Second Half of Journals
Movies and Television x 20
Entry #80Hello Dolly, 1969
This is one of my favorite musicals and I love the way these two characters are introduced in the plot. They work all day in the hay and feed store and long to have a day off to live their lives. Here they are found by Dolly working in the basement of the store once again. The lighting reflects the plot of the story and the plight of these two characters. Barnaby and Cornelius are constantly trapped in the darkness of the store. The only light in this scene is coming from the hole in the trap door and highlights the right side of their faces as well as the somber atmosphere around them. The boys must step out of the darkness of the basement and venture into the light up above so to speak. The lighting captures this pivotal moment perfectly. |
Entry #79Sweeney Todd, 2007
I like how the light source in this scene comes from a dreary, rainy sky. This is the moment that he's been waiting for- the moment he kills the man who took away his family. I think the fact that the light isn't from a bright day or a practical in the room is key to the mood of the moment. The light that does shine though hits the razor so that it gleams. It also hits the right side of both their faces, yet leaves Sweeney Todd in half-shadow which is perfect for this scene. |
Image found at:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1Y-jTaPLod0/maxresdefault.jpg |
Entry #78Gone with the Wind, 1939
The contrast in this scene is different from what I am used to seeing in composition. Usually the foreground is lighter and the background is covered in shadow. However, here Scarlet is almost black while the lightest parts of the scene are in the fog behind Rhett. There seems to be a light coming from the top left, but it almost bypasses Scarlet and shines on Rhett's profile so that the audience only pays attention to what he's saying. I also love the symbolism of the fog. Rhett would rather go into the unknown than stay in the darkness with Scarlet. |
Entry #77Gone with the Wind, 1939
In the remastered version of this film, the lighting is really accentuated with the addition of color. In this scene, the main source of light is the sun shining through the window. Her front face is highlighted by the sunlight, while her cheekbones on the right side are covered in shadow. This gives her face a slightly hollow look and adds to the despair. The light also carefully highlights the tears on her cheek which further adds to the mood of the scene. |
Entry #76How to Train your Dragon 2, 2014
I really like the lighting in the ice cave. The glaciers are translucent and shine a bright blue/green when the shine shines through them. Their glow provides most of the lighting for the foreground in this scene. On the other side, the background is hidden in shadow and covers Toothless and Gobber so that our focus lies on the interaction between Hiccup's mother and father. |
Entry #75How to Train your Dragon 2, 2014
The contrast in lighting in this scene is phenomenal. While the left side of the screen is covered in the warm glow from the dragon's mouth, the right side is bathed in cool colors from the ice cave. I also really like how Hiccup's mother's clothing has a warm color palette with reds and golds. Toothless is a deep blue/gray which melts in with the cool tones of the right side. All together this contrast creates intensity and drama which serves the plot. |
Entry #74The Man Who Knew too Much, 1956
In this movie, the lighting in the apartment is mostly practicals from light fixtures. However, as Doris Day lies down, the front of her face is completely highlighted while the rest of her upper body lies in shadow. This is also the light that is shining on his back and the back of his head so that the lighting seems uniform throughout the scene. I really like that you can see her shadow against the pillow case as he is blocking most of the light from reaching her. |
Entry #73The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946
Once again, I'm fascinated by the way light works in black and white movies. Here, two of the main characters are sharing a more intimate moment where the man is finally showing his old girlfriend how vulnerable he is after he lost his arms in the war. The lights shines from behind the man and lights her eyes as she looks at his arm contraptions. This light is perfect for this moment because he is watching her carefully, wondering what her reaction will be. The light also reflects off his arm contraptions, but the focus of this scene is her face. |
Entry #72Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961
I think that the main light in this scene is coming from a window that shines from the right side of the screen. It shines brightest on the pillow and the sheets just under her shoulder. The lighting is important in this scene because it depicts her lifestyle. The entire room is lit to represent the morning/early afternoon as she sleeps in because of her lack of responsibilities. |
Entry #71Metropolis, 1927
Though this movie is black and white, the lighting in this scene is really intense. There is a strong light source coming from the left side of the screen that makes the top of her hair look nearly white. The light source forms two odd oval highlights on the circular clock behind her and highlights the arms of the children on the left. The girl blocks light from reaching the children on the right. This lighting scheme draws the eye to the girl and the objects in her hands. |
Entry #70Singing in the Rain, 1952
