bushes and the trees, creating a scary and creepy contrast in black and white. This contrast in value made this area feel as if i should be aware of my surroundings as anything can pop out from the dark, creating a fascinating horror-themed atmosphere in the area.

Week 4 | The Outside World | Diemmi Le

Hi all.  This is Diemmi here with a new post, this time from outside.  When I took this picture a couple of days ago, it was the first time that I left the house in three weeks.  I walked around my block and discovered a small hiking trail that seemed fully abandoned, and this picture was created on my way to the top.  In this moment, I felt a sense of calm and serenity, which the green of the grass/trees along with the solid clear blue sky added to the feeling. Also, due to me being a person that loves the city, I found comfort in knowing that "civilization" was so nearby.   

Every time I look at this picture, I can remember the birds chirping yet the cars running down a street further away, making me see the irony in how the earth surrounds and consumes all that is urban or vice versa.  It seems to me that no matter what, the manmade finds a way of inserting itself into a picture that otherwise would have been solely nature.  Even the source of light in this photo is completely natural sunlight and there is nothing artificial when it comes to light. Like the equality and balance of the earth, the sunlight shines on everything equally, and there is no one spot in the picture that shines better than the rest.  There are only certain colors that seem to be more vivid than others, those (in my opinion) being the green and blues being more bright than the beige and browns of the houses. 

Week 4 - Warm Meets Cool

This is yet another photo taken of light reflecting off the ceiling above my bed. This seems to be a location where I see a lot of nice lighting. This picture was taken at about 5am before I went to sleep. It captures the cool pale blue light of the rising sun meeting the warm yellow/orange light of my desk lamp. They both meet just about exactly on the lighting fixture on my ceiling and I feel that makes a nice midpoint. At first the opposing colors inspired a feeling of conflict, looking like a war of hot and cold struggling above my head, but then I took a second look. The colors didn't feel like they were struggling, but just existing adjacent to each other, almost with a sense of harmony. I'm not quite sure how to put more into the words of it but it feels nice. The picture itself does not do it justice but I did what I could with the tools I have.

Week 4: Singular Moon - Sittichai Chaiyahat

This is a picture of the moon I took last night. I've been spending a lot of time outside, specifically during the evening. There's also not a lot of people walking around at night so you really get to have your space and time. I remember looking up at the moon and I was so drawn to it that I decided to take this picture. This picture makes me think a lot about light. I mean the moon is bright because of the sun! I really feel a sense of calm and relaxation when looking at this photo. It reminds me that even in the darkest of times there's still light. And I think that's needed during a time like this.

Week 4: Ceiling Lights - Tina K

Hello all!

This week, I share to you all a photo of my kitchen ceiling! On our kitchen ceiling, we have six lights, in 2 rows of 3, sitting parallel from each other. These lights help in keeping the kitchen area bright while I cook dinner. As you can tell, one light bulb is a warmer colour than the other bulbs. This is because my family accidentally bought a warmer bulb without checking the colour tone of it first. It was funny coming home from Irvine to see a single bulb a different colour in our kitchen.

I also noticed when I took this photo the reflections of the lights on the lens that created a green offset glow in the photo. I have always had problems with this in the past when filming videos and taking photos, so if anyone knows a way to prevent this from happening, I'd really appreciate it!! Why this happens will always be a mystery to me...

Week 4 - Heart of Stone - Andrew Landeros

My sister bought me a rock salt lamp for Christmas and I always turn it on at night before I go to bed.  I was having a restless night and I had just woken up from a nightmare that made me terrified to go back to sleep. I reached to turn on my rock salt lamp and immediately when i turned it on I felt safe. It was a nice warm and orange light that soothed me. It made me feel protected. My heart was comforted by the light and went from the beating rapidly to bearing at a easy pace.

Week 4: Contrast in My Room - Meghan Minguez-Marshall

Hello friends! This week I took this photo in my room, which is where I have been spending most of my time lately. I have a lot of natural light in my room and neutral tones that make the room feel bigger and more relaxing. This was taken in the corner of my room that is adjacent to a big window, which is why you can see a little bit of glare on the reflection of the poster. Even though this doesn't make for the prettiest part of the picture, I like that the lighting on it reveals the shiny texture of the poster. 

