Fall is absolutely my favorite time of the year, the colors are nothing short of breath taking. This picture was taken at Peninsula State Park and it is interesting to look at the colors that inhabit this picture. Right in the foreground of the picture are trees that are a dark green, almost black looking probably because they are in the shadows of the bluff overlooking the rest of the trees. The colored leaves on the trees seem to be very intense the closer to the foreground they are and more dull, grey and white looking the more they are in the background of the picture. Does this happen just because the distance makes the color less intense? I enjoy the bursts of orange amongst the yellow and green. It pulls my eyes to look at those trees, and while there are a lot of trees with orange leaves. There is not two trees that look the same or have the same intensity

Cannonball!

I went swimming in an indoor pool today and while I was swimming around i noticed how different things look under the water. Things look bluer mostly because of the standard blue lining inside the pool but that intense indigo blue makes things look brighter, more vibrant. The fluorescent lights overhead give off a white light that shines through clear water meeting the blue liner and transforming the objects in the pool into brighter more lively colors. My baby blue swimming trunks quickly became brighter giving off hints of yellow and five other shades of blue. Don't get me started on hair. One would think that being wet the hair would simply look darker which is true but it gets brighter as well. The reflections of the light and liner intensify the color and natural highlights in my friends hair as well as my own.

In the Middle of the Street

I grew up in an orange rust color house that as everything changed color depending on the kind and amount of light that hit it. I have one vivid memory of going outside just before a large thunderstorm and looking at my house. The sky was red yellow and by projecting itself on my house, it was turned into a glowing orange color. There were strong hints of black and grey reflecting off its tall walls. I remember thinking that it looked so eerie, that it no longer looked like my house just because it no longer had the same color.

Downtown Las Vegas, the sky illuminated by neon signs and just looking down the strip I seek the two extreme opposites of the spectrum. I see pure black but I also see bright, intense color that finds its way into to black and controls it until the black dominates it and the color cannot stand on its own any longer. There is such a variety of color on ste strip that one is able to see and experience that upon first glance, much is lost. In this picture the purple and yellow dominate and catch the attention of my eyes. I primarly see the yellows while much of the deeper, darker colors get taken over. I am not quite sure why purple and yellow are really the primary colors I can pick out in this picture. Purple is such a deep color that I am suprised it can stand out that well in the dark, especially against yellow.

One Small Step

I love the moon. I think it is mystical, beautiful and bright. I particularly love it when it is full and the smallest things are lit so beautifully. For example, when I am sitting my room with the lights out just as I am thinking about going to sleep it looks as if i left a light on the room is so well illuminated. Whatever the moon catches it changes and transforms it into a glowing blue color. The whites become brighter and the darks are darker. The sheets on my bed are a dark blue that turns slightly white while glowing brightly cast almost aside while the white strips take over the intensity. The moon makes the wood of my stained bed posts lose all of its original color and simply reflect the white light that pratically makes me squint my eyes.

Got My Ticket

I went to a concert recently and noticed I spent much of my time there looking at the lights used to light the stage and performers and what exactly the light was doing. I enjoyed very much how the light reflected off the drum set. At times pinks and blues were used to light the stage and the colors and colors in the shadows that were showing up were magnificent! The gold from the cymbals and the light coming from the fixtures mixed to make a wonderful compliment to the music I was listening to. I thoroughly enjoyed the blues, pinks and hay yellows used throughout the show to light the stage and performers. I realized during the show that a lighting technician needs to light the performers just as well as the stage, that when done well the color seen during the show can enhance the experience ten fold.

It's Getting Dark in Here

Sunsets are amazing, they are never the same twice in a row. Take this one above for example, it is not how i would describe a sunset that everyone thinks of. There are spectacular pinks and purples taking up the sky. There are light blues that are the base of the sky, the color behind the bright pinks and oranges that streak the sky. These colors are reflecting on the ocean turning it into a grey blue/purple color. The sand on the beach as it turns cold from the absence of the sun takes on grey, blue, brown and blacks that shadow the thousands of foot prints others have left behind. The gradient is also stunning and adds to the color and pleasing view to the eye. The background of the sky is not the same all the way accross, it is lighter and darker in some areas than others as well.