I really like the practical lighting in this scene and how it's affected by the rain. The lantern on the side of the brick wall has a smaller central source of light that leaves the majority of the lantern a neutral gray color. The light is small but it reflects off the window to the left and forms a bright oval on the brick wall to the right. The main source of light in this image is the lamp post that Gene Kelly is swinging from. It lights the scene fairly well and also lights his profile and his hip. I think both of these lights allow the audience to see the scene but don't take away from the rainy night atmosphere. |
Entry #69Inside Out, 2015
In this movie Joy was the only emotion that really glowed which I thought was interesting. Even more so, they chose a blue glow rather than a yellow one. I think that could be taken hand in hand with the ending - joy and sadness work together in harmony. What I really love about this scene is the memories. While recently forgotten memories have a strong center glow, the longer they are in the pit, the dimmer the light gets. This image is really cool because you can see little bright spots behind Joy where a few memories are still struggling to hold on. Without those spots, this scene would lose its three dimensional world and the background would be lost. |
Entry #68Avatar, 2009
This movie was also known for its visual effects, but my personal favorite was the tree of souls. Each strand of the tree represents a soul that has passed and the tree itself acts as a life force for the people. I think the lighting really reflects the essence of the tree. The core of the strands is pure white and it gives off a purple glow from far away. The roots of the tree also glow, giving a ethereal vibe to the moss that grows on them. The lighting gives the tree a slightly spooky vibe with the fogginess that surrounds it, but the tree itself has a bright, inviting air to it. |
Entry #67Life Of Pi, 2012
This scene is less fantasy and contains more realistic elements. I really like the color palette. It's yellow, but it's not happy and bright by any means. It creates a slightly uncomfortable mood, ominous mood. In a funny sort of way it make the tiger look majestic, yet mysterious because half of his body is still in shadow. I can't explain the color of the water which I think is why I like it so much. The background reaches a point where you can't tell the difference between the water and the sky. |
Entry #66Life of Pi, 2012
This movie was renown for its effects, so I thought it should make a cameo appearance in this journal. This scene is one of the more fantastical elements of the movie where you're starting to question whether or not this is real. Here, the light source is kind of strange. It appears to be coming from the water itself and is focused in the spot where the whale has emerged. I really like the reflection it casts in the water around the whale and under the raft. It's interesting because the sky is pitch black so the only source of light is the blue/green shimmer in the water. |
Entry #65Brave, 2012
I really like the contrast between warm and cool tones in this scene. The night sky is a dark, ominous blue with almost black trees which is echoed in the foreground. However, the mid ground is lit by a fire behind Merida which casts a halo around her figure as well as a warm, orange glow on all the characters behind her. My favorite part of this scene is the tall rocks because of the way the color changes. At the top they're black like the sky, but they transition to orange towards the inside. It allows the viewer to focus on Merida in the center. |
Entry #64Rio Lobo, 1970
My dad is a massive John Wayne fan and I grew up watching this movie fairly often. In this scene, the only source of light is from a window on the left side of the screen. I think the the highlights and shadows on both characters, especially in their profiles, really sets the scene. It's slightly ominous due to the lack of back light, but gives enough side light to where it's clear that they're the good guys. I also like the shadow the John Wayne is casting on the guy behind him as well as the hat shadow on the wall. |
Entry #63Zootopia, 2016
I thought this movie was really well done by Disney and I particularly enjoyed the lighting in this scene. Here, there are only two sources of light: a single light in front of the door and the computer screen. The light in front of the door acts as a warm backlight for all three characters and emphasizes what a small, secluded space the sheep works in. The computer is a cooler light source and lights their faces, leaving a small reflection on the sheep's glasses. |
Entry #62Mockingjay Part 2, 2015
I chose this scene because I really like the contrast between the foreground and the background. The foreground is almost completely black, as is Katniss from the neck down. However, the background is a warm orange from the fire inside the tunnel. I like how the core of the fire is practically white and casts the same color in it's direct reflection. However, the rest of the water in the background is the orange that gradually fades back to black in the foreground. |
Entry #61Mockingjay Part 2, 2015
There is so much of a gray/neutral palette throughout this movie, that I thought this particular scene was an interesting and very purposeful lighting choice. In contrast to the gray, black and fiery tones in the previous scenes, this scene has a calm natural feel. The palette is still fairly neutral with the warm green tones in the foliage and the beige, hazy sky so I think it still fits in with the rest of the movie. I like this choice because it represents the couple's new beginning after the war, yet clings to some of the darkness of the past. |
Everyday Life x 20
