The reason I chose this image is because if one were to look closely one can see a person sitting half way on the stairs. I think that was very cool especially since the area is restricted. I saw no one else and I kind of wish I could be there. I feel like being up there could be very relaxing or just a place to reflect on life. Not only is it a great as a place t be alone but it the view is most likely amazing and picture worthy scenes. As I passed by there the stairway was gone and am a bit sad because I wanted to figure out how I could get up there.

Week 10 - A Car Ride With The Sun

 I was in the car with a friend recently, and whenever I am in the car (and not driving!) I love to look out the window and observe the world outside. During this moment however, I noticed that the sun was starting to go down rather late. Though daylight savings time makes us lose an hour of sleep, for once I appreciated it, as it allowed me to watch the light of the sun at a much later time than I was used to! Its position in the sky between the trees was so beautiful that I had to snap a picture of it! I managed to capture this picture where the sun was so bright that it almost looks as though there is a hole in the tree and the sun is shining straight through it! Though I am not quite understanding of this phenomenon, it does make me wonder if perhaps the light is so powerful that it is all that our eyes can see, therefore making us unable to see that area of the tree.
I really love the way that the light casts the shadows of the trees upon the street, and how the light wraps around the trees to make them stand out so nicely against the blueness of the sky. It makes me think of the tree as a real life gobo, with the sun's light shining through it and creating beautiful shapes on the ground. This was a really nice and peaceful drive home, and now that I drive myself, I rarely have time to gaze out the window of the car and observe the world passing by me nowadays. Therefore, I was really happy to capture this beautiful picture during this particular car ride home.

-Diane

Week 10 - New place same sky

My Mom took this picture when she went up to Idaho and this is the house she decided to buy. She is traveling up in a coupe of days and I'll be flying up Saturday- yet this picture is unlike my others. I didn't take it and I don't know how it makes me feel. But I know how it will make me feel hopefully soon- like home. And then to my children it will feel like grandma's house. The picture is simple, well lit with the sun behind the camera and the bright blue skies behind the house that I will be traveling across in a few days when I'm on my way to what will be the newest of the many places I can feel at home.

Week 10 Track

Personally, seeing a track brings me back to my days as an athlete. Especially when the days were cloudy and overcast, those were the most comfortable days to run  because there was so much fresh air. Seeing this picture brings positive memories for me, the colors are muted and bit and there isn't much brightness, but my connection to it reminds me of how fun and comfortable it was to run in days like these, the sunlight is refracted, and everything is flatter a dimmer.

Week 10 A Friday Rainbow

Friday afternoon when I got out of class and headed home to get ready for the opening night of my DCP this quarter, I looked up and saw this beautiful rainbow in the sky. I know a rainbow is just the
reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets that allow us to see the colors that make up light, but the six year old in me still thinks they are magical! This instantly brought a smile to my lips and filled me with the desire to go on an adventure to find the end of the rainbow just to see if there is a pot of gold waiting there. Not a bad way to wrap up a crazy week!

DISCLAIMER: THIS ISN'T MY PHOTO. There is something wrong with my camera so I couldn't take any pictures, however, I went on Instagram with my laptop, and I found this photo. In Week 10, I wanted to focus on more of color and the color of the sky is so beautiful. None of it is so harsh, however, I feel as if the yellow-orange compliments the sky. It's a nice mixture, and it adds to a smoothness to it. Like the beach, it's a relaxing and calming place, and with these soft colors, it adds to the experience. 

Week 10 Fire Side Nap

I absolutely love this picture, setting, lighting, and especially the little person. The natural lighting of the fire and the lighting of the living room blend very well together and provide a feeling of comfort. I find it very intriguing how the bottom of the fire matches the blanket. The lighting of the living room helps reflect how tired he is and makes his red cheeks noticeable. Noticing how the fire isn't really high but the reflection of the fire on the glass doors give the illusion that the fire is high is interesting. I wish I would have taken a picture without the living room lights on to see how the natural lighting from the outside and fire would have looked.

Week 10: Rainy Day

I took this photo after a rainy day as the sun was coming down. These events culminated into this remaining image. I took this picture because I liked the shadows on the environment, the clouds, and the depth created with the light shining through the clouds. I liked how the light from the sun was not just a source of light shining on the scene, but instead, a part of the scene itself. For the most part, the light here is really the main focus of the image. I think it would be interesting to see a show where light didn't just enhance some other aspect, such as the characters; it would just be a show about light.