Good Day Sunshine

Seen here is a picture of the sunrise on Sanibel Island, FL. I love this picture because the colors are so different and intense than they are at 12 noon that I find it incredibly pleasing to look at. The intense yellows and oranges given off of the sun as it is coming over the water is taking over the buildings and changing its color from beige to orange/yellow. The sun makes the red roof tiles a dark maroon color and the grass a deep dark green. The white/grey sand is turned into a purple, pink, orange color. The wet sand once grey is not a grey purple blue with birsts of white coming from the sea shells.

Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow

Rainy days in my opinion are best enjoyed inside a warm house looking out at the grey world. Everything is wet and therefore darker then usual. Cars gleam as the rain falls off its sides, the ground that was once full of grey, black and white spots is now a deep grey and wet black turning my shoes also a darker color as they get wet. The sky is covered by clouds and the sun trying to peak through turnes a pale white and grey mixture. This color lights up the world without letting any bright, true colors be exposed or seen by anyone.

Burning Down the House

I have lately been missing door county. I spend my days wishing I was sitting by a fire for all hours of the day staring into its beauty. There is something about a fire than one cannot look away from. The way it dances in the air and on the wood it is far better than watching the tv at night. It is fasinating to watch the flames slowly take over the logs. A log starts out as something that is brown, dark, lost in the shadows of the night and dirt it sits in. But as a flame creeps towards is slpinters of wood, a light is also brought to it and soon the spectator is witness to a womnderful transformation of color. What was once a cold brown log is not full of light. The color of the wood takes on a light bornw color, ofthen like the color of a hardwood floor. White color is pushing its way out of the lod was reds oragnes, yellow and more white is taking it over. The glowing of the log takes on a deep red orange color that becomes bringther with each breth mother nature takes, and with that I become lost in its splendor.

Papa Smurf

My room's color was picked out by my roommate. She knew I wanted a blue color, but not the shade. When I received the can of paint i realized that I was given a smurf or sky blue color to paint my rooom. I wanted a darker grey blue butI now must deal with what I've been given. Spending a lot of time in my room i notice how the colr and shade changes depenging on the light from outside and my lamps in my room. For example, in the morning I can see a lot of white being given off of the blue. It looks and makes me feel cold, there isn't a lot of life to the color. If the day if overcasst, it will remain this shade all day, but if the cun comes out, the walls come more to life than beofre. The room is brightened, and the sun's light bounces off my walls illuminating my room. The walls take on a deeper darker blue and hints of yellow can be seen throughout. At night when my room is illuminated by lamps, my walls are darker, seeing traces of grey on the walls trrying to remain hidden. I don't feel like the walls are being too loud, the light blue gets eaten by the darnkness and the color is darker then before.

Sunrise, Sunset

I took a trip to Florida over winter break and on the second to last morning decided to wake up early enough to watch the sunrise. When I got to the beach, the sky was filled with rosy pinks, light sandy yellows all tied together with a hint of blue and gray. As the sun rose the sky was engulfed by intense yellow reds, and orange yellows. I could not believe how intense the yellow glow was that surrounded the sun. And as it consumed the world around me, the sky turned an incredible orange. All building and birds in the area turned to black shadows. The water turned black with an orange yellow glow that radiated off of it. The sky and earth felt like it was being warmed from the sun, the cold air and sky disappearing.

He Loves me, He Loves me Not

I have a daisy that sits on my desk. I love flowers because their color changes within the flower constantly and they pop when under the light of the sun. While my daisy is white, there are hints of Kermit green near the center of the flower. The center is not a pure yellow, but rather greenish yellow with hints of black. The stem is a dark forest green that changes and becomes a grass green when looked at through water. While the sun may not reach my flower, especially in the winter the glow from my computer screen does an equally good job of making the flower pop. The petals when given back light from my monitor separates each petal, purifying the white making the petals look soft with hard edges. Finally, the stem takes on a more white color when given a side light from the monitor not making the stem as dark and harsh.

