the end: week 10

I am so indecisive about my last post because, well, its my last! I am so happy to have done these blogs because I really do notice a lot more about light that I can now articulate a little better than I could be for, or at least identify that it is light that I am noticing. So for my simple last blog I was looking at these photographs I took with my iphone, to make a card, and noticed that what I was interested in in these pictures were the highlights and shadows and the way that creates texture.

In this photo, I find texture and the contrast between texture to ground it. The way the crinkled paper picks up light and shadow is really interesting and actually has a lot of movement in it. The way the shadow reveals how the flower is resting on the brown paper shows how subtly light can fulfill its revealing purpose.

This photograph I don't find as exciting texturally as the previous, but I think what I do look at is how well you can see where the light source is by the shadowing. I think this also appeals to me because of drawing classes that made you draw in the arrow for the source so you would know how to shade the highlights and shadow. The smoother textures reveal a consistency to the relationship of the light to each object and there is a steadiness more than a play.

This photo shows a bit of both things I talk about in the others, but what I notice most here is the deep contrast between highlights and shadow and how dynamic that is. These colors really speak to me too in a musical way. I have realized in my looking more at light that silhouette is so beautiful and predominantly because that sharp contrast is so captivating. It is good for me to recognize this because my work has taken on such an interest in subtlety, I need to remember that high contrast is not only theatrical, it is very human to respond to it, and exists often in nature.

site specific: week 9

I went to Downtown Disney and found myself generally feeling a sensory overload, and thinking that might be the point. Each shop is allowed to go full out with its specific theme, which allows downtown disney to have the feeling of constantly changing worlds.This is done with different lighting throughout the strip of shops, with consistency in the hanging lanterns as well as the oversized lit up signs, making it have the feeling of a mini-city as well as a large outdoor courtyard in one place.

The shop I felt was successful in its lighting was the lego store. It followed the disney way of switching worlds quickly and had carefully thought its lighting plan full with color, strategic shadows on the ceiling, each display had lighting specific to its theme.

This robot had its own very bright cool white light, which made it stand out in its own sterile technical environment, while the dinosaur had a blue/purple light on it and the giraffe had a red/orange glow. Even with all these worlds within a world the shop's wares was still well-lit and looked like a store and not a playground. You could let these displays inspire your imagination, but you are still clear that you are there to shop.

The other shop I ended up in I wasn't expecting to find myself, but was pulled in by its bright sign and light. It was a small shop called little missmatched, and its light glowed from it, and stood out next to its neighbors. This was definitely successful in luring me to have an overload of bright white light pouring out of its doors, but once inside it was quite unpleasant, especially with the busy patterns and colors of the merchandise in the store. It seems like they mostly tried to show all the items they had as clearly as possible, but it ends up feeling like the socks want to make you one of them.

I visited both the spectrum and downtown disney as they were starting to close down and noticed that I liked a lot of the after-hours looks different shops had, and even felt that some of those designs were more true to the style and goal of the shop. There was one coffee shop and bookstore in downtown disney that had a really nice relaxed feel when open, but then I did question whether it was open or not. I empathize with lighting designers for shops because they do have to be well lit and even enough to look open and ready to accept visitors, and this must be in a balance with the mood and feeling they create.

freeway-week 8

I took this photograph with my phone on the way back from la and it didn't turn out how I really thought it would, but actually makes it easier to talk about the light in it. What I was noticing was how I found it interesting to see the slew of yellow headlights next to all the red tail lights and how the intensity and color had an interesting contrast, but looking at this photograph I see more of the high contrast between the warmer colors below against the coolness of the sky. I love how the sky looks here with its subtle texture and the different blues and purples in it. This contrast reminds me a little of the chakra photo I took of the bar display with the contrasting warms and cools. Another thing I think about when i remember the image of the headlights and taillights is that I wonder if because we are used to seeing this, we have an association with bright white light coming towards us and red light retreating from us, or if it really depends on how that light is moving or places in space. I notice in this photograph of the chakra bar that the bottles are displayed in the cool white light and the reds and yellows are adding depth behind.

reflected rehearsal light: week 7

I took these images in rehearsal this past thursday and was excited to have a figure in the image so I could see how the light touched her.I was interested in how this backlight created a silhouette, but I was more interested in how the light is able to highlight her contour and sort of wrap around the body. Because the angle is low it makes a really nice long shadow within the shaft of light it produces on the floor. I noticed in the 50c class, a lot of the students used the light in the center upstage because of the way it lights the floor in front of the model.I was interested in how the sunlight came in through the window and then was reflected in the mirror onto the floor, which created natural cuts.I also like how in this image above the light coming in from the window creates a blue/purple color on the floor and comes from the same source but is filtered in a different way. It is interesting also that we can photograph a light source and itmakes really interesting shadows around it, but if we were to design a cue with a light that when this directly into someone's face, they would not notice the shadow, but actually be blinded.

