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.