Entry #60This photo represent the epitome of the human condition pertaining to the emotionally destroying life of graduate school. The soft lighting lets the viewer get closer emotionally to the setting, a setting that we all can relate to. The cool blue is representative of the blueness that his soul has taken on, his sadness if you will. However, there is still hope as shown from the warm lighting from above, like a phoenix people can rise from sadness and be born anew.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #59I took this photo because I like the shadows created by the mess of wires in the DPA lab. There is a bright highlight on the corner of gray metal that comes from a computer screen across the room. That is the only source of light that fully escapes through the glass pods. The other light in the photo passes solely through frosted glass which is why it's not nearly as bright as in the corner. My favorite part of the picture is the grid pattern on the bottom. The is actually the light that passes through the computer case. Apparently the motherboard and the various cables don't cover the vent holes, which is kind of miraculous, and allows light to pass through.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #58This is a picture of a small electric tree in the DPA lab. I though it was interesting that the dry erase board acted as a reflective surface. There are actually three parts to the photo: the tree itself, the immediate reflection in the middle and the reflection on the left. The middle reflection is blurred and looks like a column of light on its own. The reflection on the left has a central cone of light in the center with the branches appearing much more transparent than the rest of the tree. I also thinks it's really cool how the cord casts a reflection on the dry erase board as well.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #57This is one of my favorite spots on campus. The reflection pool has a calming atmosphere and I love the reflections that are cast on the water from the trees and various other sources. In the particular image, the lighting is overcast which allows the water to have several bright areas and not just one central highlight. I like that the middle of the pool is green and reflects the color of the grass and foliage around it. My favorite part is the reflection of the tree in the foreground. Due to the angle, it's slightly warped and looks more abstract than an actual tree. You can also tell that there is movement in the water from the way the lighter areas are shaped.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #56This is a picture of part of the green screen in the DPA lab. The cabinet is brightly lit compared to everything else in the photo. It has front lighting from about 45 degrees to the right which is what makes the right side of the wood look brighter than the left. Because of this angle, the left side of the box is in complete shadow as well as the chair to the side of it. My favorite part of the image is how the light casts a reflection of the cabinet on the black floor. I also like how the single source of light causes a shadow to appear on the cabinet as well as on the left side of the green screen.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #55Even though the sky was completely overcast on this particular day, there was still enough light to create shadow and highlight on this car in the parking lot. The car was parked underneath the trees and the cool blue light passed through the leaves to create reflections on the windshield as if it were water. Due to the angle, the trees on the left seem slightly warped while the trees on the right create an almost perfect silhouette. There isn't really a pure white highlight in this photo because it's a cloudy day, but there are lighter parts where the light passes from the front windshield to the back.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #54I took this picture because I really liked the color of the clouds and how it defines their shape. Parts of the clouds are a gray/blue while the center of the formations are a bright yellow/orange. The contrast in cool vs. warm and light vs. dark gives the clouds more of a three-dimensional shape and makes them appear bumpy. This is a good reminder about how shading and highlights bring objects to life in stage lighting. I think it would be cool to light an object with both a warm blue and a cool orange to see if it has the same effect that it does here.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #53I was pet sitting for my uncle over break and really liked how the light was hitting Mr. Cat (yes, that's his name) at this particular moment. The TV is on is the background which is giving his entire body a cool white halo that barely makes him distinguishable from the hardwood floor. The other light source is a lamp to the left of the photo that casts a warm glow in contrast to the cool white of the TV. This light gives shading and highlights to the left side of his body and the top of his head. His right eye is in shadow because his ear is blocking the lamp light from reaching him. This lighting scheme causes the center of his body to be covered in shadow and gives his figure a slight outline and silhouette.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #52This photo was taken during our brief weekend of snow. I like this photo because the foreground, mid-ground and background have really good contrast in light and shadow. While the foreground is completely dark, the mid-ground is lit by three lamp posts in the parking lot. The most light is given off by a warm white light towards the middle of the image and casts a bright highlight on part of the road. I also think it's interesting that two of the light posts glowed blue in this image. They aren't actually blue, but I like the cool contrast that they give off next to the night sky.