Week 10: The Eye of God

Last Monday after a particularly rewarding rehearsal I was alone in my best friend's garage when I heard a voice from the heavens. It was not, in fact, the voice of god, but a rather stern copilot ordering some party to disperse. I stood and watched for awhile, and thought of class, and thought of context, thought of the absurdity of a party that big on a Monday night, and began to cycle through all of the two-words that I could use to frame this incredible beam of light removed from it's real world context: SPACE ALIENS... EUREKA MOMENT... PROFOUND ISOLATION... INESCAPABLE TERROR... FASCIST TOTALITARIAN... THE ONE... GOD'S CALL... MEMENTO MORI... HERE, NOW... FATEFUL DECISION... TRUE LOVE... INEVITABLE DISCOVERY...

And that's what I'll remember from this class (amongst one or two things), because if I think long and hard enough, I'll keep finding two words that might just work. Context is everything.

Week 10: A Light Walk

When I took this picture, I wasn't quite sure what I was thinking and feeling at the time, although now looking back on it I fondly remember the feeling of utter contentment. This picture represents it perfectly as well by the angle and the way there is the darker areas to the lighter ones. The sky is lit up and the other scenery is just a tad dimmer in light intensity, giving the picture just enough energy without being too bright which would cancel out the calmness and flood it with jubilation. All around everything is light and open just as I had felt; the contrast off the trees provide a glow and just a feeling of freedom. To add just a cheesy part to it, there is a light at the end as if it were the light at the end of the tunnel being in this case, me being almost home and it being the end of the quarter and that I made it through. It perfectly captures what is usually thought of when someone sees a sunset and that is the end.

Week 10 Post- Maple Tree

Often on my walk to class, I stop and notice the row of maple trees standing in the courtyard. I've always loved these trees. When life feels monotonous, the green and yellow maple leaves always remind me of all the richness that surrounds me on campus when I "look closer." On sunny afternoons, light shines through the leaves and hits my face in interspersed rays. This makes me think of refraction and how light can travel through different mediums like leaves, often exposing their transparency in the process. It also makes me think of the movement of light, and how this movement seems to bring even inanimate objects to life. It's not often I have the chance to see these trees after daylight. But on Thursday night, as I waited for Woyzeck to begin, I laid down under the maple trees and glared up at the stars. In the night, the trees felt different. The green hue of the leaves was made visible by the lamp post, but in contrast to the night sky, they appeared a much darker shade of green and less saturate. The leaves appeared solid and less transparent. It made me think of how our eyes perceive color differently in relation to the colors around it- for instance the leaves under the blue sky are much warmer, brighter and saturate than they are under the night sky. When the quality of light and color change, their meanings change too. We may identify with them in completely different ways. Now, the maple trees remind me of tonality and how color effects the way we relate to objects; even moreso than other visible factors like shape or size.

Week 10: A Beautiful, Stressful Week

So I'm sure for everyone, this past week has been extremely stressful with final exams, papers, and tons of homework. I noticed that even though it was Week 10, and I was stressed and worried about my classes that it was a really beautiful week. Almost everyday the sun was shining, and the sky was clear with just the right amount of clouds. It reminded me that no matter what is going on in your life, that it's important to stop and look around at all the natural beauty that surrounds us. I feel like nature felt sorry for all of us, so it gave us a few beautiful sunny days to relieve our stress. I love how the light is almost making the clouds shine and glow in my picture. I was coming out of my acting class in the Little Theater when I shot this photo. The clouds also highlight the shade of blue that the sky was that day. I wish everyone luck on the rest of their finals. Just remember to enjoy the things around you; finals thankfully don't last forever!

Power of the Sun

A couple days ago I was walking through the UCI campus around the school of law and I noticed that the sun was beaming a lot stronger than usual. I walked through the parking lot and I was fascinated by how the light complemented the surrounding trees and nature. I definitely felt at peace and present in the moment. I looked at the sun and I saw how powerful the ball of fire was, I completely understand how one can go blind from staring too long, it's powerful and very illuminating.
I also like how there are rings of light surrounding the sun, it also compliments the clouds too.

Week 10 - The Ocean

I took this picture at Newport Beach last week and I thought there is an ocean above the ocean by having waves made of clouds in the sky. The light from the sun is coming through the clouds, which made the clouds have a brighter area and the darker area. The brighter area of the clouds look like bubbles when the water splashes, and the darker area seems that it is showing the deepness of the ocean. I also thought it is interesting that there is a big could colored with white and gray but by going further, the sky is blue and yellow with having a heaven looking sky. This contrast made me excited because it seemed that the sky is trying to imitate the ocean but could not completely imitate it. The brighter sky seems that it is having fun controlling the clouds and the light from the sun to entertain us.

