Ashley Nnebe TAD 132 Sound Blog

These are the sounds of my everyday life. Monday through Sunday morning, walking to the subway to complete my errands. The one thing I've always enjoyed the most about not owning a car was being able to witness the beauty of the nature around as well as the sounds. The noises that make up the outside world has always astounded me. There are so many players that contribute to it's song, the birds singing, the dogs talking, cars passing by. Even the people, with their silent footsteps somehow add to the atmosphere. It's different every morning, and only occurs in the morning. It's like a beautiful gift given to me to start my day. I love paying attention to room tones and listening for the different sounds I can pick out in each setting. I've found that most times, if not all, it is always a combination of sounds that make up what we hear, even if it doesn't seem that way. I feel like I'm attending mini orchestras everywhere I go.

I know there is a such thing as moveable lights, but I never thought of "bouncing lights". When I went to the Life is Beautiful festival last year, these judge red and blue balls came flying fro back stage into the crowd. They were so bright and created shadows on the audience members, like we were and extension of the stage. It was truly something I had never thought of. So when I saw it, I immediately took a picture. Unfortunately the picture didn't grasp the full effect of the lighting. I really liked the effect of the shadows it made on every one. And they were so fun to play with.

The next photo is lighting from a projector. The ceiling looks like it had lights on it. But there were just wooden sections because we were in the basement and the projector was put in the corner at an angle. The light made some great shadows. It looked great when we were moving and dancing as well during the whole performance. There were shades of blue, red, and orange. There was also a white light, but it looked a little yellow.

Roller coaster shadows

This is a picture of a roller coaster, that I took while I was at Knotts's Berry Farm  last weekend. I like the the color of the sky a lot in this picture, how it is a blue/gray in the left hand corner and then fades a bit into a white.The state of the sky often effects our moods, I like that someone on one side of the park could be feeling one emotion and someone else can be effected differently by the same sky.My favorite part of the picture is the shadows reflected on the bottom bars of the coaster. It is something you would most likely over look if you were not paying close attention.The idea of playing with shadows in dramatic lighting is something i'm interested in.

Let the Sparks Fly

This image in itself says worldly drama! It reemanates, courage, protection, strength and of course
freedom, with skys the limit. A moment in an ocean of heaven which is a borrowed swim amoung the clouds till the gas runs out and the propellars sends the hero crashing home to earth. I love this because of its significance and I love old fighter planes too.

Never Ending Ocean

I took this picture this past weekend while taking a jog at the beach with my mom. I always love the ocean and just hearing the waves come into the shoreline but after taking appreciation to the lighting and surrounding it just made it think differently. The lighting created this whole new perspective of having a sense of peace and tranquility. Also, a focus on the ocean and how it could calm one self by just the look of the ocean. To be able to breath in and smell the ocean scent and feel completely at peace. To me when I was this I felt completely relieved from all the stress I had accumulated these past weeks.

Winter Sunset on the 210

What made me love this view was what I had gone through before taking this photo.  I had a terrible incident occur hours before that would change my attitude but this view made me understand the beauty in everything even after what had happened.  The welcoming of the blue hue of the night as the dismissal of the sunlight was beautiful to me.  The sky tells a story every day and it is something I think we all need to be watching more before our own metaphorical sunset.  And much like this photo, our last moments of light shall burn bright until the very last second, leaving the pink to slowly fade away into the night as well.

Santa Monica Sunsets

This photo was perfect as I saw the sunset in Santa Monica. This picture reminded me the beauty we have all around, especially if we just take a moment to look away from our phone screens and simply look up. I love the way i see 2 colors fused together in our sky, because I see orange, yellow, and a slight red mixing above. I am seeing the Sun setting and the light reflecting on the beautiful clouds giving me the most breath taking view. When I look back at this picture I feel mixed emotions and I take a step back sometimes and reminisce on memories that pop into my mind. Lastly, when I see any kind of sun set it gives me a bitter sweet feeling of my day ending, but there is always a new tomorrow.