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #51Here we are waiting inside a restaurant, but it was so crowded that some of my friends took shelter in a plant. Here, I think that the main source of light is coming from a ceiling light, however, there is also a back light from the door leading outside. Because of the highlights on the leaves, I think the main source is shining from right to left. The only highlights on my friends faces are the rays that shine through the leaves of the tree which are also reflective.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #50I didn't take this picture for lighting purposes, but I think the shadows on our faces are interesting. While almost all of Josh's face is highlighted by the sun, the left side of his face has a shadow over his eye and cheek. I, on the other hand, have a shadow over most of the lower half of my face except for the chin. The sun has a high front angle (hence the squinting), but I'm not sure why our faces are highlighted so differently. Perhaps the phone is creating the shadow on the right side my my cheek and chin.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #49The is a photo taken inside a movie theater in Huntsville, AL. My favorite part is the stairs that are back lit. It lights up the railing on the right side and bounces on the top of the steps as well. I like the fact that there are several lights in the theater lobby, but it still feels dark and comfortable. I think the lit stairs serves this purpose better than having lights above the stairs. The chandelier at the top of the stairs is also really neat and you can see the separate beams of light shining through that have a warm glow compared to the stairs and the "PRIVE" lettering.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #48This photo has a lot going on, but I like the differences in color here. The light on the buildings in the top of the photo have a blue hue and some of them appear similar, but the majority have a different tone and feel. The lights on the left building are a cooler, lighter blue while the right building has a deeper, warmer feel. Also, the coolness of the blue is contrasted with the warmer orange/yellow lights in the waterfall at the bottom. I also really enjoy the reflection of the lights on both the waterfall and the pond.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #47Contrary to popular belief, I did not break a bunch of glasses to get this photo. Rather, one of the shelves in my kitchen cabinet collapsed and after placing the broken pieces in the box, I realized the lighting had a pretty cool effect on the various colors and textures of the glasses. The broken clear pieces in the bottom left corner have smaller reflections that bounce off of each other while the tostitos glass has one large horizontal reflections from the light bulb. The indention on the blue glasses cause the highlight to appear curved rather than straight across.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #46This is another, slightly smaller, waterfall in Monte Sano State Park. While the previous waterfall was shimmering in the sunlight, this waterfall is in shadow. The light is still shining from right to left, but the rock formations are blocking the rays from the water. I love the difference in the color of the moss to the left of the waterfall. The lighted moss is bright green, almost line while the shaded moss looks more brown.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #45I am obsessed with waterfalls, so I knew I had to take a picture of this as soon as I saw it. This image is neat because you can actually see the sun's rays shining from right to left across the water. It highlights the edge of the waterfall as well as the droplets that splash from one step to the next. The cave-like indention beneath the water remains in shadow as the sun shines from behind the landscape and cannot reach it.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #44This picture of a spiderweb on the back of a car doesn't really do the lighting justice. The sun was shining on the back of the car at a front angle, causing the crevices to be covered in shadow. The light bounced off the silk web and it sparkled like it was covered in glitter. I like the web from this angle because it lookd a lot brighter with the shadow behind it.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #43This is a stream running over a rock formation in Monte Sano State Park. I really like the contrast between the highlights and shadows in this image. You can tell another formation is throwing a shadow over the center of the stream, causing some of the rocks to look completely black. On the other hand, the sun is causing some of the reflections in the water to be bright white.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #42This pictures was actually taken during midday. The sky was so overcast that it could almost pass at the late afternoon. In fact the only visible light at this time was a small break in the dark gray clouds. However, even the light was rather dismal and had a dull orange tone to it. It gave off a calm, eerie vibe and barely highlighted the foreground.
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Image taken by: Me
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Entry #41This picture shows the end of a sunset when there's just a band of color across the horizon. I like how the majority of the sky is a light blue/purple color while the small strip across the bottom is light orange/pink. This could be replicated in the theater with different spotlights having a blue or orange filter and using the shutters to create the banding.
