Archive for April, 2015

“I’ve looked at life from both sides, now…”

Joni Mitchell Graham Nash

 

“You see, I like to be invisible. I don’t want people to know that I’m there taking their picture, because knowing you’re being photographed changes you. That’s a false image, so I like to take portraits where people don’t know I’m there, and that portrait of Joni is a perfect example of that.”

 

-Graham Nash, 1969,  http://bigread.mojo4music.com/2013/10/graham-nash/

 

This is one of my favorite photographs ever taken. Graham Nash took this picture of Joni Mitchell through the hole in the back of a kitchen chair. The privacy of this photo is so mesmerizing to me. Joni is listening to her album Clouds for the first time, and you can see how personal the moment that she’s experiencing is. I love the contrast between the dark backside of the chair (what the photographer sees) and the light hitting Joni’s magnificent cheekbones — there’s a dramatic irony in this picture, she’s only aware of her part of the picture, the light.

Photo Observation

magritte

This photo is surreal to me because of the interesting way the photo is lit. You can clearly see the undersides of the leaves on the tree, lit up by a bright flash. However, the background is in shadow. This provides an unusual focus to the photo. This picture also reminded me of a Magritte painting, The Blank Page. Magritte was a painter known for his surrealistic work.

 

 

the blank page

Surreal

DSC_1067Photo by Peter Charney

I think this is a great image to represent “surreal” because it is difficult to tell what this is a picture of. There is a collage of different colors and lights in bubbles that appear to be in mid air. Overall, it is a very disorienting image.

Photo Observation 10

JAPANESE_GARDEN__REFRECTION_50_by_hirolu

Source: http://hirolu.deviantart.com/art/JAPANESE-GARDEN-REFLECTION-50-159862826

I found this image in a really convoluted way. First I googled “surreal” to see what I was dealing with outside of Salvador Dali, and I saw a lot of pictures of islands floating in the sky. This made me think of Castle in the Sky, which I linked to Spirited Away (another pretty surreal piece of art), which made me think of Japan, and so I stumbled on some great Japanese garden scenes at night.

I guess gardens aren’t so impressive in the dark unless they are lit in interesting ways. This photo in particular feels surreal to me because of the reversal of expectations in the colors and brightness of the photos. The bright blue-white color of the tree makes it seem like it has almost been scratched out of the photo rather than an object that was already there. Against the greens of the other plants, it looks like a special or a magic tree. The mirror of the photo in the water below also makes me feel a little off balance, light-headedness, or a sort of floaty feeling.

I’ve labeled the light as “blue-white” in my key but I’m not sure if that’s correct–it could also be purple. I would have to know the color of the tree and rocks.

keya

Violent Light (Photo Observation)

tumblr_naeeqwjjvI1to5qf9o1_500

This comes off as surreal to me because the lighting here looks tangible. It’s so real that it transcends the ordinary boundaries of light. The way it strikes the girl makes it appear as if it’s impaling her or like it’s the trajectory of a weapon that could shoot her. And she is surrendering to it. In this photo, unlike many other lighting photos, the model has a direct relationship with the light in the photo, which is I think part of the reason it moves beyond reality.

 

lightplot

Stuck in a surreal moment

2010-12-28 17.03.13

Photo by Rych

Theme: Surreal

This is a photo of a Poland Spring delivery truck stuck in the snow outside my house. I took this photo because the moment had a strange feeling to it that reminded me of a a Gregory Crewdson photo. The arrangement of light and color along with the position of the people and vehicles gave this a surreal vibe for me.

fall sunset
I used mostly pinks and oranges in this to give a warm and peaceful feel rather than a scorching summer heat.
G960 full
-19 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
1 foot above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet upstage of model
15 foot throw
G315 75%
23 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
12 foot above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
16 foot throw
L193 full
37 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
17 foot above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
18 foot throw
AP7350 25%
52 degree elevation angle
21 degree side angle
17 foot above deck
3 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
AP7350 25%
52 degree elevation angle
21 degree side angle
17 foot above deck
3 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
G960 full
-19 degree elevation angle
1 foot above deck
12 feet stage right of model
Direct sidelight to model
13 foot throw
backdrop
AP7200 full
AP8200 full
spring sunrise
I chose to emphasize the blue sky in harmony with the warm lilacs and pinks of a spring sunrise.
AP2030 25%
-19 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
1 foot above deck
12 feet stage left of model
8 feet upstage of model
15 foot throw
AP2030 25%
-19 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
1 foot above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet upstage of model
15 foot throw
AP3180 50%
0 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
6 feet above deck
12 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
AP3180 50%
23 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
12 feet above deck
12 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
16 foot throw
L725 75%
52 degree elevation angle
21 degree side angle
17 feet above deck
3 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
LHT036 75%
48 degree elevation angle
37 degree side angle
17 feet above deck
6 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
15 foot throw
AP2220 75%
0 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
6 feet above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
AP2220 75%
23 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
12 feet above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
16 foot throw
backdrop
AP3180 full
AP4700 full
summer noon
I used intense, warm colored lights to show the radiant summer heat. The backdrop shows a dry, desaturated sky permeated with the heat rising from the earth.
AP7700 full
23 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
12 feet above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
16 foot throw
AP2140 25%
0 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
6 feet above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet upstage of model
14 foot throw
R30 50%
48 degree elevation angle
37 degree side angle
17 feet above deck
6 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
15 foot throw
R17 50%
61 degree elevation angle
17 feet above deck
6 feet stage right of model
Direct sidelight to model
13 foot throw
AP2190 75%
23 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
12 feet above deck
12 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
16 foot throw
LHT020 50%
0 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
6 feet above deck
12 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
backdrop
AP2010 full
AP2100 full
winter afternoon
I used cool greys and blues to cast a chilly light on the subject.
g525 75%
32 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
15 feet above deck
15 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
17 foot throw
g790 50%
0 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
6 feet above deck
12 feet stage left of model
8 feet upstage of model
14 foot throw
g910 25%
52 degree elevation angle
21 degree side angle
17  feet above deck
3 feet stage left of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
g970 75%
52 degree elevation angle
21 degree side angle
17  feet above deck
3 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
14 foot throw
g525 75%
23 degree elevation angle
56 degree side angle
12 feet above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet downstage of model
16 foot throw
g785 50%
0 degree elevation angle
56 degree back angle
6 feet above deck
12 feet stage right of model
8 feet upstage of model
14 foot throw
backdrop
AP2180 full
AP4700 full