Week 10 - International Pancake Day

Earlier this week, my friends and I went to IHOP to get free pancakes for international pancake day. It also happened to be one of my friend's birthdays that day as well. We drove over to the closest IHOP from campus, which was right next to the John Wayne Airport. It was a pretty nice day outside, which was a surprise considering that it had rained just the day before. There were no clouds in the sky, the sun was out, and it was breezy. I decided to take a picture while we were waiting to be called into the restaurant because I thought the sky looked beautiful that day. I enjoyed how there weren't any clouds to obstruct the sunlight, and how that created a nice blue gradient in the sky. Since everything was so bright and well lit, the atmosphere evoked a happy mood in me. Everything felt so open and free because there weren't any shadows to hide anything. I liked how everything looked really bright because it added to the excitement of my group of friends getting to spend time with each other outside of school, especially on someone's birthday.

Week 10- Attempt at Photography

While waiting for my writing class to start, I was sitting on a bench outside of PSLH, enjoying the gorgeous sunny day. Next to me were these pretty yellow flowers, gently swaying to the wind. I was admiring their beauty and suddenly had the inspiration to try and capture this moment. I got out my phone and pretended to be a photographer for the next five minutes, carefully taking a picture of this flower from multiple angles until I was finally satisfied. The result was a decent picture, at least I like to think it is. In the image depicted above, I tried to capture the essence of the flower. The bright yellow petals contrasts with the green leaves and brown earth. Its color pops and demands my full attention. The light form the sun only served to help the flower glow and show off its soft beauty. In the background, there are shadows caused by my body blocking part of the sun. However, the shadows are very subtle and doesn't take away from the overall brightness of the shot. The flower is the center of this image and evokes peaceful emotions. While looking at this picture, I can't help but feel excited for spring and the nice weather that is to come!

Week 10- What"s Not To Like

Ending this class, I have decided to save my favorite picture for last. It brings together so many things I love. I found this picture to be truly beautiful at the beginning of this quarter, but now I begin to find a different kind of beauty in the lighting. I love sunsets, always have. I love the warmth this one gives off while still keeping the "cool" colors the sky has most of the day. But, after working on all of these Our Town projects, I now realize just how visually captivation this image is. It brings in the joy and comfort that I found in Our Town and tried to create through my lighting. How amazing it is to find that exact type of feeling I was trying to create in real life. This was taken, looking out on Hunington Beach, which is basically in our backyard. Irvine may not be a small town like in the play, but it still is able to give me the same types of emotions. I view light everyday and still have a high appreciation for sunsets, but this specific sunset has even more meaning now after taking lighting design than I ever thought it would. Thank you for giving me that!

Week 10: Under the Tree, Staring Up at the Sky, Talking about Life

On Friday night, I was hanging out with a friend, and we had some time to kill before we were going to see Woyzeck.  We spent a good long time in the campus pub, and I had a few too many beers.  So, I decided to lie down on a concrete barrier and look up at the stars.  She told me to take a picture for the lighting blog, so I did.  I took a picture of my view staring up at the sky, and the tree.  The lens flare was a happy accident.  The flare from a nearby light caught on my camera, and it gave the image a whole new power.  J.J. Abrams be jealous of my lens flare game.  The light scattering across my camera lens created this image.  I looked at the harsh streak across the tree.  The tree is washed out by the scattering of the light across the lens.  I like that it forms a pattern blocking out the tree, making everything washed in tone and color.  It helped create a dynamic look.  The picture came to life when the flare shot across my camera and animated it.  It's a sort of action, and the flare almost aggressively announces its presence in the picture.  At that point ti's a declarative moment of action, of liveliness.  It was kind of amazing to look at.

Glowing Cat

This is my cat on top of a ping pong table. The ping pong table is located in a room with a window behind/ to the right of it. In the afternoon, the sun comes in through the window and shines on the ping pong table, (which is an unfortunate placement of the table, because it glares off of the surface and makes it difficult to see the ball). Last week I was playing ping pong with my mom around 2pm. Naturally, my cat jumped up and started playing with us and then got tired and plopped over in the middle of the table. The sunlight was directed at her, and because her fur is white, it did not absorb any of the light rays from the sunlight, instead reflecting them all back to our eyes. She was glowing. This glowing effect was even more pronounced because the ping pong table and the walls are dark blue, and absorb most of the colors of light from the sunlight, so most of the light did not get bounced off of them and they ended up with much lower intensities than she did. The initial feeling I had looking at her was awe, because she looked beautiful and almost holy, like the effect we describe from the backlight PAR. My next reaction, once I processed my thoughts of a glowing cat, was that it was hilarious, just because of the situation. I've often seen pictures of cats where the eyes glow because they reflect light, but I've never seen glowing fur before. My final reaction was again beauty and happiness. The whole situation brought joy to my day, but on top of that, the contrast of the darkness of the backround and the brightness of her fur was pleasing to my eyes. It brought to focus and attention to her instead of to the world around her, but the brightness did not hurt my eyes because it was balanced and relieved by the darkness, and did not overwhelm me. This is actually my computer wallpaper now because I enjoyed it so much.