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Image taken by: Me
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First Half of Journals
Movies and Television x 5
Entry #40Into the Woods, 2014
The lighting throughout this movie is incredible, but I like this scene in particular because the moon plays such a huge part. While searching for Cinderella, Prince Charming is guided only by the moonlight and a few torches carried by his guards. The angle of the moon does a beautiful job of highlighting the shape of the trees, making them appear more menacing through the scattered beams of light. I also like the way it highlights the bright orange flame of the torch and makes it appear super saturated. |
Entry #39Summer Wars, 2010
Though this film is an anime, I really enjoyed the sunrise during this particular scene. The sun serves as a back light for the mountains and casts a golden halo around the edges. It also lights up the haze rising from the landscape which appeals to the dreamlike place that the setting is trying to portray. The light that the sun casts on the clouds is also really gorgeous as it gives off a saturated orange-yellow to the edges. |
Image taken by me
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Entry #38Frankenstein, 1931
My favorite part about this scene is that fact that there are three light sources, yet the scenery is still mostly dim and covered in shadow. The light source in the foreground on the left serves to light the front hallway and casts a light on the man lying on the floor. The source on the right acts as a top light to that small corridor and casts a shoulder highlight on the man dressed in white. The light from the back window casts beams through the bars and gives a sidelight/halo effect to two of the men in the image. Essentially, the light showcases the important pieces of the scene while hiding the irrelevant details. |
Entry #37Casablanca, 1942
I love the lighting in this movie and how it plays up the importance of a scene, particularly as a black and white film. I especially like how the light isn't singular in this scene - instead it appears in faint areas around the room. It shines through the window on the wall to the left, reflects off the bottle, highlights half of his face and his suit, bounces off the back wall and the ceiling on the top right. They really used the light to only reveal certain aspects of the setting (selective visibility). It also gives off the appropriate mood for this part of the film, emphasizing the drama. |
Entry #36The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920
The cool thing about this movie is that fact that the film medium was actually painted on. In this way, the lighting is more of the artist's choice rather than how the movie was filmed. While yellow is usually a bright and happy color, it gives off an eerie feeling in this scene. I think a large part of that is the amount of the setting that is covered in shadow. Because the light is directed from a front diagonal angle, the stair railing shines onto the walls with a dramatic shadow. The right side of the stairs are also lit in a really neat pattern with the dark vertical stripes. This might also be a window scene. |
Everyday Life x 5
Entry #35Broken leaf lit by TV screen
I was watching television in the dark and really liked the way my screen lit up this little leaf on the coffee table in front of me. While the majority of the light is white, there are still a few other colors from the screen that reflect onto the wooden table. The strips of red and yellow are more subdued and diffuse, blending into the rest of the light. I also really like how the screen acts as a back light and leaves the leaf in complete darkness, creating a front shadow. |
Image taken by: Me
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Entry #34Me at Copper River Grill in Easley, SC
The lights effecting Josh were doing different things to my own face and body. Here, I am lit by a top light and a back light. The top light highlights my facial features differently than it did Josh. My cheeks extrude further out so they are highlighted as well as the bridge of my nose and my forehead. Because I don't have as much of a front light as Josh does, my eyes are much more hooded and the sides of my face are in deep shadow. The back light highlights my shoulders, while leaving the front of my sweatshirt in shadow. |
Image taken by: Me
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Entry #33Josh at the Copper River Grill in Easley, SC
I have now reached the point where I look at the highlights and shadows on people and try to figure out where the light sources are coming from. In this restaurant, Josh is being lit my two main lights: a top light and a 45 degree front light that is shining towards his right side. The top light creates highlights on his hat, shoulders and nose while leaving his eyes and cheeks in shadow. The front light creates the brightest highlight on his hands and the reflection partially illuminates the right side of his face. |
Image taken by: Me
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Entry #32Park in Greenville, Sc
Once again, I am intrigued when the light source is not visible. How do you light an overcast sky and how does that choice effect the highlights and shadows on the surrounding areas? In this image, there don't appear to any highlights or shadows, however, if you were using stage lights to recreate it, there probably would be. Perhaps you could use a flood light that never touches the floor, merely illuminating the setting in between the sky and the floor. |
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Entry #31Me at the World of Coca Cola in Atlanta, Georgia
The lighting in the museum resembled that of a tunnel with random top lights throughout the exhibit. It is especially shown here as the front of the car is brightly lit by a top light, while the back is hardly lit at all. You can tell that there is another top light to the right of the image because of the highlight around the rear wheel and on my left shoulder. All in all, it's a rough place to take a picture. The car could have benefited from two 45 degree angle side lights. |
Image taken by: Me
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Digital Artwork X 10
Entry #30I like the idea of two separate atmospheres in this image. The left side resembles a clear day with a few scattered clouds and a bright white sun light reflecting off the snow. It's interesting to see the opposite effect of the snow in the same image. While the left side of the snow reflects the bright sun, the right side reflects the dark clouds. The light source still reaches across to the foreground, but the clouds block it from reaching the background.