                     A Day in the life of David Gomez. I love this picture because just by looking at this picture with the clouds dispersed above the hills and the trees on the mountain, I get a smell of fresh air like a mist of wet dirt. I love that that the sky looks true blue which makes the photo look tranquil but then the two off road trucks in the photo make it look like its going to be a wild ride. Just by looking at this photo I feel that one can see its going tom be an awesome time.

Nature

I have always been an outdoor person, even when it comes to chores I rather do anything that involves being outside. All my life i have admired nature, and everything that is part of it. Trees  were my main interest but as i grew older my interests expanded. I now love all kinds of plants, and flowers. As I wondered outside in my backyard I encountered this lovely plant, although i did not find any flowers like i wanted to, this plant out of all the other ones grabbed my attention. It was the one that was standing out with its height and uniqueness. This picture I liked the most because of the shadow the natural light (the sun) created.

Turtle

This photo was taken in my the turtle tank in my room. It inspired me because I like the way the turtle shell and and the rock looked when the regular and UV light was hitting it.

Heaven

I took this picture at Lake Tahoe. I was standing in the frozen lake. It was the first time that I had the opportunity to be on the snow. I enjoyed that moment, I felt like I was in heaven. I fell in love with nature.The sun coming from the side really gives the special touch to the picture because it create different levels of lighting. The whiteness from the snow can capture different colors. Also the shade from the other side of the picture creates two different moods in the same picture. One side looks happier and shiny while the other side looks dark and calm.

Shadows at Sunset

 

 

Without light, we would not have shadows. I thought about that when I took this photo. It was almost sunset and I thought the lighting was really great how you can see the sun reflecting on the water and then on the wet sand. Based on the distance of the sun, you can see the shadow of this person as she walks towards the waves. I really like sunset because there's just enough light and you can see the shadows of people as they go about their day, whether it's walking, talking to someone, dancing, or any movement. There will always be a shadow following you the most around sunset- when the sun is lower than the earlier hours of the day. Sunset gives us second chances as you know the day is coming to an end and starting fresh the next.

 

Rest in Paradise

This was photo was taken at Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn. The sun was booming on my brothers tablet and I just loved how the sun reflected on his tablet.  It was glowing, and really stood out from the rest of my surroundings at the time.  This picture means so much to me, this is my brother Elden who passed away almost a year ago. We were really close and he plays such an important role in my life.  When I saw the sun beaming on his tablet it just reminded me that there's always light somewhere in every dark place.  It was about a little passed noon when I took this, and I just thought the natural lighting was beautiful.  I feel as if our generation gets so caught up with filtering everything, that we don't get to appreciate true natural beauty as much as we did in the past. 

Nature and Light

Lighting shining through trees has always been one of my favorite things to see. I like laying down under the tree and just stare at the light shining through, creating shadows on the grass. It's honestly the most peaceful thing in the world. It's like in that moment nothing is wrong with the world and its's just me, nothing can touch me. Even when I'm  just going for a run and look up to see this it puts a smile in my face. It makes me appreciate the little things in life, as sappy as that sounds, but if i'm having a bad day and look at this it reminds me that life isn't all that bad, that no matter how bad things are there is more good out there than we can see sometimes. We just need to stop and look up from time to time, to appreciate all that mother nature has to offer to us on a daily basis. I just have a great respect for trees, I feel like they are these magical creatures looking over us giving us their protection. And when the sun hits it at the right time and place it makes it even more magical, it makes my heart stop.

The Dark Side

I was never a dog person growing up, and I didn't understand why people loved them so much, until I got my dog Vader. Vader shows me what it's like to have someone there for you no matter how bad your day was.  He loves me unconditionally, and at the end of the day, he is always waiting for me when I come home from school to greet me. He always has the same amount of excitement to see me everyday and always jumps on me to give me my hugs and kisses.

This particular day I feel asleep in the living room after a rough night. When I woke up, the sun beams were peaking through the curtains and lighting his little face perfectly. Even though I wake up with him next to him everyday, the sun was showing just enough of him for me to see that he was looking at me. It reminded me that no matter what happens in life, he is will always be there. He will never hurt me, or be mad at me, or make me cry, but he is always there to comfort me.  He's the best dog a girl could ever have, and I don't know what I would do without him. Even though he only uses me for the treats, I still love him!