Week 10 - LED Ferris Wheel

I am not necessarily fond of selfies, but this particular picture has some unique lighting and context that's worth sharing. On Saturday, March 5th I went on a night stroll through the Irvine Spectrum with some good friends of mine and I couldn't help but noticing the newly refurbished, colossal, and bright LED lit Ferris Wheel. I am very much afraid of heights, which explains why I was never really into the idea of riding a giant Ferris Wheel anytime soon. However, I must say that it was the first instance in my life in which a composition of beautifully colored lights lured me in to do something adventurous and daring. I decided to take a leap and go for the ride. I was quickly caught off guard by the ambient lighting in each gondola which truly set a relaxing mood for the whole ride. I was very surprised by the fact that I didn't even feel a bit uncomfortable, instead, I was thoroughly enjoying the wonderful view of the city at night. I captured this picture when I was all the way on top, and I was luckily able to include both the panoramic view as well as the fading LED lights in one shot. It was genuinely a one of a kind experience that would not have been the same if I did not pay such particular attention to lighting design. It's experiences like these that make you appreciate design classes, because you start realizing how the concepts you learn tie directly to your everyday life. Thank you, Lonnie, for such a well-executed and thorough learning experience.

Week 10: We Are Infinite

This photo was taken on the pier at Newport Beach a couple weeks back. I love this photo because it has a feeling of connection and unity. I have also started looking at light in the capacity of how it can affect a story and what pictures inspire me with ideas. Along with the circles of light I also really like the background. It's supports the lights really nicely. When looking at this picture, the feeling reminds me of the book and movie Perks Of Being A Wallflower. The ending moments in the show, have the three main characters going through a tunnel and the lead character is riding in the back trunk of the truck with his hands stretching upwards to the top of the tunnel and you can see at the end of the tunnel where the colors are changing and becoming closer by the second, encompassing the whole view. Part of the monologue that Charlie (lead character) states is,

"I can see it. This one moment when you

know you’re not a sad story. You are alive. And as you stand up and see the lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you are listening to that song, on that drive, with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear…… we are infinite."

I really connected with this picture, this story, this lighting class, and these blogs that we have been doing.

Au Revoir,

Not Goodbye,

A 

Week 8 - Art or Light or Both

This is the side of The Claire. I was walking along and looked up and thought, "That looks like a piece of modern art." Then I realized it was light. It was just the afternoon sunlight reflecting of the windows and onto the wall of the theatre. I think it's kind of lovely. I'm not sure what my emotional response is to it, but it did make me stop and stand in wonder.  I just stood there looking at this piece of art created by reflected light for about ten minutes of my day. It's kind of amazing what all can be created with just light.

Week 8- I Never Stand Alone

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"I Never Stand Alone." This is what the name of my dance team here at UCI stands for. The picture above is of me and my Big right before our performance for Care-a-thon. I remember that day clearly, as it was the first time we all performed with our official jerseys on. My team members and I were ecstatic, because we could finally come together as a team and represent who we are to the rest of the people on campus. I had my friend take this photo to commemorate this wonderful memory. In this picture, you can clearly see the source of light coming from the sun. Despite it being sunset, the sun still shines brightly in the corner, fully sculpting the silhouettes of me and friend. The sun also creates some shadows behind me and my Big as well as the trees in the background. The sky can be seen clearly in the background and the lush greenery provides a nice complement to the setting sun. All these elements come together and create a warm and happy mood. There is no darkness or harshness in the colors and the rays from the sun invoke peaceful thoughts.  

Week 8. Light Shining Through

So I really love this picture. Not because I'm in it of course, I'm not trying to post a picture and be like "look at Alyssa" but because I love how the light is coming through this picture. Seeing how the sun progresses throughout the day, I have found this particular spot where the light is incredibly beautiful right before the sun sets (hence the light in this picture, along with the beautiful lens flares! I had too much fun modeling in this spot with the sun. Also by doing these blogs, I have attained a better attention for detail in pictures as well as light in my every day living. Something else I noticed in the picture are the shadows on the wall that the light from the sun creates, as well as all the places the sun touches on my body. This lighting class in general has really given me an appreciation light and all of its attributes. 

Au Revoir,

A 

Week 8: To Infinity, and Beyond!