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Entry #29This image is interesting in that there really is no visible light source. I'm curious how one would recreate this image on the stage. Perhaps you could use a flood light from the side of the stage and put barn doors on it so that the light didn't tough the ground. To get the overcast, cloudy look you could put in a cool blue/gray filter that merely tints the light. This would be something cool to try in a design.
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Entry #28In this image there appears to be two light sources: the sun and the stone in the foreground. I like how the artist contrasted the distance between the two sources and how each of them effects their surroundings. The sun is far away from the viewer and casts a bright highlight on the clouds above it, while most of the land is cast in shadow. The stone, on the other hand, is close the the viewer and is itself very bright. It does not appear to highlight its surrounding area like the sun does. I think the sun is acting as a flood light while the stone could be recreated with a lantern of some kind.
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Entry #27I think the light plays a key role in the composition of this image. While the left side is shrouded in darkness, the right side is partially highlighted in the sunlight. However, the angle and direction of the light causes the hot spot to cover only a small portion. The sun behaves as more of a side light light with the bottom shutter pushed in so that the light doesn't quite reach the bottom of the image.
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Entry #26The color of the light is what intrigues me the most in this image. It's more of an amber/gold than a yellow. It's effect is more sophisticated and dramatic than most sunsets that I've come across. The cloud coverage allows the landscape to be just barely lit. The light wraps around the sides of the mountains instead of covering them and there is only a slight reflection in the water. I love the mood that the light enforces.
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Entry #25The size of the light source appears to be insignificant compared to the rest of the image, but it plays a vital role. The light on the far right draws the eye to the sunset, causing the viewer to look from right to left. The angle of the sun in comparison to the far off mountain acts as a back light and gives off a halo effect that works really well for the time of day.
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Entry #24I love the way the light guides the eye in this image. By having the sun shining from right to left, it's almost as if the ship is still in motion and you're watching it crash into the rocks. Had the light source been on the left side of the image, I think the effect would be vastly different. The haze along the ground also plays an important role, giving off a ghostly effect.
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Entry #23I like how you can trace different beams of light as well as smoke patterns. The sun is bright enough to highlight the building, but not bright enough to change to ominous mood that it provides. The foreground is still in complete shadow which balances the high intensity of the light on the left side of the painting. I think taking away the dark foreground would dramatically change the mood of the image.
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Entry #22This matte painting is interesting because the sky is overcast, but a few beans of light still pass through enough to highlight a few key areas. For example, there is a stretch of the mountain on the right that is brightly lit and allows the shadows to have a more dramatic effect.
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Entry #21I really like how the most saturated part of the light is covered by the ship, allowing the sails to absorb some of the color. it makes me wonder how the lighting designer takes fabric on the set into account. Here, the red-orange sail is slightly see through and turns into a yellow-orange that still allows the viewer to see the sky.