Backyard Lighting

This picture is from my backyard. The sun always shines nicely back here so it's great for when I sit outside to soak up the sun. I always feel energized from sitting outside with the sun shining on me. I also have my dogs to keep me company while I'm relaxing. Today was a very cloudy day, but I like how the sun still seems to shine through the clouds. There are sunny days and cloudy days, but beautiful all the same when I look at it from my backyard. I think I'll start to take pictures of the sun more often when I sit in my backyard so I can look at them later on. 

Looking up calms me down

Often I find myself looking up at buildings and the sky while on campus. The view of looking up calms me when I feel overwhelmed with classes and how soon I can graduate. I snapped this picture last week on my way to another class. The clouds really sold this image for me. I love the way they swirl around the sun, so the little bit of sun is magnified by the clouds. I also love the way that the building and trees look like a silhouettes.  

Home Sweet Home

A couple months ago I left the Country for two weeks. Although I had an amazing time on my trip I missed home. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed and being in your own house. In the morning the sun light shines through a crack in my curtains and beats down on my face. It is the most annoying thing ever but I came to realize this light meant everything, it meant home.  When I came back from my trip I was laying in bed and the sun was shining through, I was home.  Who would have known that the light I find most annoying, can mean so much. I miss the sun light peaking through my curtains when I am away from home. Home sweet home.

Parking Lot Views



Looking up...

It's not every day that this "techy" generation looks up from their phones and notices some amazing natural phenomenon like a bird gliding through the sky effortlessly, or a rainbow, or the sun coming through the clouds in angelic rays. For this lighting blog, I was going to post a picture of my sister's face being illuminated by her phone, but I realized that that idea is not going to inspire the message that I want. Its so typical to see other's and our own faces being lit up by the LED display of our various devices. I thought to myself, I want to post a picture that will, instead of praising brightened visages as things of beauty and inspiration, make people want to notice more things outside and beyond their screens.

 

This image was taken as I walked to my car after class around 5:30. The sun was not all the way down yet, but these gas lights in the parking lot were pre programmed to go on at their specific time. The thing that captured my attention was the quality of the light given off and how, when paired with the tree and its leaves, made quite an interesting sight.

 

To me, this "street light" glow gives an effect of mysteriousness and adventure. In all those cliché detective cartoons, the sly spy is always waiting under a street lamp for the detective, ready to either pass him a note with information or ambush him and kidnap him. In other ways, street light can be adventurous, because whenever I go out with friends, and we're out till past the sun goes down, we plan our shenanigans walking down the street, going in and out from the big pools of light from the street lamps. Another aspect of this picture that is interesting to me is the color and intensity of the light. It's a bright yellow- amber, but very orange around the edges, and it actually changes the color of the tree! Despite how close the leaves are to the lamp, it creates a barrier from the light, in turn making the tree look two- toned. All in all, there is so much to be seen when we disconnect from the every- bright displays of our phones, and focus on what has been around us all along.

Viviana Castellanos -Lighting

This picture was taken when I went on a hike with my friends who came to visit me from San Diego. I have been going through a rough time and they told me that hiking would help clear my head. I am not that much of an athletic person so the journey up to this point was not the easiest. It took us about an hour to get up here and despite being tired I felt so accomplished especially when I saw how beautiful it looked. The picture was actually taken with my phone. I reached my hand over the fence and just started taking pictures without seeing how it looked. My two favorite parts about the picture is the way the sunlight is getting filtered through the clouds. It was a cloudy day but the way the sun is coming through is peaceful and maybe even angelic. Also you can see downtown Los Angeles in the far back which just looks really cool. For me the picture reminds me that sometimes we get so busy and caught up in what is going on in our personal lives that we forget to appreciate where we are. The hike and the picture made me want to continue to capture these beautiful moments.

Lighting Under Water

       Every day when I am at my apartment, I always see my friend fish. I always wonder why the fish tank with full of water can be so outstanding. I ask myself why? Is it the fishes? The answer was the light; I went a little deeper because I don’t really pay attention to fish but that light makes the fish tank more alive and outstanding. Lighting can affect the objects and the overall look to be more noticeable and delightful. I was trying to take a good picture of this and I decide to take a picture underwater because lighting can still go through which makes the water look beautiful. This is why the fish tank is so noticeable and as we can see on Figure#1, fishes are swimming around underwater where the light hits. It makes the water more noticeable and we are able to see the fish move more clearly.