I enjoy this photo because of the contrast between the black and white poster and the vibrant roses. I feel like they compliment each other and make the image more captivating than it would be if it was just a picture of the poster or the roses on their own. The pink rose on the left is particularly beautiful to me because the highest saturation of pink is near the center of the rose and the top of the rose petals, and it fades to a soft pink further down the petals. 

Week 4 - So Long, Arroyo Vista - Lucas Goodman

This was a photo I took right after I moved out of my house in Arroyo Vista because of Covid. In addition to just being a distinct memory in itself, what makes observing this photo so meaningful for me includes the shadows of the trees and its relation to the shapes and colors of the environment surrounding it. I felt that its contrasting visual qualities played such a large role in representing the story of this photo.

The elongated shadows of the tree trunks and its splattering of branches and leaves onto the buildings appear to have many different shades, values, and levels of sharpness that give its appearance a distorted effect. With the creamy tan of the buildings and the rich blueness of the sky, the colors of a crisp, Southern California afternoon gives me an impression of serenity and longing; I feel this is particularly also a result of the distortion of the shadows at the center of the photo. Moreover, combining the silhouettes of the figures at the bottom of the photo tie in this sense of ambiguity of the unknown. It makes me feel like many experiences and memories were cherished at this location, but also there is a feeling of desolation attached to it.

This photo inspires me because it makes me realize that shadows, and particularly the texture and shape of those shadows, have the ability to represent meaningful stories and evoke deep feelings. Especially when contrasted with vibrant colors and geometric shapes in the background, the qualities of shadows have a significant amount of character on an images composition. It makes me think of how texture in theatrical lighting should always have a deeper purpose and meaning for the story and aren't merely used just to have a "cool effect" on the stage. In other words, shadows are pretty rad.

Week 4: Sunset on the Horizon - Rachel Stinger

Hello everyone! Rachel here and I'm back with another photo of clouds. I have always been drawn to sunsets and love how the sky looks when there's cloudy sunsets. I always love it when sunsets make clouds pink so they look like cotton candy.

Unlike my first post, this post was taken at 7:14pm in the parking lot of a shopping center by my house. I was picking up some dinner (support local businesses!) and was drawn to the light of the sunset. I love how the warm amber of the setting sun interacts with the underside of the clouds. I love how the hottest part of the light that crests over the hills is a radiant white. There is a sliver of warmth and then these plush lavender clouds.

When I look at this photo it reminds me of how hungry I was, but how enraptured I was by the sunset that I paused to snap the photo before retreating to my car. Personally, I feel like this photo has a physical warmth to it. Although the sun is setting, I feel like the light is pushing up and through the clouds. This photograph has a very soft energy to it. I feel like the light softly brushes and caresses the clouds, not like a noonday summer sun that seeks to push out all moisture.

Week 4 -The sky outside the airplane

Hi everyone I am Nora Luo, this week I want to share the sky that I saw on the airplane. I have a special habit that when the plane was about to land, I will take photos of the sky in order to remember the place I have been. It was really interesting that every single time I photographed the colour was different. And as time goes by, the sky changes dramatically with only a few minutes between the two pictures. Not only the change of colour, even the overall tone is completely different. I think it might be in different angles, the exposure of natural light can affect our vision.

Week 2 - Watching Shadows -Matthew Byrd

Hello all My names Matthew Byrd and I look forward to working with all of you this quarter.
The other morning I was staring aimlessly at the wall, as I often do right after waking up, and I noticed a shadow being cast right on the wall that was crisp and clean. Even though the light source was a ways away the shadow was crisp but as you got closer the shadows edges began to fade and shed multiple shadows even though there was only one light source from the window. It made me think about light hang and focus. What the relationship is between the crispness of a shadows edges and say a hard edge cast by a Source 4 .

Week 2 - A Soft Morning Glow

Hello everyone! My name is Leon and I'm very happy to meet all of you and learn about design in the context of light. I have always had a strange relationship with light because my eyes are photophobic and pick up much more light than normal, causing normal sunlight to blind me but allowing me to see decently well in the dark. Therefore I apologise in advance for my poor concept of brightness. This picture was taken actually directly over my bed this morning. I know it sounds lazy but the kind of soft flooding white glow against the white ceiling and purple walls makes me feel happy and safe. No harsh edges, no direct harsh source because the blinds are pointed upward on the window, just a soft glow with subtle layers and blured edges. For myself at least, this is ideal lighting for living and comfort. I apologise for the quality of my camera.

