Lamp Light- 2nd Blog

I captured this photo walking home one night this week and I was really mesmerized by the beauty of the light in. The sky was really beautiful that night and I originally took the photo to capture the sunset, but after taking the photograph, the light that struck me as most interesting is the light that is making the shadows right in front of where I was standing. I was standing right under a lamp post that was casting light on the ground in front of me in different segments. I really enjoy the warmth and earthy feel this light brought. It made for a really beautiful walk home.

Dunkin' Donuts

America runs on Dunkin'. It's a beautiful place with lots of magic that I discovered on my trip to NYC last spring. Since then, I've come here to study a lot so I thought it'd be perfect to talk about the lighting inside. The interior of Dunkin' Donuts has a lot of earth tone colors in the furniture and on the walls so I found it fitting that they don't have bright florescent lights because that would take away from the warm, inviting environment they've created. They have soft yellow lights around the seating area inviting guests to stay, relax and enjoy their coffee and. Mostly towards the order counter they have sun tunnel sky lights that makes ordering donuts a heavenly experience. Natural light spills in through the many windows they have around the seating area again creating an open and welcoming environment. Can you tell I love Dunkin' Donuts? Come study with me!

Choir concert

On Monday I saw my friend's choir concert at her high school in her gym. It was more of a concert to honor their choir director who just recently won the Grammy Music Educator Award for 2017. They had a small stage area set up with a few stage lights. The lighting was better than just having the gym lights on, but the lighting seemed odd and kind of distracting sometimes. When they had people just giving speeches, they had typical white light on them which was fine. However, when people were singing (Totally name dropping, but... Such as Jason Mraz), they basically just used solid bright colored lighting and had them randomly flashing and such. It seemed as if they were using the effects for the sake of using effects rather than having a purpose. It was more interesting than just having white light I guess, but just using solid bright blue light seemed to wash the singers out and there was not much dimension. Most of the time it was a tad distracting. I know that the lighting was very limited, but part of me feels like it could have been executed a bit better. I also figured that probably a student or a teacher that doesn't really have any lighting experience decided on what the lighting should be. Concert lighting seems to tend to be usually about color and spectacle, but the lighting used for this concert felt a bit off to me.
I attempted to take pictures on my phone but they aren't very good pictures.

Gay Club Lighting

I thought the lights in this gay club was so pretty. The small ceiling lights overhead alternated blue and magenta gels, which made the tables underneath look blue or purple even though in actuality the tables were a dark gray color. It is so magical that simply putting a gel in from of a light can alter what color an object looks like. The blue light pouring down the side wall's curtains also was a neat trick. It made the curtuins look like they were glowing.

Sun Positioning

Yesterday I visited family and was trying to get some reading done in the evening.  The back of the house is full of windows and screen doors that are like long windows.  It was sunset and the light was really dim and nice, but for some reason through one window there was a glare that light was blaring in and hitting my face making it impossible to read.  It was the same light from the same source (the sun) but the glare between the blinds of one window was so prominent and irritating.  I got up and adjusted one of the individuals blinds that was caught that was allowing the light to enter in that spot on that specific window.  The door screens that are like door-windows were maybe a foot of wall next to it and the light source was giving me no issues through there; it was beautiful.  The positioning of light is so essential in establishing the perception you want to be perceived.  From one position, it was not irritating and very faint.  Just a foot next to it from the other window, however, the light was far from faint and far from peaceful.  I snapped a separate pictures, the first through the screen doors, and the second through the blinds to show the difference in how the light was hitting me.  Positioning can change a light's perception drastically.

Drag Show Lighting System

Last night, I attended a drag queen show in a club in Long Beach. I was surprised that they had a whole lighting system set up just because I haven't really thought about places other than theatres having them. Lights were hanging from the roof and there was a light board operator and even a spotlight operator! This is a great example of lighting designers expanding beyond theatre! The lights had pink and blue gels creating a fun, feminine, and youthful atmosphere for the show. There was almost not too many lights on so the house was more subdued while waiting for the performances to start. Lighting designers work is everywhere!

Car lights

On Monday I had to take my own car into the shop to get some work done so borrowed someone's cars for that one day.  Driving at night, obviously you put your head lights on, which, when turned on, also lights up other details on the inside of your car as far as the gear shifts, where your ac and heater are, and the screen above/behind your steering wheel that has the meters for hot your car is, how much gas you have, and how fast you're going.  Driving home, I noticed that the little lights on that screen in my mom's car were blue.  The lights in my own car are white.  I don't know why, but those little blue lights are what made me conscious of the fact I was driving a different car. I did not think about it during the day; I was just driving.  Noticing the different little blue lights below is what gave the car its own different vibe.  It made me reflect on how changing the colors on even the tiniest details can leave someone with a different effect.  A car is a car.  If you're focused on the road, it shouldn't matter if you're driving a honda or a nissan, they all work generally the same.  They are vehicles to transport you and generally operate all the same.  I thought is was funny how it was just the tiniest hints of blue on a screen that is universal that made me conscious that I was in something unfamiliar.