Figure#1

      Without light, we would not able to see the fish nor the background of the picture I’ve shown because the fish tank will become dark, of course. Our eyes do not have the ability to see in the dark since the light is the only reason why we could see. Unless you have an owl eye, then maybe you can see the dark, but since we don’t have an owl eye we are only able to see anything where light hits. Especially that fish tank because I see light and I am surprised. What I learned in class is that the "white light" shines and all the other objects become the color that are given by the light and it amazes me because without light, we would not have seen that orange fish in the picture

Simplicity

 

 



I took this picture a little after 2 am, while I was writing in my journal. This year I bought a journal for myself and promised that whenever I felt the urge to write that I would. I had to keep journals for some of my classes last quarter and it really was interesting to see how much I grow as a person everyday. I work at a restaurant so most nights I get home really late. I don't get too much time to dedicate to something as simple as sitting and writing about my day. More times than not, I am busy writing or creating in the wee hours of the morning. As a dancer I have always been able to physically express my thoughts, but in words it doesn't flow as easily. This picture gives me comfort because it reminds me of being at home in my bed. I think of my family and how I love seeing them at the end of the day. It also makes me appreciate the little things that we tend to forget about everyday. The house was really quiet when I took this picture. I think there is a beauty in silence. I love to be left with my thoughts and relax. I think a huge little thing we forget about is that we have a roof over or heads, a bed to sleep in, and little twinkling lights that you get to hang from your window. I know some days I am in and out of the house and I forget that it is a luxury to be able to do that. We wake up and go through our day forgetting about simple things like the privilege to see or hear. I like to remind myself every now and then to be humble and appreciate how fortunate I am.

Through the Lens

Sometimes I overthink things, and most of the time the smallest of things amaze me. I was eating inside of my car while waiting for class start, and suddenly the sun starts to come out. It was very gloomy at first, so I was surprised when the sun came out. The sun was bothering me, so I put on my shades. Before this assignment was assigned, I never gave much thought into how much shades can protect you from the sun's  powerful ray's. 

I proceeded into taking off my glasses and putting them back on repeatedly, because I was amazed at the difference they made. Suddenly, I was inspired into taking a picture. I was kind of aiming for somewhat of a perspective picture and I believe it was accomplished. With this piece, I wanted to show what I see through my shades and how they change my view. 

Sometimes I have to take them off because they hurt the bridge of my nose, and every single time I "woah" due to the brightness of the sun. It is just amazing to me that with this particular accessory I can block out a lot of the rays. 

Little Escape

Little Escape

Last week I went to Palos Verdes Beach with my family and let me tell you the scenery was lovely. The weather was just perfect for a little escape to the beach. I love going to the beach because I think it is the only place where I can unplug myself from the outside world and forget about my problems. For me there is nothing more than the relief and warmth you get from the sun and how relaxed you feel just by listening to the waves.  For me the beach is a place where I can escape, relax and enjoy nature. 

Shrouded Lighting

Everyday, whenever we look at the sky we would always see the sun shining down on the earth. However, there are times when during the day the sun becomes shrouded by dark clouds. Like a lamp that is covered by a dark blanket or cloth. The light becomes trapped behind the presence of a dark cloud. This photo was taken outside the Theatre Department at California State University of Los Angeles. The sun has always been the most prominent source of light in my life. To me, this symbolizes a struggle as the sun tries to shine it's light despite the clouds blocking the way.

Lights that Echo

      This is the place where I hoped my loved one would wrap his arm around me. The place where my sorrows became learning lessons. Where my future is an unknown fellow who I'm stoked to meet. Where I asked God, "Who am I suppose to be?". But I know that these type of questions will never find an answer. I will not find an answer as solid as a rock or as meaningful as a church. I can only thank God for blessing me with health, wealth and love.  You see... this is where I came to get away from my problems or to find solutions for those problems. When my aunt passed away, I was here. When I first had my heart broken, I came here. When I can't think at home because of all the voices around, I come here. This is my sanctuary. And I know it's for many others as well.

