Drama 50C - F20: Beginning Lighting Design

I promise this photo doesn’t do the colors of the sunset justice. I took this photo and it reminded me of all of the Anna and the Tropics presentations that contained tropical cycs in the background. It reminds me of the culture but also the gloominess that hovers over the characters as they struggle for the sunset sky below the clouds. I would probably light this as a tropical bottom lights with the top ones a pale blue to add cold to the atmosphere. The redness in the clouds also brings so much tension I couldn’t help to this of the play more. We gotta love California sunsets.

  A Day's Cycle         Midday. Andrew sits atop the couch when his cat, Mirabelle, jumps onto his lap. Light streams in from a few windows, the shutters half-cast. The room is diffused with the light of the midday sun beaming through the windows. All is calm.          On a surface level, lighting can seem simple. Figure out the best balance of lights, of colors, that work to represent the reality of a situation. Where it becomes complicated, however, is when the lighting designer must represent both the reality of the situation and the drama of it: the surface and the underbelly all at once. Not only must they do this, but also they must balance their lights with the design of the rest of the production: costumes, set design, even, in some sense, sound.     No design is easy. 'Good' art is not easy. To live with an artist within oneself is to live with the sometimes overwhelming desire to create. To instill wonder for wor...

  This past Thursday marked the first night of Hanukkah, where candles are lit every night, adding one each night until 8 (plus 1) candles are burning on the final night. This photo was taken on the 3rd night, at the very end of each candle's life. One had already gone out, and two as well as the "shamash (leading candle)" remained. I think it's such a satisfying thing to watch a candle melt down until it extinguishes. The tiny flame trying to stay lit at the very end is my favorite part, as it slowly gets smaller and smaller until a single strand of smoke is released and the candle is out. I like this photo because of the way it captures the different stages of the flames. There's a nice contrast between the middle and sides, especially in color. The flames also provide a nice focal point being the central and brightest spot of the photo. But there's also the lights out the window and in the background which add dimension. And the overall darker tones balance...

  Now I'm a sucker for classic signs, especially when they're lit in the dark. This was taken on the night of my best friend's wedding and seeing the sign while on my way back home really felt like a good end of the night. The dark night mixed with the pink of the sign held a nostalgic feeling, almost like watching an old movie while your parent(s) are cooking dinner. With this image, I can feel calm and just wait for the mac & cheese to come on my plate. I truly do live seeing these type of signs as it does bring more of an emotion in me that I just love.

  This is a spot I have been going to for the past couple of years. I took this on a cloudy morning where the overcast made the air feel cool and crisp. I love the blues, green, gray and white this photo encompasses. The cloudy blue and gray tones make this morning feel melancholic but at the same time very soothing. The white wash combined with the green bush brightens up the photo and adds the calming quality against the gray shadows. I find this spot so nostalgic because I used to come here all the time. I used to come here to do homework, hangout with friends or just get the chance to clear my head. My boyfriend and I went on a hike one the morning and I remembered I haven't been here since before the pandemic hit. During these hard times, I'm finding it important to get the chance to really appreciate your surroundings in any way that you can. 

  I chose this picture because I liked the fact that the lighting is coming in from only one side, making the colors go all around. It also caught my attention that one side can be bright and vibrant, while the other more dim, with shadows. Every time I look at this picture sometimes I have a difficult time identifying what time of day it is, whether it is the sunset or sunrise. Although the clouds seem a little all over the place, this image makes me feel calm, it makes me think of a relaxing drive on the town, and heading home after a long day. In this image I like that you can clearly see a dichotomy between the warm and cool tones, it’s just a really nice combination in my opinion. The sky looks as if it was painted, especially with the way the clouds are and how smooth they look, everything about the picture is pleasing to the eye.

  This has become the favorite corner of my apartment. The Christmas lights, tree and stocking are all very symbolic of the Christmas holiday and all of the traditions that go along with them. This year is very different as I will not be going home for the holiday and it will be just my partner and I this time. My tree is substantially smaller than the one back home and not as beautifully decorated like my mom's but is still comforting to have. My favorite part of my evenings now are to dim the lights, light some candles and turn on the Christmas lights which creates the perfect, cozy ambience one craves during the Christmas season. It's definitely looking different this year but exciting to start creating some of my own traditions.