Week 2 - Bright Shine After a Storm

Hello everyone, my name is Hector! I took this picture at UTC Apartments after the rain on Tuesday. The color of the sun's light in the evening made a beautiful warm orange-yellow atmosphere especially with the yellow apartments on the left, giving a bright diffusing color in the area. What I find on the picture to look more appealing is the bush and tree's contrasting green color, giving a great balance in this scenery. This mixture of yellow light and green objects makes this picture a very relaxing and uplifting theme to the atmosphere in this picture. Finally the rainbow shown in the picture really focuses on the yellow light reflecting in the sky, which further shines a happy uplifting color in this scenery.

Week 2: The sunset - Jiaqi Luo

Hi class, I am Jiaqi Luo also called Nora. I like photography very much, so I have a lot of pictures of my own scenery in my phone. Usually my favorite room at home is my own room, because I can see the most beautiful sunset from my room window. The most interesting thing is that sunsets are different every day, in color and shape. Most sunsets are orange and yellow, but less often they are blue and purple. Because of the virus, I stayed at home every day. During this period, I took pictures of sunsets every day. This one I thought was the best.

The sunset in this photo is a little late, so there is a lot of color mixing. Hopefully this quarter I will continue to give you better sunsets.

(This is Tina posting for Nora because she was having trouble with her account. I hope this was okay!)

Week 2 - Morning Tina Killeen

Hi everyone! My name is Tina, and I'm looking forward to sharing photos with you all this quarter through this blog! Light is literally everywhere, so I hope to be able to showcase it well through the photos that I share, and I hope to see it in everyone's photos as well.

I took this photo while lying on my bed when I woke up. The window in my room always casts fresh sunlight at around 9am, which helps me wake up in the morning. Having an uncovered window in a room with walls painted bright green makes the room extra bright. This morning, the sky looked extra beautiful with the clouds passing by and casting shadows. The small amounts of light that were seeping through the closed blinds were very mesmerizing as well so I snapped a photo right when I woke up. I hope to be able to showcase many other cases of natural and artificial light throughout my home throughout the quarter!

Week 2- Dawn Alyssa Mendoza

Hi everyone, it's Alyssa! I took this photo on an early morning last fall when I studied abroad in the UK. Traveling abroad was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I was so lucky to have been in such a lovely and beautiful country. This particular morning was one that will stay in my mind forever. I will never forget how the sunrise made the world look, so soft and warm and comforting. It was quite cold, you can kind of see the frost on the grass. It looked almost as if it had snowed, and the sun made the grass shimmer with light. The sky was blue and clear, fading into the lovely warm yellows that the sun gifted to the cool sky. The trees were a wonderful red, and you can see in the picture how the sun makes them glow. The light behind the tree causes a flare and casts a shadow on the ground. It's a very peaceful picture to me, but there is almost a darkness to it coming from the deep colors in the silhouettes of the trees. I hold this morning in a very special place in my heart, despite the cold, despite waking up early, and despite walking 2 miles to the train station with little idea of how to get there. The world, the light, the sky. They looked so beautiful in that moment that I couldn't help but be at peace.

Week 2- Storm Clouds- Stacey Manos

I took this picture on the way home after it had been raining for days. The color of the storm clouds immediately caught my attention. It had been so grey for days and I finally saw this image of deep blue. Also, even though it can barely be seen, you can tell there is light hiding behind the dark clouds. This image of the light slowly rising from behind the clouds gave me some hope. 

-Stacey Manos

Week 2: Little Lights Under a Big Sky -Katherine Cotter

Hello everyone! It's Katherine Cotter. This photo was taken outside my house in Dana Point a bit after sunset, when I went to take my dogs for a walk. I was struck by intensity of the sky and the light behind the clouds in contrast with the darkness of the street below. I also enjoy the theme of the warm light at the forefront of the photo in the streetlamp, which is also seen coming from the houses. I see this as a reflection of the idea of nature and manmade things coexisting, with the two different sources of light. The magnificence of the sky, caused by the different shades of light bringing out the volume of the clouds, reminds me of how small people are in comparison, n the little houses with the tiny warm lights. This moment caught me emotionally right away and I knew I had to take a photo because it helped me think about perspective and how small we really are, and how the world and nature will always keep going. 