 One of the rides I always look forward to at Disneyland is Astro Blasters. Toy Story had been one of my favorite movies ever since I was a child, and I always have so much fun trying to beat my last high score while trying to fight off the evil Emperor Zurg. One of the aspects of the ride that I was always intrigued by was the room in which we would pass by Buzz Lightyear. There he would stand, life-sized, moving, and speaking, and introducing the plan of attack to each of the riders. The Etch-a-sketch screen behind him detailing our plans was an element that really helped us get into the mood of the ride, as well as the lighting in the room that set the location as being inside a spaceship.

But the thing that always made me so curious lighting wise, was the method in which Disneyland was able to use lighting in order to create Buzz's face. Every time I walked by and examined him, I would always think about it but could never figure it out. Was his face a projection? There seemed to be projectors on the ceiling. However his face and body would move--wouldn't that make such detailed and specific projection difficult? And if, after all, his face was created from a projection of light from elsewhere, would the face projection be moving along with however the animatronic body was moving? It seemed that his face itself was shaped as well, for example, his protruding nose and chin. So then I thought that with such a specific shape, that perhaps his face was a screen itself, like an LED screen of some sort. Just from looking at this picture, the lighting upon Buzz's face is so perfectly placed that it looks as though his face could truly be there. And yet, in the picture, the camera wasn't able to completely capture  the details of his face, making it slightly blurry or hard to see. This seems, to my knowledge, to prove that his face really is made of light, either by screen or projection.

Though I have yet to figure out exactly how this is done, I am still always amazed by the magic of lighting. I will have to keep riding Astro Blasters many more times in order to try and examine and figure out exactly how Buzz comes to life!

-Diane Ho
P.S. I'm so sorry this blog post is so late at night! I've been dealing with internet outage and have finally been able to get in and post it! Hope that is alright!!

Week 8: Fireworks

I saw a fireworks show up close last weekend, and I was amazed by the spectacle of it all. It really made me think about how light, something most of us see every day, can make us feel different emotions based on the different forms it can take. Even the size of light could affect how we feel about it. This picture reminded me of how we can use different "brush strokes" to elicit different emotions from the audience. This picture shows a 10 inch shell, and these fireworks are usually reserved for large shows and finales. 2 inch shells are nothing compared to this, and 2 inch shells are pretty boring on their own. 10 inch shells, on the other hand, are usually fired on their own to produce awe from the audience, and I was certainly awed by it.

Seaside Donuts Week 8

Here is the sign for Seaside Donuts Bakery, I recently went with friends on a late night trip. The lighting is bright and cheerful, to me it evokes a feeling of happiness, and now this place is an extension of my home here in Irvine. The lights, even though they aren't particularly powerful, make a very fluffy and warm. This dim lighting though weak, envelops the sign softly. looking at this just makes me feel happy and warm, and makes things around here seem closer, more familiar and comfortable.

Week #8 Starbucks Sentiment

I work at Starbucks and I like to explore different ones around the area; this is a starbucks in Santa Ana on Bristol and Warner. I happened to catch its sign on a good day, despite what the picture shows. What caught me about this was the color and angle the light hit it at. The color of the building and sky retain vibrancy, while there being some hints of shadows from the sign. The day was also a particularly bittersweet day to me as I had taken this after visiting my old store and I felt, considering, the projects we have been working on it relates as it depicts the setting as well as the emotional state. It was bright and vibrant as I visited and had nostalgia hit me, but the shadows accurately show the shadow that was left over me as I left and remembered it wasn't my store anymore. It also wasn't too bright and blinding on the front just a nice, muted light that didn't overpower. It says what I couldn't say.

Week 8

Last week, I celebrated one of my best friend's 21st birthday and since she absolutely adores the beach, we went there! In addition, SHE LOVES TAKING PICTURES THERE, especially when it's about to be sunset! What she loves is taking photos of her doing some kind of activity, ranging from her dancing, jumping, running, playing with her tambourine, and just standing there admiring the ocean. And I took a lot of photos of her, but this was my favorite. For her birthday, she really wanted a tambourine and her parents got her one. And what I love is how the sun is like the par/source and is pushing her out, making her have some kind of highlation around her figure. But what I love is that she is fully in shadow, and instead, you just see her silhouette. This picture captures her calm energy and just her plain beauty for me, as she poses with her instrument (which becomes see through due to the sun). I don't know why, but not being able to see her gives her this gentle feeling to me.

Week 8: Reina

This is Reina. I have many pictures like this of Reina. She has been in my family for... for a long time now. She was a rescue, so her age is approximate, but she's either 18 or 19. In human years. She's old. She's almost gone, and that will be a hard day.