      Echo Park is full of history and if you really soak into it's roots, the outcome of this lake will astonish you. From weddings to murders, this lake is powerful. The knowledge it has received from conversations to disputes is infinite. Can you imagine how many picnics and fund raisers this park has seen? How many OG rumbles or Hide & Seek games it has joined? During the day, Echo Park serves as a jogging arena or a nice place to have a walk. But during the night, the city lights, motors running, near by freeway, the only thing you can really hear is silence... dark silence. I can really grasps it's lights reflecting over the lake. How it flows and disappears, just like the people that walked through here of swam in there. I can only hope that we all have a sanctuary full of history. 

Echo... Beautiful Echo.

lighting natural

Domingo Ramirez
Every morning when I wake up, I look out my window and I am taken away by the beautiful sunrise. I chose this image because it makes me feel a certain type of way. When I look at it I have no other feelings about life. I often wonder how something so beautiful and natural can occur. I love seeing this. It reminds me of pure beauty and I am happy to see this so often. It moves me and the lighting is so special. Natural lighting is so beautiful.

Natural Sunset Lighting

This picture above was taken a few days ago in Claremont CA. I don't know much about lighting and all it entails, but I have always loved taking pictures that looked "cool". When we were given this assignment I couldn't really find anything that was worth posting, until I was at work and saw this sky. This is a complete natural photo taken  during a sunset. Nowadays everything is filtered, altered and distorted to look different from the actual photo. I love the natural aspect of this picture and all the different hues and shades that was given from something as simple as the sun setting. I wish I could watch the sunset everyday, but we all get too busy in life to enjoy something so simple and natural as the sunset. Lighting is all around us in the most natural settings, we just have to take the time to pay attention to it and enjoy it.

The Intimacy Behind Candles

Every single day my eyes are struck by many different lights like: city lights, classroom lights, gym lights, car lights etc. However, there is one type of light that I do not see outside of my home.  These lights are candle lights.

Living in a society where efficiency is vital; we begin to stray away from an organic lifestyle and instead consume the artificial.  Of course, electricity is not artificial; it is only manipulated, but the general population cannot explain how it works. There is something about creating fire or lighting a candle that catches my attention.  One of these things is the simplicity of candles.  It is more intimate to light a candle than to flip a switch.  Another beautiful thing about candle light is the comfort that it can offer.  Unlike many artificial lights, the color of a candle light is relatively orange.  Since the intensity of the light has to do with the area being lit, most candles provide a beautiful natural dim, which provides a romantic atmosphere. Can you really imagine having a romantic dinner under a harsh regular light?  That would be awkward, and the intimacy would not be as intense.  Most restaurants catered towards couples also have dim lighting.  This goes to show the psychology behind lighting is very influential.

Candles do not necessarily mean love and romance.  There is a vibe of mystery that it brings.  Shadows tend to accompany candles.  Most of the time it has to do with the location they're placed in.  If you were to light a chandelier of candles, many shadows would probably eradicate.  How many people in California or even the 21st century own a chandelier for candles? Yea, not that many, which means there is bound to be some shadows.  These shadows can symbolize many different things.

I personally love it because it represents the unknown.  In today's world it feels as if everything has been invented.  We have an idea of where we want to go and what we want to see.  We know the rules and the standards society has implemented.  We know our responsibilities and the pressure to succeed financially.  The shadows of the candle light provide the mystery that I don't get on a regular basis.  In addition, it gives me the intimacy I need to reflect on my spirituality. We tend to focus on many aspects of life that do not matter like materialism and status.   The fire helps me block the artificial aspects of my life like: school, work, the internet, etc. and it helps me focus on my life as a human simply roaming the earth.

Sometimes you need to turn off the lights and light a candle to get in tune with your true self.  Dramatic? Yes, but that is why candles are still around.

Busy Life. Beautiful Lights.