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Printed Artwork x 20
Entry #20Journey to the center of the Earth by Sam Cossman
The intensity and saturation in this image is overwhelming. I love the way the rock on the right reflects the lava and exposes its own cracks and crevices. Also, the contrast in the pitch black human and the bright orange-red lava is incredible. |
Entry #19North American Bison, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
This is such a wild image for me. I'm guessing that the source of light is fire because of the smoke coming from behind the bison, but it's such an odd color for fire. I expected it to be more orange than the yellow-pink color. I also like the way it highlights the bison on the right and gives him a slight halo effect. |
Image found at: http://artwolfe.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ZBOOLW1_00006-764x500.jpg
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Entry #18Aboriginal Dancers, Arnhem Land, Australia by Art Wolfe
I like that the dancers are in complete shadow. The night lighting in the background isn't enough to give them and halo or imply their three-dimensionality. In fact, they could very well be cardboard cutouts. The intensity of the oranges and red in the fire mix well with the dull oranges in the sky. |
Entry #17Les Miserables by Annie Leibovitz
This image gives off an innocent, mysterious vibe. The side lighting leaves the left side of her face as well as the background in shadow. The right side of her face remains well light, however it also exposes the dirt and grime on her cheek and chin. |
Entry #16Oak Tree, Sunset City by Ansel Adams
I like the gray misty feel as the sun either rises or sets. The mood almost assumes that it is setting. The shade of the foreground blends in with the tree, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the two. |
Entry #15Ahmadi Oil Fields, Kuwait by Steve Mccurry
In this photo, the source of light is fire, but you can only see the fire through the reflection in the water. It's dramatic, it's intense, it's heartbreaking. The bird is covered in shadow but that appears to be a combination of oil and the reflection of the fire at night. The flecks of light towards the left of the photo are beautiful and give contrast to the rest of the image. |
Image found at:
http://stevemccurry.com/galleries/war?view=grid **seventh image (second from the left in the second row) with the bird in the water |
Entry #14Portrait of the Eternal by Manuel Alvarez Bravo
The lighting of the photo gives off a really dramatic, sensuous yet suspenseful vibe to the viewer. This look can be replicated with a side spot that has been cut off by precise shutter placement. There is a little bit of fade out, but for the most part the border of light and shadow is sharp and intense. The way the shadow cuts off her eyes and places the focus on the direction of her head, rather than her expression really adds to the suspense and mystery of who this woman is and why she's so focused on her hand. |
Image found at:
http://artblart.com/tag/manuel-alvarez-bravo-barber/ |
Entry #13Barber by Manuel Alvarez Bravo
At first, I didn't really think that using black and white photography would be a good medium to describe light, however I was quickly proved wrong. This photo was taken in 1924 and I love the way the wall is in complete shadow and the only light source is the beam that escapes through the tree branches. This could be easily replicated with a gobo in the theater. I also find it interesting that the brightest areas are on the towel of the man sitting down. This bright light, which is only blocked by the barber's left arm, is nowhere to be found on the barber. This causes me to infer that the sun is coming from the far left side of the picture and the tree has a wide open space in that particular area. |
Entry #12Aspen Reflections by Sharon Eschenroeder
In this photo, the photographer does a beautiful job of capturing the light as it highlights the water and the colors in the fall trees. The focus of the sun is in the center of the water and reflects the warm yellows and oranges in the trees. It also bounces off the rocks which reflects a more copper tone on the water in different places. |
Entry #11Fishing in the mist by Sharon Eschenroeder
In this photo, the source of light appears to be the mist itself. It causes a reflection in the lake with the focus on the right side of the photo. This also gives the outer edges of the photo, in both the lake and the mountains, a deep shadow and is so dark it's nearly black. The photographer does a good job of using composition to lead the viewer's eye to the source of the mist. |
Entry #10 Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
This painting gives off the effect of a side spotlight. The background is solid black and the only light comes from the left side of her face, with the focus on her upper left cheek and spreading to the other cheek. Her pearl earring has a small highlight it as well which helps make it three-dimensional. |
Image found at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring |
Entry #9The Night Watch by Rembrandt
The lighting in this painting has a great contrast between the higher and lower intensities. Those that are in shadow are almost completely black and those in light are in a completely bright spotlight. There are also small highlights on each of the faces of the men which allows the viewer to see their expressions. The lighting creates an intentional drama that draws the eye to the man in white and an angel-like figure. |
Image found at:
http://totallyhistory.com/the-night-watch/ |
Entry #8Transfiguration by Raphael
In this painting the lighting is key to understanding the emotions of the subjects. Key highlighting shows off the various expressions and the faces of the subjects. It hits many of them on the side, creating a more serious and somber profile. If the light were brighter and had a greater intensity, the feeling of the painting would change completely. |
Image found at:
http://totallyhistory.com/transfiguration/ |
Entry #7Bavarian Landscape by Albert Bierstadt
