Drama 16 Stage Lighting

Theme: Cold

Attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrickjoust/8347728672/in/set-72157603506244707

Description: This photo takes place on an empty street at night. The blue wash of light encompasses most of the image except for the tiny dot of warm light in the far left and the sky, which is also a warm grey in contrast to the cool-bluish grays we can see on the road and sidewalks. The cool blue light from the main streetlight creates this coldness in the photo. The blue lighting also adds to the emptiness in the image, as cool lighting can be associated with being devoid of life from the lack of warmth.

From: https://randallwarehouse.com/3-ways-to-protect-inventory-on-loading-docks-this-winter/

Theme: Cold

I wanted to find something evocative of coldness that could easily appear warm with only a simple lighting change. Searching for basements and warehouses eventually lead me to this image. What drew me to it most was how simple it was. It is just a pretty typical industrial warehouse loading dock, seen from inside. There are only two sources of light, both of which are visible. The first is the sunlight that is blowing out the highlights on the windows, which is a stark white point in the image. The next is the overhead fluorescent tubes that you can spot in the upper left corner, but which more than likely cover the entire ceiling of this room. These lights are both tuned toward a very cool temperature, but only slightly. It might be a trick of the camera, but regardless it has a serious effect. What should be white light has an almost silvery/blue twist to it. The lack of color also helps sell the effect — with most of the image being made up of various grays. Although not directly related to lighting, the surface materials and texture add to the effect. The semi-reflective concrete feels like a garage or a basement, something you would not want to walk on without some good shoes and a warm pair of socks. Aside from that feeling, it also feels cold in the sense that is seems pretty lifeless. There are no human subjects, and no interesting objects. Everything you see in the image was created to serve a solely practical purpose, a byproduct of some industry that demanded things like garage doors and pallet jacks and tightly wrapped bundles of boxes shoved into the backs of trailers. Not exactly a place you would want to hang out or spend time with friends.

Photo taken by me, Feb. 7th, 2021, at 2:30pm. Hofstra North Campus.

Theme: cold

Description: Everything about this photo is cold to me. Not only does it depict a scene we know would be frigid in temperature, but the lighting drives home the feeling. The snow is so white, and though it makes the photo brighter, it does so without warmth – and I mean that in the sense that certain colors can be warm, and this photo contains none of them. The starkness of the dark trees against the pure white surroundings, including that blank, featureless sky, suggest cold simply by removing the possibility of sunlight. There is nothing in this picture to provide warmth, even in some small way.

Photo taken by me at January 11th,2023, Italy.

I took this photo when I was in airplane in Italy. It’s very high so I can see whole mountains. The blue sky and cloud makes it looks very cold. Also, the snow on the mountain even makes this photo looks more cold. This view is so spectacular.

Date: February 18th, 2023

Theme: Cold

I visited my sister at Penn State over the holiday weekend and experience the colder climate she endures on a daily bases. To me the tones in the sky demonstrate a crisp winter morning. In the foreground the sky is a richer, deeper blue. Whereas in the back it fades to a softer, lighter shade of blue. The fade from blue to white gives the sense that it gets colder as the sky continues, getting closer and closer to the color of snow. Additionally, there is an evenly distributed bright light with cool tones, making the moment feel even crisper. In contrast, the lines creating the shadows are sharp and harsh, again giving a cooler feeling.

Date: December 2001

https://www.centralpark.com/locations/poets-alley/

A pathway in central park, after a winter storm. The path, trees, and benches are covered in a layer of bright white snow. Practically untouched. The lighting is very gray, giving it a cold feeling.  The streetlights give hints of color but are drowned out by all the white and gray tones around them.

Theme: Cold

Attribution: Megan Axton 12/13/19

Description: This is the sunrise from my driveway while I was waiting for the bus. The darkness, save for the sun, and the blue tone diffused on the snow makes the scene feel cold.

Date: 2/16/23

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Times Square New York

Objective: The streets of Times Square are illuminated by the many billboards, streetlights, and building lights. There is no light from the sky. The clouds are covering the moon.

Subjective: As I walk down the streets toward Times Square, I started to take in all the billboard lights. There’s something about all the lights that gave me a sense of warmth and comfort.

Date: 02/17/2023

Time: around 2:00 pm

Location: Outside Adam’s playhouse

Objective: The sky is filled with light and dark gray clouds. The pavements are much darker than usual since there was a light drizzle happening and it was also raining heavier prior to this time as well. There is little to no visible sunlight coming through the clouds, so there is mainly just a wash of cool gray throughout the atmosphere.

Subjective: Just like most rainy days, the heavy cool gray creates for a more dull and gloomy atmosphere. Not only that, but I kept thinking back to the story of Noah’s ark when I saw the rainy skies today. I can associate times like these to the moment when the biblical characters noticed the warning of the flood about to begin and the feeling of impending doom with what was going to happen. Like this moment was a stepping stone to something that could be worse.

February 17, 2023 at 4:00pm

While working production for Woyzeck I was I was sitting on a ladder attempting to attach legs to a platform that was suspended in the air. While struggling to drill the screw into the wood, the majority of the lights suddenly went out, and only a handful were left at a low brightness.

In this moment I became very aware of necessary good lighting is to do not only construction, but anything. As they began to adjust the lights I notice that cooler tones of light allowed me to see what I was doing more clearly. For the rest of the session as I worked on the platforms I could not help but notice how easily a change in colors and positions of light can affect the work someone is doing. This constant changing in light made me feel flustered and confused as I did had to adjust how I was working in order to better see.