She moved out with my sister a few years ago, and when my sister leaves town we take care of her. Like I said I have had many photos of her in a similar framing: her silhouette, patiently waiting by the door for my sister. I've often wondered what her thoughts were like as she stared into the light-rectangle that is our front door: it seems to be promise, the outside world, the place that her loved ones return from.

But this time, the picture is her wandering off, rejecting the light as she goes to do... dog things. But through her, this light-rectangle has become a strong symbol I think of often.

Week 8

It was a Tuesday night and I was walking home from the store with a bottle of cabernet and a pint of vanilla ice cream in my hand- as I usually do when my roommate's parents come over for dinner. On this particular occasion, a full moon rested over me in the sky. It was about 7 PM and families began to gather for dinner through the window's of each house I passed. Under the dim glow of street lights, l could see only the silhouettes of the trees standing in their yards. I turned the corner of the block and noticed a string of yellow lights laced between the branches of a backyard tree. It's slight flicker gave life to an otherwise motionless portrait of an empty home. It created a sepia-toned aura around the backyard that felt very nostalgic to me. The light source was simple and minimal. It's amber hue complemented the milky glow of the moon- a combination of warmth and cool. It was pleasing to the eye and-much like music- it had the ability to transport me to places residing in my memory and imagination.

Week 8 - Hollywood Sunset

I had the pleasure of watching the sunset from Hollywood Hills on Saturday evening. Even though Los Angeles was covered in its usual thick, brown, mucky smog, the air in the hills was clear and refreshing. I hiked up Mt. Hollywood trail, located next to the Griffith Observatory, to get a closer view of the iconic Hollywood sign. Once I had reached Tiffany & Co Outlook, which offered a place to rest and enjoy panoramic views, I stopped to capture this picture. It was difficult to choose just one picture from my adventure because this place of feed a wide range of breathtaking views. I ended up choosing this particular photograph because of the gorgeous colors, left behind by the sunset, that painted the sky. The yellow and orange hues reflected feelings of warmth and triumph, and captured the essence of a successful day spent in the city of angels.

Week 8- Last time for a while

I snapped this photo on a visit home last weekend as took a break from packing. Our two dogs joined me on my bed pretty quick, and despite it being unmade I didn't feel like having them leave. This would be the last time in this apartment before the move to Idaho and the bed will probably need to be thrown out soon anyway. I took this snapshot of the moment and took a nap, Relaxed but just a little remorseful at watching one of the final stages of my childhood coming to an end.

Week 8 - Foggy Day

This morning, I was walking to campus from my dorm in Arroyo Vista. It was about 8:30 in the morning and it was pretty cold and foggy. The reason why I took this photo was because I liked foggy days and the lack of sunlight in the photo adds to the darkness of the atmosphere. I thought that the absence of sunlight, combined with the fog, made me feel like I was walking through an abandoned or unknown place. The fact that I couldn't see what was in the distance made me feel really alone, like I was just wandering around. Also, since it was so dark for a February morning in Southern California, there was an underlying feeling of ominousness. I felt like someone or something could just walk out of the fog at any moment and scare me. 

Week 8- The Window

My apartment overlooks a small fields of trees and ivy.  It's something that I walk by every day without really acknowledging.  However, today struck me as interesting.  As I sat at my coffee table, I noticed that I really don't keep lights on.  I use this window for most light throughout the day, and only use the indoor lights when absolutely necessary.  There is a kind of interesting dynamic between shadow and light.  Most of my apartment is cast in shadow throughout most of the day, but it isn't dim.  It's not hard to see.  The light refracts off of the white walls and bounces around the apartment providing a huge amount of light from such a small window.  It's incredible that each part of the apartment is illuminated, or maybe my eyes are just adjusted to the dim light being thrown around.  The sunlight is forced into the room at an angle, but still finds a way to bounce around the room and illuminate the details of the space.  It's a comforting light, and doesn't contrast ominous shadow.  Even at night, the apartment is illuminated by the light of the moon, and the outside street lamps.  This window is the main source of light throughout the day, and provides the perfect amount of light to keep the room comfortable and easy to see.  It's a beautiful source of light throughout the day, and when the sun sets, is the only time the indoor lights have to come on.  It's just the power of natural light at work.

Week 8 - Brilliant Lights of Seattle

I was in Seattle the other weekend and took a Lyft to the airport. I was sad to leave, but also couldn't help but admire the lights strung in the trees lining the street. The twilight setting created a brilliant periwinkle sky and dark shadows for buildings and trees. This made all of the lights on the street pop out and almost blur together. The string lights in the trees, the stop lights and the cars' brake lights created a collage of twinkling lights shining in the night. The sheer number of lights, each more intense than the darkness around it, was overwhelming and captured my full attention. I couldn't look away. The enticing beauty and energy of so many lights on one street made me really not want to leave, especially because it reminded me of the exciting experiences and magical memories that I associate with being in Seattle.

