Lighting Techniques- How the Pros Do It!
Lighting Techniques- How the Pros Do it. When it comes to outdoor lighting techniques, there are many options available to personalize and add magic to your landscape. The perfect lighting should highlight the major features of your home and yard, without harshness. Below is a list of various lighting techniques that you should consider in order to best highlight your outdoor living spaces, garden accents, or your home’s architectural features.
- Silhouetting
Here, a spread light is positioned behind a shrub, fountain or sculpture, between it and a wall. The spread lights are usually bi-pin halogen bulbs with a mirrored background. The eye-catching effect here is that the object is silhouetted in black against the lit background.
- Grazing
In order to showcase an interesting stone work or texture, up-lights or spread-lights are placed beside the wall with the beams aimed in an upward direction. This showcases your stonework on pilasters and walls. Properly executed, grazing can be combined with silhouetting.
- Up-Lighting (or Highlighting)
This lighting technique makes use of low-voltage lighting fixtures with LED or halogen bulbs. It is placed on the ground so as to light up a tree and display its trunk structure and shape. In order to showcase the tree’s canopy, branches, and leaves, a lighting fixture should be positioned approximately 8 feet away from the trunk. Trees often require more than one fixture.
- Down-lighting
This can be used in numerous ways. You can down-light from structures, such as positioning them on walls to showcase a beautiful plant or a bed of flowers. To down-light, fix the lighting fixture high enough to cover the feature you wish to show off. Secondly, you can down-light from hardscape. This is done by installing lighting fixtures aimed downward in countertops, wall windows, and benches to cast a soft light on the patio and pathways.
- Underwater Lighting
When lighting fixtures are submerged in water a special effect is created when water dances over the light at night. Adding underwater lights makes your water feature a focal point at night, as well as during the day.
With all the options available, it can be easy to over-light your house, making it look more suitable for landing a plane than pleasing. Similarly, under-lighting a house can make it look off-putting instead of welcoming. A properly trained landscape lighting pro (Southern Lights of NC) knows how to light your house evenly and thoroughly, creating the best effect for warmth and safety. Drive around your town, and chances are you’ll be able to spot the difference that professionally designed and installed lighting makes. There you have it, a few of the landscape lighting techniques- how the pros do it.
Located in Summerfield, NC Southern Lights- Architectural and Landscape Lighting serves properties and property management companies throughout the state of NC including Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Charlotte, High Point, Jamestown, Burlington, Reidsville, Oak Ridge, Brown Summit, etc.
Southern Lights has installed hundreds of outdoor landscape lighting systems and carries more certifications than anyone in the state. With attention to detail and a solid knowledge of design, Southern Lights is the leading outdoor landscape lighting firm in the state of NC. See why our clients choose us. Contact us today by web (online form) or phone 336-451-4969.
