Drama 16 Stage Lighting

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.

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.

What, Where: perspective photography of a street floor.

Theme: Surreal

Description: This picture most notably gives the surreal impression by its content. Having the three arranged on the floor, it appears that gravity has changed in a dream like manner. Also important is the lighting. The sunlight gives a even flow of light with a slight shadow angle. These even wash in uncommon due to the arrangement of people, but gives a bizarre effect.

?(C) All rights reserved by sgoralnick

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgoralnick/

From: linked on Reddit.com, saved on my computer, not sure where the original link is from.

3) THEME: Surreal

4) DESCRIPTION: What is most surreal about this image is that nothing about is faked or photoshopped. I was looking at another image of a man walking near a flying bird, where the shadows had been doctored to look like a knight and a dragon, but I choose this instead because these are created pieces of art that are photographed as they exist in the real world. The light in these images creates a shadow that feels surreal and unnatural because without that light, I would not know that the thing I was looking at would cast that shadow. Most objects cast a shadow that is a distortion of the object itself. In these works, the object is the distorted image, and the light and shadows create the object itself.

BONUS: 

1.) Photo located at http://www.wallpapers-free.org/42/-/Rain_Forest_Tropic/

2.) Surreal

3.) This photo feels surreal to me because of the bright light shining out from the background and the effect it has on the vinage hanging in the center of the photo. It’s really incredible the effect the light has shining through the leaves, which feels like a moment from a dream. The muted grey of the mists and multi tones of green shrouded in white light reflecting through water droplets. Lastly, because of the rain, the right hand side the leaves look like they’re melting which I think is rather surreal, something you’d expect in a Dahli!

Philippe Ramette

Courtesy of FRESHPICS (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Fzq94YVbHHM/TA0QCtwAh2I/AAAAAAAAyvA/MNqEQuLRu4Q/s1600/Philippe_Ramette_01.jpg)

SURREAL

This is a photo of surrealist photographer and installation artist Philippe Ramette. The scene itself is surreal, but the lighting adds to the overall effect: it has the same washed out, hazy feeling found in the lighting in Dalí paintings, though it is cool instead of warm in color. The overcast sky and the smog from the city diffuse the light, making the brown frame and black suit stand out against the water (the color of which is also exaggerated by contrast with the smoky blue.) It has the dreamlike quality that is essential to surrealism.

And here’s how he did it, if you’re curious.

1)

2)http://wordlesstech.com/2011/03/04/bioluminescence-and-night-phenomena/

From wordlesstech blog. Photo courtesy Phil Hart/www.philhart.com

3) Surreal

4) This picture was taken off the coast of Australian. The blue in the water is created by bioluminescent algae. Usually water doesn’t glow like that and the light has a certain unearthly glow to it. The long exposure of the sky creates the interesting effect of making bright circular lines. The combination of these two elements makes for a fascinating and strange combination that looks as if its out of an alien world and unreal.

2) This photo was found on google images and this is the site it originally came from.

http://7art-screensavers.com/free-clipart/7art-00001_surreal-sunset-clouds.shtml

3) Theme:  Surreal

4) I thought the lighting in this picture portrayed a surreal feeling because of the intense orange color in the background.  I also thought that the light reflecting off the water also created a surreal or dream like effect.  I think that the fact that the orange light is intense but not bright is what makes the lighting in this picture seem dreamlke.  The shadows of the waves and the clouds and the other dark spaces in the picture are helpful in creating the surreal feeling.