8 Lighting Tips For Your Event

Funny, the things we take for granted. When we go to the Street of Dreams in the evening and don’t stumble around in the dark tripping over curbs or when a hot summer night finally cools off a little and we decide to play tennis in the park. We just walk over to the switch and within five minutes we have light. Isn’t it amazing! There are some right now that would give anything, just for a candle to light their way

Lighting has allowed us to stay up later, stay out later and be safe.

You may be a designer or architect that is asked to design an outdoor area for recreational use or on a committee to arrange outdoor lighting. Here are some questions to ask:

• What area do you need to light?
• What type of work/activity will be going on?
• Do you have a power source?
• Are noise levels an issue?
• Is the area well ventilated?
• Does shadowing need to be considered?

There are some minimum standards of lighting that apply to different activities. Generally, the more there is a need to perceive fine detail, the more light is needed. A tennis player needs more light to see a fast serve of Pete Sampras than does the Street of Dreams, which is more concerned with the ambience of fine homes.

You may also want to evaluate the quality of light that different bulb types offer.

Metal Halide bulbs are between 3-4 times more powerful than Tungsten Halogen bulbs. They produce 3-4 times more light per watt than a Tungsten Halogen bulb.

However, there are tradeoffs. Metal halide bulbs emit Cold white light, will last between 5000-10000 hours, have a 5 minute strike up time and should be left 15 minutes before lighting them again after they have been switched off. Tungsten Halogen bulbs emit warm white light, last between 2000-4000 hours, strike up immediately and can be switched on straight after they have been switched off.

Funny, isn’t it, the things we take for granted?

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design gallery
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