Lighting and Contrast

Lets get technical.  What is it that really makes the difference between a successful design, and one that flounders?  It's the audience's perception of the product.  There are several aspects that go into this.  Contrast is one of the strongest.

Everyday, we are exposed visually to objects through lighting either through natural lighting, or by artificial light.  We can't live without light.  So it only seems logical, that light plays a major role in the things we choose to enjoy.

Light and its reflection gives us the contrast needed in order to truly see the beauty in it.  Like they say "there has to be opposition (or to your eyes, its contrast) in all things."  That makes beauty so much more beautiful; positive so much more positive; because we can also see the opposites.

Black and white photography is an amazing example of contrast. High contrast to show off lighting technique, is likely to be found pleasing to the eye.  On the other hand, dull, or things of low contrast lighting are often glanced over.

Ever wonder why magazine pages are shiny? The purpose is to reflect light. Its to attract your attention.

And why do people like cars and motorcycles? There's several reasons, but I'll just touch on one of the visual aspects. One of these has to do with lighting. Why pick one particular blue car over another blue car; assuming both perform equally and price is the same? At this point, the decision may be based on appearance. Light bounces off of the vehicles metal in an aesthetically pleasing way. The more contours and bulges the car has, the more uniquely the light is reflected. Of course this has its limits too! Take this truck for example: Where is the main source of lighting coming from? Directly above, as we can identify by the truck's shadow. Take a look at both Truck #1 and Truck #2 pictured below. Which is more appealing visually?

Truck #1

And...

Truck #2

Which is more appealing visually? Truck #2, right? Disregarding color completely, these trucks are close to identical. But why does the second look so much more appealing? The lighting for this picture is cast from directly above, same as the first: So what's the difference?  

Well, for starters, this vehicle has a much brighter color, which does affect the ability for light to reflect. We also see that first vehicle (Truck #1) has what appears to be a matte paint finish. In short, matte finishes damper light reflection, thus lowering contrast as well, making Truck #1 look flat.

Second is the angle of the picture. Truck #2 has been positioned in such a way that the lighting is maximized, thus creating a huge amount of contrast between the white light and the truck's red paint. Thus we are able to see a higher contrast.

Slideshow of St. George Area Photos

Photography school project to promote Saint George, UT.

Everything Designed

Sometimes I look at things and think, wow.  For instance, a cup.  How many different variations are there of the object we use to drink liquid out of?  It's just amazing the mass amount of things in the world that are designed to some degree or another.  The trick for designers, and even filmmakers is getting that particular design or film to sell.  So what's the secret?

It all has to do with the audience.  If your product's audience isn't the intended one, more often than not, it won't be success.  That is unless, one can either shift the product into the right audience by making changes to it, or the non-intended audience is receptive to the idea although it would generally be out of their comfort range.  This is pretty rare however.  Usually a product has many many stages, meant for change to reach the right audience, and other possible targeted audiences.

Just my thoughts.

What is Beauty?

Beauty?  Now, that's a hard question.  What is beauty to you?  That's different.  It's easy to tell someone what we think is beautiful versus something we regard as being less than beautiful.  But can we define it?  What makes that particular object beautiful?  Is it the light reflection?  Or our own perception based on cultural beliefs and our past experiences? Or could it be something psychological or physiological in our outlook, that makes us say that a certain object is aesthetically pleasing, thus beautiful?

Technically, its all of these things, and others.  Beauty is not defined by the eye, but in all actuality by our response.  This can be an emotional response, and most often is.  So what makes one person respond differently than another, well; that's the beauty of life.  We are all different, and in and of itself that can be considered beauty.

So what makes you think beauty?

Here's 3 things from my list...

1.  My metallic orange Chevy Cobalt-- It just screams out beauty to me.  That car means freedom, road-trips, memories, and just pure pleasure.  It's my baby.  The way it reflects light from its bright, glossy orange paint and sleek finish chrome wheels, just makes me want take it for a drive!

2.  My bed-- Yes that sounds somewhat awkward, but I'm totally serious.  It's soft and fluffy, and very inviting.  I know that when I climb into its big fluffy sheets I'm going to be exquisitely comfortable.  That's beautiful to me.

3.  Wet dirt-- The smell of wet dirt does it to me every time!  It takes me back to another time and a different place.  I go back to being a carefree six year old, following my Daddy around the yard as he mows the lawn and works in his garden.  It's the smell of rain, my dad's garden and a time in my life that was very much enjoyed!

So what's beautiful to YOU?

One of My Favorite Movies

Of course, I have a few favorite movies too!  One in particular is "Limitless" directed by Neil Burger.  If you ever have the chance, take the time to watch it with the audio commentary he gives explaining the show.  Its very interesting, and I love this movie based on the cinematography that went into it.  In its own right, the way the film was captured tells its own story.

For example; in the commentary director Neil Burger explains what they call the "infinite zoom" which is used in the beginning of the movie and several times during the show to display the main character's lapses in memory while running through New York, NY on foot.  The visual impact of the "infinite zoom" is astounding.  It makes you as the viewer feel as if you are the main character.  It portrays his feelings of being indestructible, infinite, and basically feeling as if he could live his life forever without limits.

I like how that aspect of the film is able to create such an environment for its viewers.  There's nothing else like the feeling of being inside the story yourself.