Week 8 - Turtle Rock

This picture was taken when I went to the Turtle Rock to see the view from there. It was interesting that it was not that bright around Irvine and the sky was really dark above, but when I saw around the LA area, it was much brighter and the sky looked bright as well. From my point of view, Irvine area seemed like it is our past and in the LA area seemed like it is our future. Before lights were invented, people used to utilize candle lights, which did not have that much brightness. At that time, the air must had been cleaner and the sky should have been darker with full of stars. However, LA area seems that the place that we all live by using the electricity lights. The air have gotten dustier and the sky changed to a brighter blue. All of the lights in this picture made me think of the past history and the future that we all live in by thinking how the world changed in the past decade.

The Moon

This is a picture of the full moon earlier this week. I know the quality of this picture isn't the best, but when all you have is an iPhone what can you do? I thought that the moon looked really beautiful this week. If you've ever noticed, when the moon is really low in the sky early at night it sometimes looks golden or yellow. I think it's interesting how the position of the moon in the sky effects it's color. It goes from golden yellow to a bright pearly white the higher in the sky it gets. There was also a full moon this week, so it looked really big and full as well.

Week 8: Wheel of Light

When I am at Disneyland, I notice the lighting and the way it effects me more than I do in daily routine. This was a picture I took a couple weeks ago when I was admiring the scenery around me. I looked up and saw this wondrous trick the sunlight was doing to my eyes and to my camera. The backlighting from the sun created a beautiful, but not yet complete, silhouette of the ferris wheel in California Adventure. I definitely love the way the sun can play and change up our tradition ways of seeing light, especially when our common source of light is the sun. The multitude of shapes, images, and effects the sun can make always stuns me. This is one of my many silhouette and shadowed pictures that I have taken lately. I know I still and probably always will lean more towards lighting done in this fashion, but it is neat to see the different ways in which I see the light after taking this class.

Week 8: Sun Rays

If it were one thing I love about this it's the rays of the sun. I absolutely love whenever I see rays coming through trees or builldings. The rays give me a positive and happy sensation. I also think it is beautiful how the fog even reflects the light of the sun and makes the scenery a bit spooky. When I look at the fog long enough it also looks as if the picture is blurry but it is not. There are two very opposite elements in this picture, darkness and light. The reflection of the sun on the pool definitely captures my attention first but as I continue to look there is a darkness further to the left. Like a sunrise, this picture really captures darkness dispersing and light creeping on it.

Week 8

I selected this photo because it was a cake I purchased for my sisters baby shower, since we were not sure what the baby was going to be we asked the bakery to put pink and blue as well as some yellow. It was such an awesome day, it is very rare when a lot of my family gathers together and this was one of those days where they all set their differences aside and came together . The cake was delicious, looked great, and it was a splendid memorable day.

Week 6- Home for Christmas

I took this photo after my Mom and brother went to bed the first day I came home for Winter break. We live in a small apartment so we have used a small tree to decorate for some time. It made me feel nostalgic and like I was truly home for Christmas. It is also the last time I'mm go home to that apartment for Christmas with my family moving to Idaho so I wanted to be sure to take a picture, which could serve the duel purpose of trying out my new phones. The phone captured the shot much better than my old one with each light shining even brighter than they did before my.  I will keep this quiet moment of what my home was on that day forever.

Week 6 Trees of UCI

While walking out of class one day I happened to notice the lack of shadows. That's because it was a cloudy day. The clouds created a refraction of the light. the colors of everything seem a bit more muted than they would otherwise. This made feel a bit uneasy at first. Cloudy days can be associated with gloomier feelings and more negativity. However, the look of it can also be relaxing, which is how I felt after a while. This picture can be interpreted differently depending on context. I look at this picture and think about how it might rain, and I didn't prepare myself for it. But it can also make me feel relieved because it's a break in the hot weather.

Week 6: Silhouetting

On a walk to class as the sun set in the distance, I knew I just had to take a picture of what I was seeing. I am infinitely interested in silhouetting, and it's often used in my photography. The combination of a silhouette and my fascination with California sunsets led to me taking this photo. The warmness of the sunset behind the tress makes them more difficult to see, more difficult to discern. This scene appeared very mysteriously and was much more engaging and intriguing, as I had seen this areas several times but was never compelled to take a photo of it until then. I'm not fond of the lower parts of the photo that is more lighted from the front and has lights. With that said, the bottom section grounds the image and provides realistic and relatable features that don't make the image entirely mysterious or unknown. The dark against the cool, brighter background makes it more intense and gives more attention to what isn't lighted (in this case, the trees).