When I first set out to do this assignment, I immediately thought about taking a picture at the "Public Art, Urban Light" display. While it seemed like such an obvious idea, I was nonetheless set on capturing beautiful, warm, romantic lights that I remembered from the first time I saw the display. I first saw the display in the movie, "No Strings Attached." The scene in the movie that featured the display was fun and romantic and everything that I had only dreamt of having at the time. Since then I've always wanted to visit the display, all the while not knowing it was here in Los Angeles until I had accidentally past it while driving one day. So when I was given this assignment, I thought that this would be the perfect excuse to go and see it. And while I'm at it, I might as well make a date out of it. So my boyfriend and I set out to go see it.

However, while on the drive trying to find it, I kept thinking about how the display was such an obvious easy choice for this assignment and how I would much rather post something more interesting and multi-dimensional. I wanted something with lighting layers and thankfully, we stumbled upon the building on the left side of the picture along the way.

This building was just two blocks down from the lighting display I was so determined to see. The Petersen Automotive museum, in combination with the street lights and the natural light coming from the sky as the sun was setting provided the perfect picture for me to take. Sitting on Wilshire and Fairfax, this building that is so uniquely and artistically built, combining both structural and lighting arts, is called, "The Petersen Automotive Museum." Who knew that something so different, so creative would be a museum for old cars?

In combination with this building's surroundings, this was just really easy to appreciate the different layers of light jumping out at every glance. From the different kinds of lights radiating from different areas of the street such as the lamp posts and stop lights to the car headlights to the sky, each had their own place and amount of radiance to help create this picture. The car headlights provided yellow and white lighting beams that signal a busy city street within the storm that is city life. The lamp posts signaled that it was nearing the beginning of its nightly routine of lighting the walkways for countless pedestrians and tourists alike, coming to see the various attractions such as the automotive museum and the Urban Light display. The green stop light signaled that it's time for various motorists to continue on their same mundane path that they always take, always too busy to the time to appreciate the beauty around them (I, myself am guilty of this too). The red lights coming from the building boldly asserts itself on the street as not just housing for the treasures inside, but as an irreplaceable piece of art within itself, that demands to be appreciated as well. Lastly, the sky, that ranges from a light orange to a beautiful, calming shade of blue. The sky that is silently showing a city that is always on the move that it is time to slow down.

This assignment was really fun to do and the journey I went on to take this picture and the beauty that  I, for once, was able to stop and appreciate within the busy city life, was a great experience to have. For me, this picture will always be the artistic calm in the eye of the busy storm.

Infinity Mirrored Room

Today I visited the new contemporary museum "The Broad" It was amazing! The thing that really struck me was the Infinity Mirrored Room. It was designed by Yayoi Kusama and let me say he is a genius. The room is filled with lights hanging on strings and all the walls are lined with mirrors. There is a small platform in the middle and surrounding the platform is water which is also reflecting the light back. You can only go one at a time and you only get 45 seconds! Not enough time at all. So I walk in, not expecting much but right when I get in and he closes the door it hits me. The beauty is indescribable. I sit there for a couple seconds just taking it all in and realize I have to take a picture. Something so simple but so beautiful. I could have sat there all day. The lights just bring you this joyful feeling and your in total awe. At that moment I really appreciated light. The beauty and the impact it has is crazy. Key elements that really came into play were function and focus. They make you go inside by yourself, no distractions just you and your thoughts and the lights. Theres no sound just quiet, to make it easy to focus. The Mirrored room was amazing it really had an impact on my image of light. 

Perspective

Perspective.

If I were to have moved a little more to one side I would have completely blocked the main source of light. If I were to have moved a little more to the other, I would have too much light. The image I envisioned before I took this picture was much like how it fortunately turned out, despite being blinded in the process from having a direct hit of sunlight. To passersby it probably seemed odd to them that a person would randomly take a picture of the campus' Confucius statue, not knowing that it was the sun and its' gleaming rays that actually made the image worth capturing.

I wasn't entirely sure what could have been said about this piece before I actually took it, but I do know what I felt once I saw it. I felt uplifted. The image itself is visually pleasing, and there's a lot that can be said about this image even just from the part light plays in it. In different angles of this particular piece, each image would have looked differently. That is the beauty of perception. If I were to have taken this picture from the other side facing away from the sun, I'm sure it wouldn't acquire the same desired effect. In short, a simple image can become more with just the right lighting. 