Week 2 | Madi Smith

 Hey! It's Madi Smith, and this week's photo comes from my room!

I like having natural light, so I leave the curtains open all day, and I thought this was a particularly pretty moment because of the way the light hit the walls and ceiling and shone brighter on the sheets. I also like the way it backlights the blinds from behind the curtain. I see this view all day because with the way things are, I don't have many reasons to leave my bed. But without these simple pleasures I don't know how I would get through any of this.

Week 2; “rosita”; Tyler García

rosita

So I’m not gonna lie, I actually took this picture about a week or two ago, right before we transitioned from Social Distancing to Quarantine over here in California. Thus, this isn’t actually at my house, it’s at my partner’s dorm. Funny enough, I actually took this picture because of the coincidental lighting, and when the blog assignment rolled around, I thought “Hey, it’s perfect!” And did some cropping to cut out his messy desk, and boom this photo was born.

I originally took the photo because it reminds me of him, and it makes me feel warm and homey in his tiny little dorm room. All the shades of pink are very “him” and the creation of the pink-colored light was actually done by him setting a pink cup on top of the light and saying “bro look how cool this is, I made it myself.”  When he left the room to make us some tea was when I realized just how Wes Anderson-inspired the whole setup was. I actually noticed it on accident as I was going to change the music, and thought, “Whoa that’s a really cool look,” and took a photo of it.

All of the varying shades of pink is very true to him, and I’ve kind of held onto the picture pretty tight during Quarantine, as it’s very revealing of his heart to me.  The life raft with the Greek letters, the motivational poster, the record player, and the pink all scream his name.

Week #2, Rainbow, Andrew Landeros

I was waliking out of work the other day and this was the first thing that i saw. The sun was just beginning to set giving everything around me the warm, orangish light. The rain had just stopped and the clouds opened to let through the light. The light also reflected against the water and it was so beautiful. A rainbow is also shown arching across the sky showering the sky with color. It was truly amazing to see how much joy this brought me and brought a warm fuzzy feeling to my heart. Shows that even in the dark times we are in, light will always shine through.

Week 2: Shimmer - Kari Setlak

Hey everyone! I'm Kari, and I hope we can all get to know each other a little better through these posts every other week. I'm excited to see what all of you are seeing in your daily life, especially since life has shifted at least slightly for everyone this quarter, as well as maybe some pictures of things you saw before (as my post shows this week).

Since I've been sewing since I was young and have continued to design and construct costumes into my adulthood, my eye has long been drawn to the way that light catches on different fabrics. I took this before social distancing and stay-at-home announcements were made, one of the last times I was able to go to Joanne's in person. I love shifting the fabric around to see what it will look like in different places underneath of the light, and this one especially caught my eye because of its shine and shimmer. I was drawn to the way that the light hits and bounces in the highest places and absorbs into the shadow in the dips and folds. This is mostly possible because of the stark white lighting within such craft stores, which I appreciate because of the almost "pureness" of the appearance of the fabrics consequently. I take pictures like these all the time (when I'm able to actually go out and see bolts myself) when I see something I like but don't necessarily need right then. But this image especially showcases not only the color and sheen of the fabric itself, but also the bright light that caused the magical appearance that drew my attention.

Week 2: The Sun (Sittichai Chaiyahat)

Hello everyone! This picture was taken at the Oceanside Harbor in San Diego. I went for a walk with my parents and our two dogs. I took this picture a couple of days ago, but I absolutely love the lighting in this photo. I am a sucker for any pictures involving the sun.

The sun always rises and sets every day, and you know it'll be back the next day. Though this may seem arbitrary to some but I find it very comforting. Especially in a time like this it reminds me that things will get better. The sun illuminates everything in it's path and lets the world be seen. Without our sun life would cease to exist on this planet (obviously). Looking at this picture just makes me feel better. And then I begin to hear Bob Marley sing in the back of my head, "Don't worry about a thing. Cause every little thing gonna be alright. Singing don't worry about a thing. Cause every little thing gonna be alright."