Coffee Shop Ambiance

I just started working at Starbucks and I find it really amazing how lighting can change the whole a place and room. For example I open every morning and all the lights are really bright to start with only turn them on and Ashley. There's no relaxing feel to it. It has a very kitchen like light to it. Almost flourescent. But the minute we did those like and turn on the bulbs in the lobby the whole thing changes. The light sets the tone for the relaxing feel good low wake up to the day. And maybe this is something Starbucks thought about or it happened on accident but you can find that light as a huge appeal to a coffee shop. The minute you step outside and are introduced to natural light with the sun beaming down your whole mood changes. I know mind it for sure. Inside of Starbucks you don't have to squint it's very easy to look around the room. The tones are brownish-orange and it is a very chill feel good place. Yes the music and the smells help but have there been different lighting the whole atmosphere would be different. Because I've seen the shop with bright fluorescent lights and it doesn't have the same appeal. It's interesting to see the choices that stores companies and buildings will make in order for them to find a connection for the people that walk in. It's a connection of light to the product to the people.

stage lights

This week I had the opportunity to perform in the Claire for a MFA dance thesis. I've been lucky enough to have multiple performance opportunities in the dance department for the past three years, and while I've always been aware of the lights, I never paid much attention to their role in productions or where they're placed in the theater. From backstage, I was able to look at all of the lights and identify a fresnel lens, source4's, etc. etc., and from onstage I could see a greater difference in the various hues of each light, which light was turned on when, and how the lights changed to fit the emotion of each piece. As a performer, having a better understanding and appreciation for the lights and the role they played in the production made the whole experience more enriching.

I can see the colors

This is a picture I took at the beach at Puerto Vallarta! This picture really stood out to me because the colors are all so vivid. I am a type of color blind that makes it so I can kinda see most colors but I do mix up a few and the rest look duller than they actually are. So when I saw this picture and saw how bright the colors were it excited me. The contrast between the lush greens and the bright blues in the background against the dark shadows really makes the background stand out. When I see this picture and its colors I think of tropical vacations (for a reason) and it gives me ideas for lighting. Hope you enjoy the picture.

Light on a Tapestry

It baffles me how light can travel so far. I'm sitting in my bedroom, staring at this small desk lamp that is facing the wall. The light is bouncing off mostly white wall and a small portion of a dark colored tapestry. The light it emits has soft edges, so it doesn't seem to have an end. The light hitting the corner of the tapestry enhances the colors of it, especially the magenta, purple, and blues. As the light travels across the tapestry, is hits wrinkles, creating streams of more vibrant colors and sections of muted colors. I attempted to take a photo but the camera couldn't adjust to see what I can see with my naked eye. I picked out this tapestry and I look at it every day, but it took this assignment to get me to appreciate how beautiful and profound it really is.

The Simple Light

This class has made me notice the smallest details of light that I took for granted and never really noticed before. I catch myself staring sometimes at the lights around me in awe, thinking about angles and effects on my face because of them. I remember this specifically from class today actually. I had dropped my notebook on the ground because it was around the time Professor Smith started answering questions and I caught myself intrigued by my shadows on the floor. There were two of my shadows, at different angles. I looked up and tried to identify the lights. But mostly, I was intrigued by how the angle of the lights create the two shadows that overlap each other, one slightly more pungent than the other. I found that this was the intensity of the lights. It sounds stupid, but I started moving around, watching the shadows follow my movement, like twins stuck together like Cheng and Eng, just elongated by the distance of the light. It sparked my memory to dance shows and shows with dramatic lighting where they would create shapes on the ground in shadows using angles and light. Again, before this class I never noticed these things, now they are so intriguing. I thought that knowing this could be useful if we were dealing with a show that had to do with split identities like in Jekyll and Hyde. Where the split shadows could represent split personalities. I didn't realize how many doors lighting could open up and it's fascinating.

Badminton Collegiates

I played at the 2017 USAB Yonex Collegiate Nationals Badminton Championships over the weekend at the Los Angeles Badminton Club, and this venue was interesting in that it had a mechanized system where the lights over the courts would go out after a certain amount of time until a key card was held over the sensors embedded in the bleachers. This led to a lot of lights going out in the middle of matches, and if it happened in the middle of the rally, the umpire would call a let and the players would start the rally over once the lights turned back on. I have played badminton on courts where one of the lamps had gone out before, and even that one lamp makes a huge difference in visibility. This weekend reminded me of that, and it made me think about how integral light is to badminton and to all sports in general. For badminton, playing with dim lights is pretty trippy (on the other hand, if the lights are too bright, the shuttle blends in with the lights and it's hard to time your shots correctly), and playing with no light, of course, would be impossible, since badminton is solely an indoor sport (don't even talk about trying to play with candlelight). The invention of electricity has really changed the game for sports -- not only has it made indoor sports possible, but it's also made it possible to host outdoor sports at night any day of the month (such as in stadiums or even anywhere with streetlights).

