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!