Week 2 | Flower in a Jar | Diemmi Le

Hi all.  My name is Diemmi Le and I am excited to have class with all of you for the rest of this quarter.  During this time in self quarantine,  I did some cleaning around my house and found this beautiful color changing lamp that hasn't been touched for 15 years.  I turned it on to see if it still worked, and this is what it looked liked.  The lights changed from lavender, to red, to turquoise, but this is the shot that stood out to me the most.

What interested me about this is how the glowing flowers are trapped behind this slightly blue tinted plastic so no matter what color it changed to, there was always this sense of tranquility, peace, and beauty to the object.  Also, something else I noticed is that when the main room light was on, the flower was incredibly underwhelming to look at due to that blue tinted plastic pane, hiding the flower that much more.  Although, when it is night time and all the focus could be drawn toward it, it was hard to go unnoticed.

I wanted to share this because I thought it was such a fantastical object, and it's ironic how something like this was left abandoned for so many years.  Looking at this lamp gives me the feeling like I am in a Fairytale movie, where the magic is just about to happen.  To add onto that feeling, I soon discovered that this little lamp was also a music box and when I turned the dial on the side it played "Memory" from the Cats Musical adding such a melancholy feel, and immersing myself that much more into that fantastical feeling of fairytale.

Week 1 | Erika Clark

Hi everyone! My name is Erika, and I'm looking forward to enjoying the rest of this quarter in class with you all!

I took this picture outside on my balcony, because the way that light filtered through the sides of the railing caught my eye. The open webbing creates a repetitive pattern of rectangles that is most in focus next to the railing and gets progressively fuzzier the further from the railing it gets. It also goes at an angle, giving us an idea about what time of day it is. I took this picture in the late afternoon.

I find light patterns like this really interesting, particularly when they are used in plays to help establish a window or some other source of light filtering through a structure. I was in a play once where our lighting designer used a gobo and shutters to establish a window through light which ended up being really important in the final design and staging of the production. Thinking about light patterns like this fascinates me, because there are a lot of different structures that could cause the way light comes in to be altered. The edges of light are interesting to look at, and could be used in realistic ways to establish location or a light source, or it could be used in a stylized way to create a desired effect or feeling for a particular moment.

Stay safe, and I'll see you all in class next week!

Week #2-Rainbow after the storm- Lissette Garrido

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's pictures for this week! This week I took this picture while taking a walk with my family.

I decided to take this picture because we are going through a hard time being in quarantine. I loved the way the lighting looked as the top of the rainbow in the picture is kinda faded. As you go further down more color starts to show up and there is also some light coming from the top of the roof. This to me means that the further you go into the rainbow the brighter it gets meaning the better things will be. It may be a little difficult to see the colors but the closer you look the more you can see them.
While looking at the picture, it can mean different things to different people. When I saw the rainbow I personally was having a really tough day and went on a walk to try and forget what was on my mind. When seeing the rainbow I thought of my grandpa and it was almost a way of him telling me everything is going to be okay.

Week #2 Sunshine and a Golden Girl - Meghan Minguez-Marshall

Hello friends! For this week's post I decided to use this picture of my cat.

I took this photo a few days ago without the intention of using for the blog post, I just like to take lots of pictures of my cat and always pull my camera out when I see cool lighting because I was really into photography when I was younger. I took this photo at about 10:30 in the morning. As you can see in the photo, there is light coming from a window behind my cat, but there is also side light coming from a window to the right of the photo. I liked that she was sitting on a brown couch next to an orange pillow that the sunlight illuminated because all of the colors in the photo are similar. Since there is no light coming from the front, her face is a little underexposed and appears darker than the rest of her body. I love how golden the fur on her back looks and how there is a little halo of light around the right side of her face.

I took this photo the first morning this past week that it didn't rain, which made me appreciate the sunshine even more. This photo (along with the many others I take of my cat in the sunshine) makes me feel happy and reminds me how easy it can be to pause and enjoy the sunlight every once in a while.

