Week 2 - A Piece of Calm amidst the Chaos

Last year I was in New York City for about a week for a dance competition. I stayed in a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, which was close to most places I needed to go to, so I walk around a lot. It was my first time in NYC and I loved it. It is just as busy and chaotic as people tell you it is. One day walking in the middle of the chaos, without even knowing where it was, I walked in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was so calming to look at. It was late morning and the sun was almost high enough to shine between the two towers, which made the church almost look like it was glowing even though the front of it was in the shade. I loved how the glass building in front of it reflected the sun onto it in a way that made it look like light going through stained glass windows. I stood there for like 15 minutes staring at it for a bit, and then taking dozens of photos that all look pretty much the same. I don't think this photo captures how grand and pretty this looked, especially with the lighting at that time of day.

Week 2 - A Stone Cold Night

Over the break, a friend and I decided to go out at 1am and tough it out in the -10 degree weather. 

We came. 

We saw. 

We froze. 

We ate some McDonald's. 

And we got some beautiful pictures. 

This picture was one of the last few of the night for me. I was fascinated be many different contrasts between the light there were happening in this space. The warm inside tempting the cold outside. Calling for my friend, Zachary to walk inside the orange-yellow Hubbard Marketplace to thaw out his fingers and toes like a fire. Yet for some reason, he remains outside. Those four cold blue lights so intriguing. So enticing. So radiant with light, it draws you to them. Because even though the inside may be warmer, the outside will light your path more clear. 

This is but one of many interpretations of this picture, but I was just so drawn to how color, in this instance, conveyed exactly what we generally think light it (WARM=reds, oranges, some yellows and so on. COLD=blue). It almost seems like the outside would the sad place to be as it is freezing out, his toes were frozen, body shaking, breath thin. And a lot of people would associate being sad as being "blue." So it was fun to make take this picture and try to make the inside warm and inviting, yet make the outside oh so much more enticing. 

Week 2: Desert in the Darkness

So for the last month I've been spending my weekends working on set for a film my best friend had the pleasure of bringing me on to work sound for. Sunday was our last day of filming which required shooting on location at Calico Ghost town just outside of Barstow. We ran into quite a few problems as the night grew longer, the van we rented began to sink into the sand multiple times as we drove around secluded areas looking for optimal places to shoot. We had to push it out multiple times, thankfully we had a big crew and cast so this wasn't too difficult. The last problem we encountered you actually can see pictures here, the batteries for our LEDs began to run out and there were no more extra ones left, so we opted to film using car headlights for backlights. It did a great job of piercing through the darkness (which is greatsince they're car headlights, I would hope they'd be able to do their one job correctly.) We got the harsh shadows that we wanted out of them and it worked to our favor which was nice. It was really eerie how dark it got out there, and it's always nice to be in non-light polluted areas and remembering stars exist.

Leaves in the Sunset

When I was looking for pictures and images I have seen that inspired or caught my eye about lighting all I could think of was the sunset. The way the sun looks as it’s setting has always been something really beautiful to me and unlike anything else I’ve seen. I chose this picture because I loved how the leaves are illuminated from behind by the light. It is interesting how the light from behind makes the leaves look darker and more defined on the exterior, yet the definition on the leaf itself is not as clear. It makes them almost look like a shadow when there is lighting from behind. However, I love that the top leaves are more golden and almost look like the sunset has reflected back on them. They look more defined and cozy looking. 

Week 2: Silhouettes

I took this picture around 6pm, my favorite time of day, mainly because of this particular saturation of blue in the sky. It's such a vivid and interesting shade of blue, yet dark enough to turn the trees into black silhouettes. As complementary colors, the cool blue offers a great contrast to the warm, almost orange, lights below. The deeper the blue in the sky, the warmer the lights seem to feel below, which give the homes a welcoming atmosphere. The beauty of the silhouetted trees add to this general mood in the fact that they appear to be simplified in their black 2D form. To me, when looking at this image, I see something simple, warm, and inviting after a long day.

WEEK 2: A Misty Morning

I noticed the foggy sky when I came out of my Spanish class on a Thursday morning. It was also quite chilly outside, and the lighting from the sun with the light clouds blended well with each other. The sky wasn't too blue nor gray, and the faint mist created a calming feeling with the cold air. I admired how the light wasn't as harsh as white light, but it was still bright enough to see the sunlight. I enjoyed the fact I took some time to notice the environment around me..

