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.