In the Kitchen, with the Wrench

Our kitchen has a small fluorescent light over the sink. I enjoy at night to leave it on and allow it to illuminate the kitchen ever so slightly. Since I am more often than not home alone at night, I prefer to have some illumination in my house, so I don't feel as alone. With the light on, the room, especially the white walls turn a darker, more black color and fading into the shadows rather than becoming brighter. The chairs that are closer to the light, that also have a finish on them reflect the light making them appear to be lighter. The sink itself which the light is over turns whiter and reflects the light.

Goodnight Moon

Although it is still the winter months, when the moon is full, there are some wonderful light and shadows that find its way through my window shades. Both of my windows face north so it is not too often that light comes directly into my room. Usually everything looks like it is in shadow when I go to sleep. The blues on my bed look black or dark gray, the white sometimes pops more so than when just my light is on. My hardwood floor looks almost orange instead of brown. The blue glow from my alarm clock reaches much farther than I would ever think, shining on my wall showing all the cracks and imperfections.

Blue

The glow given off of of televisions and computers has spiked my interest today. The blue and white light given off of these electronics light an individual and area around them in a very interesting way. Since the light given off is so weak that there are immense shadows that take over walls, faces. Whats more the light given off from a television is not consistent, values change with each scene shown on the screen. This adds or subtracts the amount of light that is seen on stage as well as the ability to see what is onstage or in the room around the individual. Blue is also a very calm and cool color light that is given off. If any other color were to be given off, the scene would be given an uneasy feeling and be more frightening than calming.

Sunset

I notice the most fascinating light changes and shadows during sunset and today was not different. Trees during this time take on a purple tint. They no longer look brown, nor are they trapped in the shadows that surround them. Buildings take on different colors as well. Bricks absorb the yellows and oranges, leaving deep greens and blues for the world to see. The ground, if wet as it was today reflects blues and blacks only adding to the brilliance of the sunset. The most interesting colors to me exist in nature and I thoroughly enjoy taking the time to enjoy them in the world around me.

In The Classroom

Sitting in a classroom today I contemplated how hard it would be to have a stage appear to be lit by fluorescent lights. To use actual fluorescent lights would be impossible, because there wouldn't be enough light on stage- everything would look flat. There isn't enough diversity in lights and the actors, set, and costumes, would look flat. Not to mention that using actual fluorescent lights would be very difficult to wire and hang over a stage.

Noir

I really enjoy cities at night. Especially when the streets are damp and all light around is reflected off it. It reminds me of film noir films that rely heavily on this effect. And it got me thinking about whether it would be possible to have such an effect onstage. I enjoyed how the light usually has an orange tint coming from the lamp post. That it floods the ground directly below and slightly around it. Keeping the sky and tops of trees dark. House lights and tail lights of cars driving by is enough to liuminate the world around me as I walk down the street. There isn't much light at all but its still enough for me to see the world around. The only thing I could compare it to is a blackout onstage. When there is barely any light and yet an audience member or crew member can make out the smallest details to establish what is going on around them.

Gels and Stars

I wondered today during my show if gobos could be made out of a different material and still be effective. Maybe something that left some light through and wasn't as fluid as metal. And would it ever be possible or useful to have gobos on scrollers? There really would be no need for such a thing, but it was something I considered an awful long time today. Also, in the show I am working on, THE DIG at Renaissance Theaterworks, a star effect is used. There is a rope of lights coming from a source four...I have no idea how that works, but it looks really neat.

Starting Out

The sun was setting yesterday at the end of one of my classes, and when I looked up out of the window i noticed something very interesting. The sun was setting far behind a tree and the tree was some distance from the window which cast a beautiful blue shadow on the window. The shadow of the tree was surrounded by an intense yellow orange light, and I stopped and starred at it for a moment. I looked away to see if there was any other wonder in the room of that magnitude and when I looked back, the sun had passed through the tree and the shadow was gone.

I was driving away from the city last night snaking through all of the skyscrapers and all I could notice was how the lights in the windows formed the buildings. Depending on how many small boxes were lit up helped me understand how tall each building was and differentiate each individual building. In a way the lights were filling the shadows in the building and if I unfocused my eyes the lights in the buildings made their shapes. I found it interesting that I drew that conclusion when I've looked at buildings countless times at night....but for some reason that night I was able to notice something entirely different.