This painting provides such a stark contrast in the lighting and how it affects the colors of the sky and the shadows. The dark storm clouds appear to be moving away and making room for a bright day. The sunlight is shining from the left side of the painting and is focused on the middle of the pasture and the farmhouse. The rest of the landscape still falls in shadow from the storm clouds. |
Image found at:
http://www.wikiart.org/en/albert-bierstadt/bavarian-landscape |
Entry #6The Fog of Passion by Leonid Afremov
I love the cool tones throughout the painting and how it accentuates the misty feel. The low intensity and diffuse distribution also add to the cloudy setting and could be represented with a floodlight. The light throughout the woods is also very diffuse and distributed throughout the trees. The only central lighting is in the street lamps which provide the reflections and the white flecks in the street. |
Entry #5Hollywood by Ed Ruscha
This painting represents a simple play of light in a sunset. The warm yellow tones bring out halos behind the darker shadows of the hills. The source of light appears to be coming from the intersection of the hills and the light extends outward. |
Image found at:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/01/ed-ruschas-l-a |
Entry #4 Lincoln in Dalivision by Salvador Dali
This painting is really interesting because it's an illusion and a key part of the illusion is the lighting. At first glance the subject of the painting appears to be a woman looking out a window, however, by squinting or looking from afar, the subject appears to be Abraham Lincoln. The brighter colors in the center work as both the outdoors and Lincoln's face. The brightest point in the center of the window also functions as the highlight on his bald spot. The contrast in the lighting is also extremely important for the illusion to work. Towards the edges, the lighting is darker with cool tones while the inside has brighter and warmer tones. |
Entry #3 Thomas Kinkade - Tinker Bell and Peter Pan Fly to Neverland
There appears to be three sources of light in this painting as the two worlds collide. In Neverland on the top light, the sun is rising over the island and gives off an enchanted, dreamlike glow. However, in England, the light is coming from the moon in the top right of the painting and allows for the reflection of the bridge on the river and the halos surrounding the clouds. Both of these sources act as a back flood light. The third source is Tinker Bell, who has more of a yellow glow and is less intense than the other sources. Though they are each very different, they work together, leading the viewer from the right to the left as they fly to Neverland. |
Image found at:
http://www.galleryone.com/fineart/KINTI9.html |
Entry #2
The painting Nocturne: Blue and Gold – Old Battersea Bridge has a lower intensity than the previous painting. The light itself is not as bright and there is not as much of a contrast between the high and lower intensities. The consistent dimness throughout the painting gives off a somber mood which the viewer may project onto the man in the boat. His shoulders are slumped and his form is blurred, accentuating the melancholy and dim tones of the lighting. The distribution contributes to this mood as the quality of the light is much more diffuse and has a softer edge. This creates a calm energy as the viewer is guided towards the right side of the painting. The distribution also has a high angle as its source appears to be coming from the top left corner, representing a motivational light of the sun. The color of the light is more of a cool white which adds to the peaceful sadness created by the distribution and intensity. The change of the intensity from one area to another creates an implied movement and guides the viewer from one side of the painting to the other, watching the man in the boat “move” across the water. At he glides from a higher intensity of light to a lower intensity, his form will also darken as it moves into the deep shadow of the bridge. All of these characteristics of the light appear to tell his depressing tale as his boat moves from the light to the darkness.
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Entry #1
In the painting The Calling of St. Matthew by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, the four properties of light are used to guide the viewer’s eye and help tell the story of the scene in the picture. It has a comparative intensity as the light that appears to be coming from a window contrasts the darkness of the rest of the room. The right half of the man in the far right corner is almost in complete shadow and the light from the window has a hard edge that falls slightly above his head, leaving the right corner with a very low intensity. The light itself, representing the sun, has a high intensity and creates white highlights on the faces of most of the men at the table. This gives the painting an ominous mood.
The distribution of the sunlight has a high angle and hits most of the men on the side of their faces. This angle leads the viewer to look closely at the man with his head down who seems to be accused of something. It also leads the viewer to look at the painting from right to left and notice the two men who are pointing at the accused man. The light is harsh and coherent; if the accused man looked up, he would be blinded by it. The color of the light is a warm yellow and makes the room seem comfortable, yet brooding. The light’s movement is inferred in the painting as the sun will rise and set, causing the light and shadow within the room to change drastically over the course of time. These characteristics of the light in the room add up to create a mood and setting for the story of the painting. The high contrast creates a high dramatic energy, the implied movement and angle lead directly towards the accused man, and the warm color creates a dark, sinister vibe. If any of these characteristics were changed, the painting would give off a much different first impression. |
Image found at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Calling_of_St_Matthew_(Caravaggio) |