Week 2: My Parent's Anniversary Gift

My parents were gifted a stained glass lantern for their 25th wedding anniversary from a relative and every so often when our family has guests over or during holidays my mother places a fake candle inside the lantern. Because she only does this on special occasions, I have begun to associate a feeling of joy and festivity whenever I see the lantern lit. Throughout the day, the front light that hits the stained glass does not evoke the same feeling as when light shines from inside the lantern, hitting the individually colored stained glass pieces in the process and further bringing out the color of the stained glass. My mother had previously placed a candle giving off a red light inside the lantern however, this detracted away from the experience because the red overpowered the different colors of the stained glass and instead of the special mutli-colored effect that is given off, a domineering red light protruded outward that ruined the usually joyous feeling.

Week 2: Sunday Morning

This morning I woke up knowing today was going to be super busy. The morning light was starting to peak through my curtains telling me that it was time to get up. At first I was anxious and stressed thinking about starting my day but then there was this quiet serenity that I felt while sitting and taking in the soft light. I really enjoy this kind of light, it is comforting and I find it really beautiful.

Week 2: Sunlight on 7th st.

On my way home after work I noticed the way the sunlight shined between the buildings in downtown LA. The sun was setting and the there was a golden glow and a clear sky. It was a chilly day which I tend to enjoy because they are not very common. I was in a great mood because my day went rather well. As I walked down 7th street the moments of warm sunlight that crept through the buildings kept me warm from the cool breeze. I have always enjoyed the feeling of the hour before a sunset because it means the day is almost done and I can look forward to the evening. 

Week 2: The Colors of Darkness and Light

I've lived here my whole life. It's rare when I just have a moment to really breathe and take in a space, especially the spaces that I'm in every day. After a nice dinner with my family, I was on the go again. I had no reason to be in a rush getting back to school for rehearsal; I was genuinely happy and at peace. While walking to my car, I stopped and turned around. For the first time in a very long time, I really took in my house and its surroundings. The LED light in the street light was new. It gave a new glow to my neighborhood. It felt warm and promising even though it was a change. The sky glowed and made a perfect contrast of the light and dark on my street. The trees were towering over as if they were protectors keeping watch of their children. The low lights coming from the inside of the homes made me feel included and a part of something greater than just me. 

Week 2: Sunset or Sunrise

I was at the Pike in Long Beach the other day during the weekend just enjoying the afternoon/evening with some friends. We were being nerds and just playing PokemonGo to kill some time before we head out for dinner. PokemonGo, if you didn't know what it was, is a GPS based game that requires you to walk around catching creatures called Pokemon. While walking around the Pike, I wasn't just attached to my phone with my eyes. I always like to look around my surroundings. Once it gets around 5 P.M., the sun usually starts to set. I noticed yellow, mustard-like sky start to change to a deeper dark blue. I took a panorama of this sunset once I saw it and it was remarkable how it came out. If there was no explanation of what time this was taken, I feel like it could be either the sun rising or setting. One of the favorite time of the day is when the sun is rising just enough to see the deep dark blue sky but not too much where it becomes too bright. This is kind of like that except the sun is setting which would be my second favorite time of the day. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to wake up every morning around 5 A.M just to see it so whenever I do, it's amazing. This also is wonderful to see. Whenever I'm around this kind of lighting, I feel safe in a way. It feels peaceful to me. The deep dark blue sky just clears my head for that moment and I can relax and breathe. It definitely feels "cool" as you can say. The sun on the right is a nice contrast to that. It gives the feel of a little warmth like a fireplace in a freezing cabin in the snow. Because of the difference from the warm yellows and the cool blues, I felt as if the warmer side would be where most people would be attracted to look at first when shown. I know that when I saw this the first time, I looked directly at the brighter/warmer side first before seeing the rest of the sky. I took the picture from right to left. It feels as if within seconds of taking the panorama, the sun had set dramatically from the right side to the left. My friends and I took a minute away from our game just to see the beautiful sky and the reflections on the water. Moments and sights like these are just a few things that make life worth living for.

