Spring Break Roadtrip

This spring break I drove from Irvine to Salt Lake City, Utah for a very good friends wedding. It is about a ten hour drive and along the way you pass through so many different type of landscapes. Some are barren and desolate and some are lush, rolling and vibrant. We had the privilege of making the journey in the morning through the day then on the way back we left in the afternoon and drove late into the night. I was in awe over the changes in light over the course of the journey and number of times in Salt Lake that I was so effected by lighting.

The red rocks in southern Utah are so grand and vibrant. In the sunlight they have a powerful overwhelming presence however when you drive through at night you do not even know they are there. As the sun began to set the colors changed on the rocks and became more rich and romantic with hints of lavenders and many warm ambers highlighting the contours in the huge rock walls.

One of my other favorite moments was when we were leaving the reception in the evening and we were on a hill over looking the city. The air was so crisp and clear the city seemed to dance and twinkle. It was like looking at a million stars upside down and standing above it all gave me the feeling of being weightless. I loved thinking that the majority of the light we were seeing was to keep people safe at night but from this vantage point the utilitarian lighting took on a beautiful new life that made the city feel enchanted.

One last image I love was a photo taken with my friend the night before her wedding. We went on a walk around the temple that she was to be married at the next morning. The temple was light up like a Christmas tree and she was shining just as bright with all the happiness and excitement of her soon to be marriage. Now I am not a very religious person but seeing how much this place meant to my friend was so exciting. I began to think how as designers we always have a duty to serve whatever we are working with. Had the lighting not been so magical I feel like my friend would not have had such a visceral response to the building. Whether it is text or a building it is our jobs as designers to capture the spirit and help it to shine through the darkness.

Lighting in Vegas-50C-Brady Jay King

Everyone should go see the Cirque du Soleil show, KA!  The image below was not taken by me but was pulled from the Cirque du Soleil website.  I went to see this show this past weekend and this is what I walked into and I could not believe my eyes.  The spectacle of the show is not just in the actual run of the show but in the lobby and all around the audience seating.  

This image contains three types of lighting.  

-There is the theatrical lighting that gives the structure and the area surrounding a color and texture wash.  This created an immersive atmosphere for the audience as they walked into the space.  

-The character fixtures were flood lights that added illumination to the structure.  These fixtures also have an industrial quality to them that adds to the aesthetic of the show.  

-The third type of lighting is hard to categorize but I feel needs to be separated from the other two lighting approaches.  This category is the lighting that is not seen but are imbedded into the actual architecture.  It is lighting that is actually part of the architecture.  The circular pods at the bottom of the columns give the structure a sense of life.  The light is adding a magic to the structure that gives lift to the scenery and playing space.  

The atmospheric lighting and the character fixtures along with the lights imbedded into the structure creates an engaging atmosphere that helps to tell a story and immerse you into that story.  

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Las Vegas is a world of light.  Everything is accented by colored lighting effects and shadow.  A lot of the lighting is spectacular and jaw-dropping.  Some of the lighting is a lot little over the top and some times hard to take.  Beyond the flashing and blinding lights there are compositions of lighting that are subtle yet beautiful.

The image below was taken in front of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.  In the distance is the Cosmopolitan Hotel.  What I loved about this image is that it gave me a breath from the flashing, clashing light of the rest of the Vegas strip.  I appreciate that side of Vegas but it is overwhelming at times.  

I enjoy the elegant accent lighting on the Bellagio.  It is warm and simple but still makes a bold and iconic statement in its appearance.  The pool in front of the hotel has caverns and arches that are lined with a deep blue LED.  This gives a rich illumination to the architecture as well as a great reflection on top of the water.  Notice the blue LEDs on the right side of the picture and how these are beneath the water.  The blue LEDs on the left side of the water are above the water and they are spreading more because of the angle of reflection.  

As for the Cosmopolitan Hotel, it is also simple.  The offsetting blue light bars are intriguing.  What if the blue light bars lined the building all the way around on every floor?  It would be spectacular and interesting but I would be afraid that it would become obtrusive.  The two hotels are a great compliment to each other.  They both have there lighting personalities, contemporary vs. elegance and both are sophisticated.  There is no light spill that distracts from one or the other.  

This is a great breath of fresh light!

Welcome!!

Hello!

Welcome to the blog for 50C: Introduction to Lighting Design.

As we move through the quarter, I hope that your eyes will adapt to seeing light in a whole new way.  Perhaps you'll see colors you've never noticed before, you may recognize the angle of a certain light, maybe you will find ways to articulate how light makes you feel.

In order to assist with this process, I've created this blog so that each and every one of you may contribute a short piece every other week on an aspect of light that you have noticed throughout your journeys.  This can include a particular moment in a play, a beautiful sunset, a great rock concert of a well lit store.  Anything and everything can be included.  I only ask that you take this assignment seriously, remember that your posting count towards your final grade.

If you have photos to include with your post then please add them.  We'd love to see what you are describing!

Just think of the illimitable abundance and the marvelous loveliness of light, or of the beauty of the sun and the moon and stars.
St. Augustine

A given visual phenomenon may not be perceived at all unless it is actively looked for.
Bumham, Hanes and Barteson

Thanks and Happy Blogging!
Jaymi