Rainbow on the Horizon - Week 4

Last night I was at Huntington Beach, hoping to get a nice sunset picture to use for the blog. To my distress I was still eating as the sun went down, and it was difficult to get a picture from inside the restaurant. Luckily for me when I made it outside I happened upon this glorious phenomenon that I have never noticed before. The picture does not do it justice, but in person there was this amazingly clear rainbow effect that you could see stretching from the horizon into the deep blue of the night sky. Right at the horizon there is the red and orange, a little bit of fuzzy yellow in the middle, and then very clear green through violet at the top. I don't know how many times I've been on a beach at sunset and never noticed this before, but now that I see it I'll be sure to look for it from now on.

As far as how this applies to lighting, I think I'll have a much better understanding of how to make a realistic sunset with light. Traditionally you kind of think of just oranges and pinks, but seeing how every color is visibly present I think could become a very nice effect when projected onto a cyc.

Week 4 my safe haven at sunset

I love going home. I also love taking pictures while being home. This picture was taken in my home town Yucaipa, California at sunset. I chose this photo because I really enjoy everything about it especially the glow behind the hillside. A lot of times when the sun is setting we see a lot of pink, purple, and orange light, but what I really enjoyed about this photo was the purity of the hue.
It's interesting though, because even though the sun is giving off what looks to be a white light in the sky, it is also showing an orange glow on the ground. Also, it was a fairly cold winter day when I took this photo, which you can see by the lack of leaves on the tree, but the lighting makes this place look warm and alluring. The tree adds dimension and texture as well as interesting shadows that help set a romantic tone.
It feels like the perfect spot to have a picnic in the spring.

Week 4 - Light and Trees

The other day, I was walking around Campus Village and I spotted this beautiful tree with white flowers. I loved the fact that the sun was illuminating the white flowers making them more whiter than they actually appear. Not only does the light illuminate the flowers but it makes the shows different shades of green from the individual leaves. This reminded me of the terms we learned in class like brightness and the idea that the only reason why we see color is because of the lights that reflect off from the actual object. In other words without light the actual white flowers are black! And with brightness, I feel it was definitely because of the light's certain transmission, which was probably really high since the sun was out, that caused the illuminated look. Also the brightness of the light also gave this picture a cheerful, light mood. I also thought that that the flowers and leaves in this pictures sort of acted like a gel. The sun pierced through these "gels" to give off different colors based on the brightness of the light. Overall I really enjoy this assignment because it brings awareness of how crucial light is and its ability to creates different moods, colors, and so much more.

Week 4- Fiery Sunsets

I normally get up at around 7 a.m. for a run on the beach, as I live in Newport. One day this week, however, I chose to wait until the afternoon/evening when I was done with my classes for the day. At around 5:20 on my way back I realized that I could not stop looking off to my left to see the blazing fire lighting up the sky. The sun was so orange and the sky around it was brushed with golds, ambers, pinks and so many other colors that it looked as though I was gazing into a fire. In contrast to the blackening ocean, it set off a hellish tone, yet intriguing all at the same time. It was a sensual array of hues and shades.  Had I run in the morning I may have missed the chance to actually step out onto the sand and capture the deep contrast of sky and water, who's view is normally calming and serene. Now I have a photo that represents the other side of nature.

Week 4: Book Lights

I had heard really great things about the Newport Beach library but had never gotten a chance to go. When I got out of the elevator and turned to my right and saw the enormous glass windows with a straight shot view of the ocean, I knew why everyone raved about it. Heading around the corner, I came into this room and stopped dead in my tracks. The way they had set the lights above the shelves to highlight the display of books was so amazing to me. It was as if they were illuminating the knowledge an even more extreme level that silently called out, "read me!" On top of the installed lighting was the incredible skylights in the ceiling that allowed a soft blue glow of natural light to fill the room as well. It create a warm, welcoming, sit and stay awhile feeling. Let's just say that I did! 

Week 4- Morning Sun

I took this picture in the morning at about 7:30am in Irvine, and what caught my attention were the clouds with the different layers and textures of light reflecting off of by the design of clouds. When I took out my camera for the picture, the frame showed the trees holding up the light, which I didn’t notice until I saw the frame on my camera. The sun looks like it fits right in the tree tops. This makes me think of something precious, or the emergence of new knowledge.

The shadowed trees on either side give contrast, drawing attention to the two trees in the middle. I also like the horizontal lines at the base of the tree tops because it connects all the trees together, but still being most lit in the center, draws attention up to the two in the middle with the full amount of light.

Week #4: Where I live

   I took this picture at the end of my street, it is in Newport Beach on 28th street. I think what spoke to me the most was the wide wash of light that the sun gave off--such an intense yellow with oranges around the silhouette of Catalina Island. It got me thinking of the kelvin temperatures and the color we're seeing but the actual temperature is cool though we associate it with being hot or warmer. Though this may seem like my last picture I thought that it had a different mood or feeling because of the angle of the picture. Where the previous one was high and angular it seemed final, almost an ending. While this one is head on and is a wide wash of color and light. I find it more romantic and serene instead of epic and overwhelming. The light colors of the sky from the reflection of the sunset are beautifully contrasted with the black sand and black silhouette of the lifeguard tour. Also the beauty comes from the layering of the colors, from the light lavender, the bright intense yellow, and deep black.