Virtual Light Lab Assignment

Malibu Sunset

malibu

This warm gradient reminds me of the sunset of a cool season in a hot place like Malibu. The colors I used are not hot enough to evoke a summertime feeling. I avoided intense reds or oranges and tried to blend softer warm shades. I tried to put the blues of the top and the pinks and oranges of the bottom on the model at different angles to immerse her in the fading sunlight.

AP2190 75%

27 Degree Elevation

In the light lab:

12 feet above the deck, 12 feet stage right of model, Direct sidelight to model, 13 foot throw

 

AP4500 64%

48 Degree Elevation, 37 Degree side

In the light lab:

17 feet above the deck, 6 feet stage right of model, 8 feet downstage of model, 15 feet throw

 

G810 50%

52 degree elevation angle, 21 degree back angle

Light lab:

17 feet above the deck, 3 feet stage left of model, 8 feet upstage of model, 14 foot throw

 

G160 60%

48 degree elevation, 37 degree side

Light lab:

17 feet above deck, 6 feet stage left of model, 8 feet downstage of model, 15 foot throw

 

AP7850 50%

0 degree elevation, 6 feet above the deck

12 feet stage left of model, Direct sidelight to model, 12 foot throw

 

CYC: G842 30%

L075 75%

L019 15%

R21 51%

 

Lower: L075 25%

RED 75%

G315 83%

L036 30%

 

Mexico

MexicoLight

The lighting I used for this is simple and bright. The blue sky is cloudless like the sky normally is in Mexico. Beachy daylight can be seen around the bottom which reminds me of sand. There are only two lights in the cyc because the colors of summer are generally less dynamic than the colors of fall or spring when the sun is out. I chose to shine a lot of light on the model since the sun is so bright.

 

NC 50%

27 degree elevation, 12 feet above deck, 12 feet stage right

Direct sidelight, 13 foot throw

 

G882 FULL

48 degree elevation angle, 37 degree side angle

17 feet above above the deck, 6 feet stage right of model

8 feet downstage of model, 15 foot throw

 

L101 73%

48 degree elevation angle, 37 degree side angle

17 feet above the deck, 6 feet stage left of model

8 feet downstage of model, 15 foot throw

 

RE007 FULL

27 degree elevation angle, 12 feet above the deck

12 feet stage left of model, Direct sidelight to model

13 foot throw

 

New England Winter

 Converted_file_610e944d

I think of dull colors when I think winter in New England. It was challenging to not make the lighting look like death. It still kind of look like death but I was going for an overcast setting, so I used a soft shade of blue and some grays. Downstage of the model is a cream-colored light so that she is illuminated but doesn’t blend into the backdrop and look like a ghost.

 

R07, 75%

37 degree elevation angle, 15 feet above the deck

12 feet stage right of model, Direct sidelight to model, 15 foot throw

 

G885 FULL

54 degree elevation

Direct back light

 

In the light lab:

17 feet above the deck, Centered on model

8 feet downstage of model, 14 foot throw

 

G842 75%

27 degree elevation angle, 12 feet above the deck

12 feet stage left of model, Direct sidelight to model, 13 foot throw

 

L258, 25%

-37 degree elevation angle, direct back light

0 feet above the deck, Centered on model

8 feet downstage of model, 10 foot throw

 

Maine Sunrise

 maine

This effectively portrays the mood of a Maine sunrise because the pink and blue gradient looks like the sky at dawn and the atmosphere is cool like Maine. The pink is not too warm. It reminds me of a fresh start.

AP500 75%

51 degree elevation angle

 

In the light lab:

17 feet above the deck, 9 feet stage right of model

Direct sidelight to model, 14 foot throw

 

AP830 50%

54 degree elevation

direct back light (it’s a front light…VLL got confused)

 

Light lab:

10 feet above the deck, Centered on model

16 feet downstage of model, 16 foot throw

 

AP7630 FULL

43 Degree elevation, 17 feet above the deck, 12 feet stage left of model

Direct sidelight to model, 16 foot throw