Week 2 - String Lights

The morning is not my favorite time of the day...

Usually there is sun light piercing in through the blinds as a no so subtle hint from mother nature to stop be a lazy ass and get myself out of bed. But this Sunday morning was different. I woke to see these string lights laying on my deck, still glowing from last night. At first I was a little grumpy because that I had forgotten them and now wasted the batteries quite a bit. No to mention it being a reminder than I did not finish reorganizing my room the night before. 

However the warm glow that came from these lights seemed to comfort me. The light had an amber hue that was different from the blue light from the overly enthusiastic sun. Not only was the light much less jarring because of the color but the way the lights were defused by the twine sphere that encased the tiny bulb. The light shine through in interesting patterns that occupied my mind and keep me from being frustrated. It honestly make me feel like a child a bit; being easily entertained and not having to worry about the never ending list of what needs to be done next.

Some times there are happy mistakes :) Turns out leaving light out on my deck can be one of them.

# week 2- KongMing Lantern

On December 1st, I went to a light festival located in Imperial. The festival aims to gather people together and put the fair into a paper house lighting which are called Kongming Lantern, and let them fly to the sky at the same time. Since I was invited by my friend, I didn't know about the detail before we arrived. The event located in a desert, and there had a lot of torches built above 10 meter between each other, which not only used for lighting, but also lighting the lanterns later. People wrote their wishes on the Lantern paper, and when the lantern fly to the sky, the god would received your sounds, which help you to make it true. It's about eight o'clock at night, the host guided people to use the fire to light the lantern, and flied them at the same time. I found that the Lantern is not that easy to make it fly due to the strong wind at night and the fire inside the Lantern. However, when the people's Lanterns flied to the sky at the same time, the sky was so bright and it was really beautiful. it made me really feel that I am in the dream and felt that dreams will come true. With the background music, I felt so touchable and i was really missing my family and friends at that time. It really made me feel the powerful of the fire. It is unforgettable.

Week 2: The Trees Have Gobos

This was taken a few days after we discussed gobos in class and how Lonnie sees gobos everywhere. This is around the Arc on California st just before 10am. When I saw this, I turned around to examine how the shadows of the trees fell on the ground. What made me stop was the surprising marble-like texture. I wish the picture showed it more clearly but the shadow reminded me of the texture a pool has when reflecting on a wall. It made me think about how real life is not always how we picture it to be and it is useful to really look at the things around us instead of assuming we know what they are.

Week 2: Blue Bayou

This last weekend I had lunch at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland. This picture was taken at 2:30pm. Outside it was warm and bright, but inside it felt like we were eating under the moonlight with just enough candlelight to see our dishes. When I looked around I could see a small candle at each table. It was as if each light represented the life of the people around it; kept only going by their presence. The restaurant was full of families and couples that afternoon, but because of the lighting it was like we were under the moon at our own private romantic dinner. 

Week 2 - Colors in the Sky

I literally have the perfect view of the sunset everyday. My bed is right by the window so every time the sun goes down I just look outside and wait for the perfect moment to take a picture. I have tons of these photos in my phone and I love each and every one of them. It just reminds me how beautiful the world can be when you just take a moment to actually take it all in. Even though there is this giant building in the way, staying connected with nature is very important to me. I love when the sky changes colors. It just makes me feel so small, yet still so important.

Week 2 - Christmas in Japan

Two years ago, I spent my Christmas with my family in Japan! My memory is kinda blurry about the whole trip, but this is one of the pictures that stands out the most in my mind. This was located on a touristy-type island, and so many people were making the trip this late at night to see the holiday lights.This kind of decorative lighting continued for about another mile or so, it was so beautiful to experience. Something that I'm now noticing when looking at this picture in detail is how different colored lights are used to differentiate between the bushes, plants, trees, etc. Also, I recall it being very cloudy that night, so cloudy that we couldn't see the stars at night - so I thought it was pretty mystifying how in this picture you can see no stars, almost as if they had been plucked from the night sky and placed right here in this garden display. This night was really one for the books, and I can't wait to visit again soon!

