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.