Toute a l'heure,

Jerel Xander Aurelio Cabesas

Week 8: Mysterious Moon

During this night in Irvine I was walking at night to have some solitude and I noticed a very mysterious moon. I simply had to take a picture of it and even though its fuzzy I can still get a sense of an eerie mysterious romance mood. The moon almost glistens like the sun and it was just a weird observation I had. The picture almost resembles a painting in a way it's pretty cool. This moon just gives a very mysterious energy, it feels like something is going to happen and there's this uncertainty of what its going to be like.

Wonderous Sunlight

During my first Quarter in UCI me and my roommate decided to drive and chill out at Laguna Beach and I found this wonderful view of the sunrise. It was amazing I felt at peace and the sunlight was very blissful. It was like mother nature was calming my nerves and allowing me to find peace with in regardless of whatever stress is going on in life. It was a great experience and I love how the Sun reflects over the mountains Trees and Ocean. It was excellent and I imagined dolphins just diving into the air full of excitement. It was a great time with light and realized just how effective light can be in effecting the mood of people. This was a wonderful time and the beach and I am definitely going again.

Night Drive

Night Drive

    Last week my roommate and I took a drive down to our home town of San Diego. It was 5:30- rush hour- so we took PCH, a beautiful alternative to the 405. The last orange glow of daylight rested on the horizon as we approached the long stretch of the coast. Under it, the pacific ocean glistened like a bed of diamonds. We pulled up to a stop light less than a quarter mile from the highway and I noticed the small crescent moon was already visible in the sky. The glow of the street lights shined over the intersection, making it known that the transition to night time was making it's way. The luminescence of that scene made me feel so alive. The blend of the lambent evening sky and the vibrant neon of the automotive lights transmitted a warm energy. There was a buzz in the air, but there was also a calmness. It reminded me of that song "Sometimes I Get a Good Feeling," because that's what the light of that scene was for me, a blend of good feelings.

Week 6 - Sparkles

Last weekend I went to Rodeo Dr. to see a Van Cleef and Arpel Museum. The lighting on this piece really caught my eye. It was just a small broach of diamonds, but each diamond reflected many lights of many different colors. This picture doesn't even capture all of the lights reflecting from each stone. My first reaction was awe- I couldn't stop staring. Then the brooch just seemed mystifying and made me really happy. Now that I think about it, the diamonds must each have been very colorless and cut to form a sort of prism, bringing out all of the colors in the white lights shining down on it. It is amazing craftsmanship, but more amazing is physics in the natural world, that so much beauty can be held in a stone.

Week 6: Trees

So, earlier this week I was down at my mom's house in Mission Viejo. I had been out running errands with her and it had started to get late. When I was leaving I noticed the way the trees outside her house looked in the fading sunlight. It created a dark shadow, but some fading sunlight could still be seen in the background. This picture reminds of me of something out of a fairy take book. To me it has a mystical, magical presence. The blue and purple colors make me feel calm and serene, and the clouds look like a painting. The branches in this picture seem rather enchanting in this light as well. Going back to what I said about it looking like something out of a fairy tale, I would not be surprised if a fairy or magical creature were in this photo.

Week 6 - The Beach

My best friend, who is from Northern California, had a business trip in Southern California and I had the chance to finally meet up with her again after a few months of having not seen each other. We spontaneously decided to drive out to the beach together, even though we weren't really prepared for it at all. Spontaneity is something that, after 8 years of friendship, we always wanted to try, and so this short trip to the beach with her was really meaningful and fun! 

I hadn't really been to Newport Beach much, despite living so close, and both she and I were so shocked by its warmth and brightness. In NorCal, the beaches can often be cold, cloudy and a bit dreary at times. While those beaches revealed more greyish teal tones, instead we were met by a clear blue sky which allowed the sun to beam down on the beach around us. This can even be seen in how the light rays are shining down in the photo, which I find really pretty! The light also allowed us to see the ocean's color of blueish green, and the water was clear as well when we stepped into it. It really made me think about reflection, and about how the sunlight can even reflect the sediments in the ocean to reveal the pretty blue color to us, just as how we use such reflections in stage lighting. We were grateful for SoCal's warm weather and for the sun working as our source of light that day! Our trip to the beach felt a bit unreal, since it was unlike all of our previous beach trips before. But perhaps it was enhanced by the fact that I was there with my best friend as well!