Week 2: Colorado Sunset

Photo Taken in Littleton, CO on December 9, 2017 at Approximately 3:40PM MST

     A few weeks back, my family and I took a trip to Littleton, Colorado to visit my ill great grandmother. Just behind her residence, was a park with this beautiful lake and forestry pictured above, surrounded and lit by the Colorado sunset. Looking at a picture like this, it is easy to focus solely on the water and trees that are at the foreground of the image. However, I personally appreciate the effect that light has on this photo. Without light, the photo would just not appear the same. Without the beautiful ombré sunset in the image's background, none of the object's in the foreground would have the same effect. The trees would not be lit in the same way and the lake would not glimmer in a colorful reflection of the sunset above, as it appears. While light may not always be credited for playing a lead role in our day to day lives, this photo has demonstrated to me that it is responsible for creating much of the beauty that we often take for granted in the natural landscapes that we live around.

Week 2- Light In My Room

So I have this hanging lamp in my room above my bed.  I absolutely adore this lamp because of the warm energy it gives off.  I usually turn it on when I am getting ready for bed and it just puts me in a cozy feeling.  It doesn't give off too much heat, however my blankets have that covered.  I enjoy looking at this light because the contrast of my white tapestry I have really highlights all of the different colors are involved in the structure of the lamp and the funky colors surrounding it.

Week #2: The Curious Door

Two nights ago I got up and went out of my room to get a drink of water in the middle of the night, turned the corner around my hallway on the way to the kitchen and saw this. I don’t know who left the closet door open with the light on or why, but I was so struck by it that I was briefly paralyzed. All the lights in the apartment were off except for this one. Standing in front of this image felt conflicting. One the one hand, my curiosity was stimulated (even though it’s my own closet and I know what’s in it) and I was drawn to look inside; on the other hand, I was skeptical of approaching it.  I stared at it for a few minutes wondering why I was so mesmerized. It felt so strange to be in such a familiar and comfortable space – my own home! – and still be a little freaked out just because a single light was coming out of a storage closet. Eventually, the noise from my cat’s collar shook me from my apparent hypnosis, I went back to my room to grab my phone so I could take this picture for the blog and completely forgot to get the glass of water I got up for in the first place.

Week 1: Laser Light Show

It seems Marissa and I both experienced a memorable lighting moment while in Las Vegas.

During my time in Las Vegas, I was able to see many fascinating things, including a huge
laser light show. The intention behind the trip, was to attend LDI, a lighting design and
technology convention, and to network with tons of people in our field. It was eye-opening
and exhilarating. During one of the evenings after the convention, ER Productions presented
their attempt at the world’s largest laser show. It was both successful and impressive. Prior to
the show, the crowd stood around the outdoor concert venue; the anticipation was palpable. It
was fun to be there with fellow designers and know that we were all waiting for the lights, not
a performer. Once the show began, the lasers were beautifully programmed to the timing of
the music using an aesthetically pleasing variation of color. There was a definite method to
the ebb and flow of the overall design. The lasers built to a frenzy and calmed several times.

This approach was very successful in highlighting the boldness of the big moments. The
kineticism of the lasers were invigorating. You can’t help but bounce with excitement when
watching something of that caliber, especially when at a large enough caliber to make history.
I did not foresee the opportunity of viewing a Guinness World Record award winning laser
show when I planned my trip to Vegas. That was an unforgettable experience.

Week 1: Hotel Garden

Last fall, the grad lighting designers went to Las Vegas for a convention. There was a lot of neat lighting equipment to look at within the convention itself, but when we had the chance, it was also nice to see what other lights helped make this city come alive at night. We came across the botanical gardens at The Bellagio and everything was set to a fall theme. For some reason, I tend to get a little bit down during the fall starting around October. This seasonal sadness has been heightened since I have moved here from my hometown in Texas and I am away from my family, especially my mom because she absolutely adores fall. Walking into this botanical garden and seeing the beautiful set up and how the lighting made everything look so elegant and festive actually made me a bit excited and my heart happy. This garden had a lovely autumnal organic feeling to it and having such large lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling pushed this beauty to a grander scale. Walking through and seeing this beautiful set up and how the lighting just embraced the warmth of fall leaves put an image in my mind that I will not forget. I can only imagine how my mom would feel seeing this, and with how amazingly the lighting highlighted everything, I grew an appreciation for the warmth and colors that come during the autumn season that I was excited to tell her about when I got back home for the holidays.