spanish leaves for mothers day - week 6

I just used this image for my mother's day pdf and she asked me if I had altered the colors in the image. I was happy to say no and remembered how amazing this tree was when I photographed it. I remember taking a bunch of pictures because of the way these little green leaves were glowing as the light hit the tree. I never felt like i could catch it quite right but in this bottom photo you can see how in the leaves where the light is able to shine through them they give off this glow that set the leaves completely off from the very opaque branches they are connected to. it was amazing to me and looked magical really, as if the leaves were glowing from the inside. This makes me think of how some light can conceal its source and actually reveal more about what it is lighting than the quality of the light. In these photos the light shines through and reveals all the fine little details of the skin on the leaf. It isn't concealing, but revealing more than you would normally look at, which takes a sort of patient interest. It is something I want to look at for a long time because it is showing me so much and there is so much information there to take in. I think I have seen this in drama and dance productions where the way someone glows under light makes you feel like they have some real internal power or gift. Light is able to bring that magical quality that really makes you feel like you are in a different world. I definitely felt that when I saw this tree glowing in spain. the green is quite a spectacular color, especially when featured like this. It's amazing that it really exists. sometimes beautiful colors can really knock your socks off.

parking lots week 5

I've been noticing parking lot lighting late at night recently. I haven't been able to snap a good picture but found this online, which kind of shows what I've been thinking about. These lights in such a large empty space give a lonely and creepy feeling. I feel like the way you can see how bright the light is and how much it can light as it hits the ground but how quickly the sky eats it up and creates such an interesting contrast. The lights seem to be struggling to light what they can and the long shadows add to the eeriness. I think you get a similar feeling in a low lit warehouse or even in the theater when the work lights are on, however the outside space makes a strange separation between the lit ground and dark sky the makes things within it feel small in comparison to these huge spaces.

Chakra Week 4

I was visiting my friend Maddy who works at Chakra, the indian restaurant the the UTC and noticed how elaborate their liquor display was. The entire restaurant is dimly lit, to a very specific level, which I found out is quite challenging to perfect because Maddy has had to go through training just to light the restaurant in the right way. Looking at the liquor display I was confused as to what the effect of the lighting was supposed to be. The dramatic light has a swanky feel that I would associate with upscale restaurants and bars, but ones that are trying to have a hip appeal, perhaps to a younger crowd. I am finding it hard to articulate the feeling I get from this and I think that has to do with the exclusive feel of it, as if I am not quite cool enough to understand the appeal of this sort of quality. It is really interesting to me that I feel stuck when trying to describe this type of lighting. Makes me think I should see more.

Ho'okipa Sunset Week 3

After our conversation about maui I missed it and went looking at my maui pictures. Here I find it interesting how the light in the sky's wash with the yellow fading into blue contrasts the dark and complicated textures in the clouds, island, and ocean. I can look at the image and have a different feeling about it depending on the spot that catches my eye. The part where a lot of the bright yellow light comes through feels dramatic but light and pretty, whereas the section with the chopped up clouds has a dark excitement, and underneath it all the oceans shadows give a steady but powerful feel. I've always loved the way the ocean looks during a sunset, because it reveals all the little movements in it. Yet at dusk it feels like a very still and silent time of the day, then the world almost accelerates as different colors splash the sky and then disappear. The way cameras capture sunsets is interesting too. The one with me and friends has all the light and color blending, giving a much softer look, whereas the others are more dramatic and striking. Sunsets on Maui have always made me feel small, probably because of the big statement they make. These images remind me of what you said about the things we can't see become more dynamic and interesting as the mountains conceal the rest of the sunset.

another one...

After publishing my post I was reminded of this photograph I took a year ago in some ruins in Andalucia, Spain. I like the way the light comes into the dark empty room and only catches part of the textured beams, on the ceiling showing the subtle grooves and cuts in the wood. The shape and depth of the window made me think of your comments on how the body of the light fixtures play a part in directing light. I like the multiple frames and their different shades. The wall becomes slightly illuminated creating a beautiful dark texture.

Week 2: Dining room corner

dining room, 4/1/11 8:35 am. While this is not a beautiful photograph, I wanted to capture the image of our dining room table in our apartment as the morning light greets it. A similar effect occurs on the bottom of my bed in the mornings and always fills me with a sense of peace and welcoming as these long patches of light extend into the darkened room from the window. From the dining room window I am able to see different ways the morning light is allowed to come through, one side through the trees outside, then blinds and then viewed through the bars on the chair. On the other side more light comes through and seems to burn up the left side of the windowsill. I am interested in the different angles the lines and patterns make in the window, on the table, and also in the reflection on the glass of the framed poster on the wall. I think what I find most beautiful about these moments is how different spots of light seem to sparkle as others are softened or are blocked. I often find that in images where there is high contrast and silhouette I am intrigued by what is seen and not seen. I am amazed by how much information this window asks me to take in so early in the morning.

Welcome to Drama 50c Independent Study Spring 2011 Lighting Journal

Now that you have decided to enhance your appreciation for light, I want to help you develop your eye for light not just in the theatre but in your life.

In order to more effectively understand how light can alter the perception of the audience; we need to first understand how it alters our perception on a daily basis.

As we move through the quarter, I hope that this blog will help you to discover light in ways that you have not seen before.

Perhaps you'll see colors you've never noticed before, you may recognize the angle of a certain light, and maybe you will find ways to articulate how a light makes you feel.

In order to assist with this process, I've created this blog so that all of you may contribute a short piece each week on an aspect of light that you have noticed throughout your journeys.

This can include a particular moment in a play, a beautiful sunset, a great rock concert or a well lit store, or just what happens to your emotions when the sun moves behind a cloud. Anything and everything can be included.

Please start your title for each posting with the Week of the quarter and a subject.

Your postings do count towards your final grade.

Please include photos with your post to help us see what you are describing!

Whether or not you continue in lighting design after this class, I hope that this online journal will help you to discover inspiration for you art in daily life.

Thanks and Happy Blogging!!

Lonnie Alcaraz