Week #2 - Spidey with a Touch of Lava - Lucas Goodman

Hello lighting pals! It's Lucas Goodman here. Here is a photo I took of my lava lamp ominously illuminating my beloved Spiderman mask.  I turned the main light to my room off and was about to go to sleep only to be pierced by Spidey's glare basking in the pinkish glow of the oozing lava blobs.

What stood out to me the most was how the glow of pink light painted such a foreboding essence onto the Spiderman mask. In turn, I began to experience this imagery of Spiderman with a rather sensual intensity, something the average Joe doesn't typically associate with your friendly neighborhood superhero. I was intrigued and just about ready to do a backflip. Another attribute of this interaction included the shape it created with the positive and negative space of the light. The light at the focal point of the image as well as the area immediately surrounding it feels suave and groovy but then as it fades into darkness, it feels like my soul is escaping into an abyss. When observing the composition as a whole, the stark contrast in color and value makes for a rather dangerous visual vibe.

I find this photo inspiring because it makes me think of how color, light, and a simple object can be manipulated in an infinite amount of ways. Moreover, the different ways you manipulate the relationship between these tools can tell vastly different stories. For instance, if the lava lamp had been blue and green that would have had an extremely different connotation in what the mask represents. Similarly, if the mask had been placed in a different position/angle, that would have told an extremely different story as well. All in all, lighting can tell some really wild stories if you take the time to listen (with your eyes, of course).

Week 2: Stormy Clouds - Rachel Stinger

 Hello! I am Rachel Stinger and I will be joining you all on this illuminating journey of lighting design! I will be reporting from my room biweekly in sunny SoCal. On occasion you might see one of my pets walk in front of the webcam, they are very needy and like to check out what is going on.

I took this photo this morning while preparing for the day ahead. It had been raining for the past few days so I was inspired to take a photo of the blue sky. What really stood out to me was the light touching the cloud and how its illumination gave it a pillow-y and inviting vibe. The bright, fluffy cloud contrasts with the gray clouds and the vibrant blue sky. Additionally, my eye is drawn to the movement of the palm trees and the reflection of the sky in the water. My favorite part of the photo has to be the bright cloud. It looks so soft, inviting and I wish I could fly up and sit on it. 

I really like that the context of the photo could be up to interpretation. You could be looking at the first blue sky after the rain, the calm before a storm or the moment before a hurricane/tsunami/tidal wave hits a vacation resort in a disaster film.

Week 1: Stairs, but Wheres?

Greetings fellow lightphiles! Edgar Khatchatrian here with another “bright” idea about the photo above. Today, we’re going to take a look at the effects of the shadows in this particular photo as opposed to the light itself. The photo was taken at 5:38 pm early evening, sun was still outside but it was on its way to setting. On the opposite side of this photo out of frame, there are three light sources cast on the railings of the stairs, the sun from a sliding screen door, a kitchen light, and a living room light. Some of the lights are closer or more intense as shown by the angle, clarity, and contrast of the shadows they cast against the tan wall.

            When there is a subject with a pattern, in this case the pattern of the ascending poles of the stair railing, and there are multiple light sources on it from different angles, it seems to give of the impression that there are multiple of the cast subject at different locations when there’s only one. Another way this effect could be expressed is it appears there are multiple dimensions that are seemingly intersecting one another against the same plain of the wall behind it. My first instinct when looking at these shadows is to try and make sense of it; to find a recognizable pattern or shape that I can comprehend. As it turns out, it’s very difficult to do that with this lighting effect. The resulting emotion I feel is that of confusion/unsureness, a general lack of confidence in something.. Physically, it gives off a kind of shadow vertigo; as if I’m trying to focus on something with incorrect prescription glasses.

            There are some interesting practical and metaphorical uses I can already think of for an effect like this. For something more practical, you can use multiple lights on the same subject to create a pattern of that subject against whatever you cast it on. An example could be oddly misshapen prison bars using just one bar and several lights. I believe the metaphorical uses of this effect would be more useful and interesting. Such a jumbled effect would do wonders in representing the inner mind of a character falling into a state of delirium. The loss of sanity or a grip on one’s own life could very potently be represented through the lighting (more so shadows) with this effect.

            That’s all my thoughts on this week’s “light of my life”. Thanks for clicking in and I’ll catch you lightphiles in my next post!<3