Sorry for the bad quality pictures, but I just wanted to give you an idea of how lights are typically set up in a badminton club. I tried uploading a video too, but the quality got really messed up so if you are interested in seeing a quick clip,  click here

Atmosphere effected by lighting, who woulda thought

In theory, I think we all knew that lighting on stage and in film/TV is used to "make people feel." But after learning how and why this is done in class, it was kind of hard not to see it when watching TV. The Netflix show 13 Reasons Why is definitely filled with emotion, and I'm just now realizing just how much the lighting design has to do with it. In scenes that Hannah Baker appears in, or in scenes that occur when she is alive, the lighting is a lot warmer. However, after her death, the lighting (outdoor, indoor, fluorescent, etc.) becomes a lot bleaker and cold. That lighting (or sometimes lack of it) adds a layer of emotion to the atmosphere of the show/storyline I never even considered before. 

Also, now that I'm typing this, the same lighting effects help viewers distinguish the time--of it's present time or a flashback. #lightingFTW

Lighting Blog 2

This week we went through the history of light and how light has come a long way to illuminate the world of art.  What fascinated me, was how illumination in past history was given by such simple and obvious means.  For example, lighting a candle and angling it in a different way, gave people a new perspective on an object.  The picture I chose represents the simplicity of light back in history.  It also represents how innovative and creative people were to light up their world.  The picture is that of a mason jar, with a design engraved in the jar, and a candle in the jar, hung by a rustic rope.  The image is so simple, yet creative and pleasant to look at.  You can see the warm rustic light peeping through the dark design, to create a rustic, warm ambiance.  Learning how light came to be and where light is heading seems very interesting.  Today, on our modern world light seems to be taken on a whole new image.  Such as, the introduction to the LED lights and how flexible they are for the creative minds.  Light has come a long way in general and in the world of art, but the purpose remains the same.  The purpose of light is to illuminate our world no matter what that is, whether it be the complicated world of Hedda Gabler or the whole new world of Aladdin.  Light will always guide our way.



Light and what it means to fly

Light is an important, and often underrated, element of our very existence. It is a part of everything we do, a part of us, and an integral part of what we believe in as darkness. Even in the evening, there is light in the night sky- constant reminders of what we once were and what we will become. Stars.  Light is a transference of energy, and energy is a part of literally everything. Energy itself never dies, but is ever changing, evolving, and becoming a part of something new. Manifesting itself in a multitude of different forms, always producing a sort of luminescence.

I have always loved the stars. Loved the warmth of the sun. The way the light dances through treetops and strands of hair. The ability for light to radiate from inside of us. I think a beautiful sunset is, honestly, the perfect manifestation of our understanding of light, and the closest we'll get to truly seeing more of the light and all of the world it can open us up to. A sunset is also the product of pollution. The ability to make something beautiful out of something awful. We romanticize our own human faults without even knowing it. But still, a sunset does make you feel awfully small sometimes, so perhaps it helps to teach us of our own insignificance and how we ourselves are very little lasting but the things we leave behind will continue to have a greater impact.

Speaking of a lasting impact, I recently watched a great film called Kubo and the Two Strings that follows a magical tale of a boy in Heian period Japan and the trials he faces on a quest to avenge his parents. This film was gorgeous. In every aspect of the word. The truth and sincerity displayed by every element of the piece is remarkable. One example being a continuous thread in the film on dealing with loss, as seen in the Japanese tradition of Toro Nagashi. Toro Nagashi, I learned, is a traditional Japanese ceremony that releases lanterns onto the water to help guide the spirits of those we've lost back to the ancestors in the Other World. This tradition is portrayed in the film, but it dives even deeper into the continuation of light and life. Throughout the film, there are golden cranes that fly by. It is said that these cranes are made from the same lights released on the water. That they are the new manifestation of the spirits' energies making their journey. I thought this was such a beautiful way to view both light and energy. Neither ever truly cease, but merely manifest differently. Reminding us that our life force is ever changing, just like a light. Something we believe to have control over, but ultimately something that will always exist and travel, regardless of our attempts to manipulate its true existence. Because of light we can fly. And because of energy, we have light. That pure light can be a part of each of us, if we only turn on the switch and accept that it's been there all along.

Lighting Blog 1

Stephanie Mercado

Professor Smith

Drama 50 C

14 April 2017

Lighting Blog #1

            For my first Lighting Design blog, I decided to go with one of my favorite pass times. . . drinking and making coffee.  I decided to go with this particular picture because it does not only capture in great detail the coffee pouring out of the machine, but it also captures the light.  You can see that the light is bouncing off the machine, but if you take a closer look, you can also see the light being captured on the coffee towards the top.  The intensity of the soft, bright, white light, gives the feeling that coffee shop might be busy, but at the same time, there is a sense of calmness.  Like any coffee shop that you enter, the light is always a key role in how the environment is perceived.  Coffee shops tend to go for a warm rustic feel with their lighting, which is achieved by dimming the lights and lowering the intensity of them.  Coffee shops also tend to use natural light that is being brought in by the windows; this causes the environment to feel still and balanced.  Although, you may still be able to see the hectic lifestyle outside the windows of the coffee shop, the inside remains calm with the lighting that is being provided.  The picture captures the machine showcasing intense white light, but the coffee’s light remains minimal, thus creating a relaxed vibe.