It goes without saying that without light, you wouldn’t be able to see anything. If you can’t see anything, then your brain can’t process anything visual. If your brain isn’t processing, then the visual world around you won’t affect your emotions.
That sounds boring. I want to feel the full range of emotions possible. Comfort, sadness, anger, depression, fear. The way the world is lit contributes so much to emotions that are felt in these moments and how they live on in memories. These emotions are automatic in the real world, from the sun, lightbulbs, and reflections. But in a digital world, lights can immerse people in worlds they might never experience in real life.
I guess in a way, I want to become a master manipulator. I would love to light a scene so decrepit, horrifying, and scary that people want to get out as fast as possible. To be able to say that I had a hand in putting absolute fear into someone sounds exciting. Of course on the flipside, maybe I want you to feel all the rainbows and sunshines in the world. Something so beautiful and pretty that you’ll never want to leave.
That’s the power of lighting, it can make the mundane seem interesting. It can evoke emotions that one might not expect to feel, and to me that is the coolest thing about lights and why I became a lighting artist.
(It’s also nice when people say that the shit I make looks cool)