Edward Rosales - Lighting Blog - TAD 132-01

I'm not entirely sure when I stumbled upon this little pathway, just past the Career Center on campus, but as soon as we received the assignment for this Lighting Blog, I knew exactly what I wanted to capture and why. Although I don't remember the exact date I found this path, I do remember the feeling it gave me. I was walking to my car from one side of the campus to the other when I saw a strange glow emanating out of what seemed darkness. As I turned to see where the light was coming from, I saw this path lit up, and as if it were calling out to me, I wandered over.

The feeling that washed over me was one of serenity and tranquility. It felt as if all my problems were slowly dissipating from me, and I was entering a new domain in which troubles, nuances, and anything of the sort did not exist. I must have walked this pathway back and forth around 3 times or so, just trying to capture the ambiance it was giving out. The ultimate feeling of peace and tranquility is one that I constantly come back to when I just need to escape for a bit.

Lighting Blog TAD 132-01

I honestly think that there are many natural sources of light that are extremely beautiful. Because of that beauty I didn't want to try to get a picture of it on my phone. So I saw this. There's nothing very special regarding this lamp but I like looking at how the lights streams out of it at night usually. You can see a sort of star-shaped figure streaming out and I'm pretty sure that it goes unnoticed. While people look at rainbows, the sky, and the sun, they don't pay attention to the light that replaces it when it's gone. Lamps, light poles, flashlights etc. When the natural light is gone and we are left with darkness we turn to these sources of light and that's not something we put much thought into.

I started thinking more and more about lighting after our second discussion and realized that we mentioned lights imitating natural light. We use these lights to imitate or replace. When the sunlight is gone and I have to go inside to keep doing my homework, I turn on this light to keep me company. At times, I've noticed that this light seems to be more intimate than the natural lighting we use throughout the day. I randomly start playing with the shadows I cast on my paper when I get really bored and notice that I don't care if anyone sees me because it really is just the source of light and myself in this small cocoon of false light spilling from a source that can blank out any moment.

Wenjia Zhang / Lighting Blog / TAD 132-01

On last summer break, I came back to China. Beijing, the capital city of China, had a lot of rainy days in July. In fact, I didn’t like rainy days and I really hated going outside on these terrible days. As everyone knows, Beijing has serious air pollution and we can see grey smog in the city. It was very annoying that Beijing had a lot of clouds and the blue sky was always behind the heavy clouds. On July 4^th, there was a rain outside and I planed to stay at home. Considering that my mother wanted to have a meal at the French restaurant, Flo, we finally went outside. It was still raining when we went to the Flo. Fortunately, the rain stopped after we finished our dinner. The air became much fresher than before. When we were walking on the street, my mother told me to look at the sky. A rainbow appeared and it grabbed my attention for a long time. I had never seen a rainbow in Beijing and I was very excited at that moment.

 

The sky suddenly became beautiful in my sight because there was a rainbow. The rainbow seemed like a connection between two big buildings and this image was very interesting. I liked the color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). In the picture that I took, some parts of ground were bright and the others were dark. The sun light through the clouds made the ground shine. Many green trees were on the side of street and they had shadows on the ground. That’s why there were some dark parts on the ground. Furthermore, there was an overpass in the picture and it seemed like a boundary of the whole picture. The overpass divided two parts of the street – the near distance and the farther distance. Buildings that were in the near distance were dark and big. In the farthest of the street, buildings were bright because the sun light shined on these buildings. Different light intensity made buildings became much more interesting. It was really cool to see when the whole elements (sky, rainbow, different light intensity of ground and buildings) combined together.

