Sky

This is a picture of the underside of an overhang on the outside of a movie theatre. I asked my friend who was with me why he thought it was painted blue. He answered, "Ummm because it looks like the sky." Apparently he thought I was an idiot for even asking the question. And even a bigger idiot for taking a picture of it. But I obviously have a different theory.

The blue paint reminded me of our talks about color. We see blue because the ceiling absorbs every other color but blue, so blue light is reflected off the ceiling and into our eyes. If the designers of the building wanted the space under the overhang to have as much light as possible, it best serves them to paint it a light color so that the light that bounces off the ceiling serves some purpose. If they painted the ceiling dark dark blue, only dark blue light would be reflected, making the space under the overhang darker than if it was painted a light color.

Or, you know, maybe they just want it to look like the sky.

Lights from All Angles: Aurora Borealis

I'm surprised I haven't seen this image up here sooner; therefore, I think it's due time. As a frequent visitor and patron of the sciences, I always try to find ways to integrate the arts (in this instance, lighting design) into the physical sciences and realm of nature. Luckily, a phenomenon such as the Aurora Borealis (seen within the North Magnetic Pole region) seems to marry the two polarities, and I find it interesting in that we just recently discussed the properties and principles of light before delving entirely into the practical and hands-on aspect of design. Here is some pretense, in case you weren't already aware: The Aurora Borealis is constituted by interactions between the Sun and Earth's outer atmosphere; when it emits electrically charged particles (ions) that move away from the Sun in a stream of plasma (ionized gas) and comes in contact with the Earth's magnetic field, the ions become agitated into moving around the Earth. Consequently, some get trapped and interact with the Earth's ionosphere (about 70 miles above the Earth's surface), causing the ions to glow. This is not unlike the ongoings within a neon sign. Hence, you get an array of streams and curtains of vibrant color, ever-changing, in the sky. Rather than just summarize this as a mere blanket of random color, I feel that the Aurora Borealis conveys a feeling of mystery and (pardon the cliche) positive energy. It doesn't seem ominous, though it feels infinite and seemingly intimidating in its vastness and appearance of paint-strokes in the sky. This is truly nature's finest at work. It serves as an inspiration of color and creativity, and I find a sort of fascinating dichotomy in that it is best observed when the rest of the world begins to darken. The particles are omni-moving, but the best and brightest hues can be most accurately admired when the sky dims it light.

Fireflies

This is a picture of a firefly on a leaf. I picked this picture because it holds alot of meaning to me. I am choreographing a dance at Cypress College and it is about remembering your childhood and being a kid again. Often times things in go undiscovered and we never take the time too look at the details in nature that make this world beautiful. This picture, from the outside in, aims directly at the firefly. It is dark on the outskirts and it seems as if the leaf is gathering light from an outside source to power the firefly. If you look closly there are bristles on the stem and leaf that are being illuminated. But it kind of makes that leaf glow.

First light

I was coming back from Anaheim this weekend because I spent some time with family I have there. We went to fishing on Saturday very early in the morning, not my favorite pass time but oh well. In any case we began our morning very early and I caught some cool pictures of the first creeping lights and the sensation those images inspired stayed with me all day. I have always been fascinated by dawn and dusk but I had never really stopped to think about why. Besides the incredibly cool light show and color patterns I have come to the conclusion that these two events are pivotal as they are events that mark a transition in daily ritual. So, we began in the very early hours before sun rise, groggy and still adjusting to the lack of light, we moved slowly and lazily. As we began traveling down the road everything slowly started to come to life as the rays of light glimpsed over the horizon, the previously dead, empty city began to bustle and hustle and we were suddenly no longer ''just packing'' we were on an adventure! We began singing and laughing as a general energetic joviality came over us. The sun was burning very bright with strong yellows emanating from the sky. With this particular picture there was a very blatant contrast between the ground still covered in darkness and the sky now painted in bright colors and i thought that was really interesting because it anchored in the notion I was beginning to develop of how a simple event of transitioning from dark to light can stir such powerful emotions. It seemed to me as if the ground was frozen in time while the top half of the horizon exponentially quickened its pace; there was movement and rigidity created in a single event with a single light source. For us in the car, we became actively excited(like electrons in a filament) to pursue our endeavors with intention and purpose. Metaphorically this served as a good example of how electricity works, but it also illustrated for me another important principle of light, which is that light has powerful symbolism and can help inform a situation in subtle yet undeniable ways to the human psyche. As the day wore on the sensation of a new experience that accompanied that new day inspired in me a sense of accomplishment.

Arturo Dirzo

6:30AM Shifts

I drive the shuttle for work and I take on morning shifts on Wednesdays and Fridays. Morning shifts means 6:30AM-10:15AM. Most of the time during my morning shifts, I only shuttle students to campus rather than both ways. Every time I look back in my passenger mirror, the one that you see in the photo, there is this gorgeous moment that I would love to take that snap shot where the sun touches in through the windows and onto the passenger seats. It's quite a beauty, but while during this moment, I am unable to take that snap shot. So here is my snapshot of it through what I can get. What makes it even more pretty is that it's this moment that I can't seem to get enough of or to be able to get it in a photo that still amazes me. It sort-of helps me reflect on the statement, "I wonder what stories were here that people would cross in and out of the shuttle for their lives." It just helps my four hour shifts move a long.

Rain and saturation

I grew up here, in Marin County. This is the back road to my grandmother's house, deep in Lucas Valley, about 10 miles from the old Skywalker Ranch. I took this picture two days before Christmas. It had been raining, so the clouds were puffy and so white it almost hurt to look directly at them. The air was incredibly clean (especially compared to Los Angeles and Orange County), and with the recent rain, the color saturation on the world around me had deepened. I love that about rain-- it makes colors make up their minds. Gray asphalt becomes black, faded center lines shine yellow like the sun, and the trees are so green you can almost see them growing. The air is clear, so the sky doesn't have that hot-day yellow haze to it-- it's bright blue and it knows it. I love that kind of precision of color. I don't mind a shade of a certain color-- as long as it's bold and saturated, I love it. I'm not sure how I would replicate this onstage, as saturation just makes everything darker. Perhaps I would have to depend on the set designer for that, and augment the saturation with my lighting.

It was about 2pm, and the sun was already in late-afternoon mode, with the shortened days. The picture makes me feel open and free-- I'd like to replicate that in a cue onstage.

I found this cool picture on google. The white christmas dawn, the whole small town is drowned by the snow. there are no street lights on the street, but small town people are celebrating the white christmas in their own way; by lighting candles on the street. candles are arranged vertically. they light on snow, and it look like a small circles. the sky is starting to be clear since it is becoming light blue. the colors of this picture, there are only blue and yellowish white; blue, where they have no lights but yellowish white, where they have lights. This contrast makes this picture more beautiful. the colors, by this light, are very calm and peaceful. So I was surprised again that how the lights were making the mood; a peaceful white christmas dawn. Although they used small lights, candles, it made difference. If there were no lights, it would look like very cold and lonely picture. I could imagine how the people in the past used candles as lights on theatre. Candles can be lights. and it can make a big change. :)