Ashley Nnebe Lighting Blog TAD 132 01

        I was hoping my image for my lighting blog wouldn't be of a sunset. It seemed too cliche, but at the end of the day, I cannot deny how beautiful and interesting they are. Coincidentally, while I was still looking at the sky, another student stopped and commented on how amazing the sight was.
        Something I really love about sunsets and the lights and colors they throw out, is how many different shades I have seen them cast. Specifically here it was a red orangey color topped off with a purple layer, followed by the blue sky. The picture doesn't really do it any justice. Seeing it reminded me of earlier this month when I was returning to LA on an airplane. It was around 5am and there was this beautiful purple hue out side all the windows. I had never seen a purple sky until then. Fast forward two weeks and now I was seeing a hint of that same purple on my way home from CalState.           Another thing to note with this sunset, as well as sunsets in general, is the way the lights bounce off the horizon. Again, this picture doesn't do it justice. My phone cannot handle the excess beauty I assume. But the rooftops of the buildings, the houses and even some streets reflected some of the red light. the closer structures didn't do this but the ones further away. It seemed as though the sun was literally painting the town. Usually, I see that in the morning, but not that day.
        I also always loved the looks of lights in a dark town or city. It's not very obvious here, but they give me a warm comforting feeling, like a homey vibe. All you see are vague outlines and yellow lights spotting an area. I didn't notice, however, the glaring white light used to light the steps at night. The beauty and comfort of all the other lights in this scene actually drowned it out, as forefront and obvious as it was.

 

Stephanie Gutierrez / TAD 132-01 Lighting Blog

                  One Sunday while leaving church, I remember feeling so overwhelmed and frustrated with how my day was going that I totally forgot the reason my family and I went to church. I was so focused on the bad things that was going on in my life, no matter if they're big or small, it was still bothering me to the point where I just blocked out everything in sight and was in my head the whole time. Sitting in church may not have exactly woken me up from this funk, but once my family and I started to walk to the car, I was in the parking lot trying to look at anything that would grab my attention, even for a second. It wasn't until I started noticing some things I, like many of us, take for granted each and everyday. I noticed the gates, and how secure they make the community feel. I noticed the chalk on the playground and how much fun kids must have playing on it. I noticed the trees and how tall they were, and the amount of shade it shields us all from. That's when I looked directly above and noticed the sky. It was so beautiful, with just the right amount of clouds and not such an extreme color. The color in the sky seemed so genuine and natural and just made you feel at ease for a moment.
                     Looking up at the sky put me at ease for the first time all day, and it really shocked me that something as simple as the sky would help relieve some sort of pressure or stress. The view looked like it could go on and on forever, symbolizing that this moment of ease and relief very well could go on and on forever, as well. It's always going to be there, but we never seem to notice it. We all have the ability to be at ease and relieve some stress, even when we think it's impossible to find. It's always there, you just don't always take the time to look. This view really helped me to realize that I don't always need to go to extreme measures to relax or find solutions to my problems that seem never ending. I just have to stop, take a breath, look ahead and keep on moving.

Sample Lighting Blog Post 1/4

Actual Sunlight

We already know that light is all around us.  How often do we really notice it?  We walk to class expecting and knowing that our path is lit.  In theatrical design, we are striving to create an atmosphere that helps to tell the story on stage.  If you were told to put sunlight on stage, what color would you use?  My mind used to go straight to the color of yellow.  It is a warm color and it is a color that is painted on the sun in cartoons.  But as I started to look at direct sunlight, I saw white light.  The image to the left was taken on a walk from the Drama Department to the the Student Center showing that beautiful lighting is everywhere around us.  It needs to be noticed.  It is a perfect example of what direct sunlight really looks like.  Also notice the intricate texture that is cast onto the ground created by the shadows of the leaves and branches.  This is an amazing example of a natural gobo or template.

With these observations in mind, let's think about designing for theatre and helping to tell the story.  If I were to put the color of light on stage that is in the image above, it would probably seem stark and more like a piercing light.  It is not a warm color.  Now, referring to the image to the right where the camera is facing the sun we observe that the light is slightly warmer.  So it can be justified to use a warmer color of light on stage in order to resemble actual sunlight.  As long as we think through this process, we become stronger at create lighting atmospheres that are relatable the the elements around us.  We have this understanding that sunlight in nature is white light.  In theatre, if this white light were used it would be hard to relate to.  By warming up the color of light slightly we can acquire the desired effect.

Remember to always look at the light around you.  It is highly inspirational.  Think through how you can create the same effect on stage.