Lighting Bible

THE PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TO LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

By Nate Mullen AKA “The Illuminator”

Please send me your email and i will send you updates and future revisions that will come in the future.

Join my new organization The IAALL (THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF ARCHITECURAL LANDSCAPE LIGHTING)

THANK YOU to the hundreds and hundreds of Illuminators that I have met and become friends with.

It is an honor to share this book with you. Thank you for your photos and support. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to look at the pictures you have sent me of your lighting jobs. Those must be the best lighting jobs in that neighborhood. I wish I could have included more of them.

Thank You For Being My Friend And Customer Cheers To A Brighter Future!

I-2

WHY LIGHT? IT ACTIVATES THE VISUAL WORLD AROUND US • • • • • • •

If You Don’t Light It, You Can’t See It Lighting Alters The Way Outdoor Space Is Used Lighting Changes The Feel Of Space Lighting Can Visually Connect Spaces Together There Is No Sense Of Space Without Light Light Is Better Than Darkness

IT ACTIVATES YOUR VISUAL WORLD

Without Light There Is No Space

PHOTO CREDIT: Light my Landscape I-3

Making you a Lighting Designer mistakes and observing those made by other electrical con- tractors, landscapers and manufacturers. In the process, through trial and error, I’ve developed a set of rules and methods based on the physics of light and the mechanics of design. These methods have been proven to work time and time again, no matter the complexity of the job. By putting these methods into practice, I’ve been able to achieve a high level of success.

I consider it my privilege now to share with you all the secrets, shortcuts and tricks I’ve learned. I hope they’ll bring you success as well.

This book will teach you many valuable new techniques including: • How to view yourself as a lighting designer •

How to design a beautiful lighting system

•

Understanding the relationship of light levels

•

Proper Placement

To a brighter future,

The Illuminator P.S. "Unique" working style.

I-4

How to use this book

can refer to it at any time. I’ve also included easy-to-use charts, tables, and forms to help you plan your lighting jobs.

The contents are geared to provide low voltage lighting design- ers and installers a thorough understanding of how to conceptualize, design, sell, and install low voltage lighting systems. Along with the basics of theory, this is also a “HOWTO” book, meant to be used and referred to over and over again. Consider it your friend and busi- ness partner. It doesn’t matter if you use it as a reference manual or a guideline, it just matters that you use it.

My goal was to compile the information in an easy-to-under- stand format without making things complicated or tricky. In fact is that I’ve put a great deal of throughout the book is very casual, as if we were having a phone conversation in our everday speaking style. However, if you still have questions that aren’t covered, feel free to call me at 760-580-4980. I’d be happy to discuss your questions with you, help you with any problems you may have and provide solutions to them in the next printing. Your feedback is always welcome.

As you are reading this book, look for these icons. They highlight areas of special importance.

I-5

PHOTO CREDIT: Light my Landscape

WITHOUT LIGHT THERE IS NO USABLE SPACE

I-6

MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LANDSCAPE LIGHTING — An Overview —

CREATING A LIGHTING PORTRAIT What’s a lighting portrait? of the lamp, not the lamp itself. In other words, the land- scape is the star of the show.

The Contractor as Lighting Designer The philosophy I try to follow when doing a landscape lighting job for a client is to create a portrait of their landscape and their home us- ing light. This is a very important using light as your brush and the client’s home as your canvas. The end result is like a movie set, painted with light, that the homeowner will appreciate and admire every night, from both the inside and out.

Using this philosophy, you are no longer a contractor, but a light- ing designer, and each portrait you create will be one of a kind. Seeing yourself as a “lighting and your input on the design will make or break the job. If you follow this philosophy, you will soon have the know-how and experience to create breathtaking landscape lighting, so use it!

See the Light, Not the Fixture

I-7

up that sidewalk and driveway, and the client wants those Damm path lights.” This

call it area enhancement lighting. Instead of focusing on the path with 18” high path lights (the core problem), we use 24”, 36”, 48” and 60” lights. What this does for us is, wants, the questions you need to ask yourself (and your client) are whether they would rather see: • • •

serve only to house a bulb.

mushroom lights.

The reason manufacturers produce so many models is because each landscape homeowner. In order to satisfy every conceivable taste in design,manufacturers homeowners’ decorative tastes. As far as I’m concerned, this is a very narrow-minded view, typical of manufacturers that employ design engineers that have never installed a

I-8

THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN INSTALLING FIXTURES THAT ARE VISIBLE IN THE LANDSCAPE, SUCH AS: The “airport runway” look. that focuses light onto the path or driveway. At night the path is lit, but the beautiful landscape is not. The only reason for pathway lighting is safety and security. Although this is a very important feature of landscape light- ing, it isn’t the primary purpose. The

Rust and corrosion

rials, it seems logical that water damage from irrigation is an unavoid- able evil that will

Physical damage ones placed adjacent to the path or sidewalks, will be bumped, kicked or knocked been bumped or moved will be out of alignment, changing the lighting portrait.

Please start looking at jobs that have been in for a few years. I was just in Az. At Talking Stick and WigWam resorts were there a 100’s and 100’s of lights that are so messed up it is a disgrace. There were knock over, out of Alignment, Glare in your

stability and in the best interest of the client.

I-9

Situational awareness is the understanding what should be done so lights can last a lifetime.

most often? they do is look at catalogs (usually supplied enthusiastically by the contractor) and clients into selecting a model or models that “match” their own decorative tastes. After

Now really think about this. I have met so many Landscape Contractors that when they are going out to a job for a Sprinkler Bid they do not show the homeowners a catalog of Sprinklers. How crazy that would be. They pick out the Sprinklers based upon Coverage and applacation. So why do they show the homeowner a Lighting catalog.

My philosophy, as you’ll learn, is a totally opposite approach that I can sum up in a few •

Choose for application

•

Choose for Adjustment

• •

Choose for no glare

•

Choose for a lifetime

is hold the bulb, so it needs to do it well. Again, the light bulb does the lighting. I can’t stress that enough. If you remember this when bidding landscape lighting jobs, and use it to educate your client or homeowner, you’ll have an edge on your competition and appear far more knowledgeable and professional as the lighting design artist you really are.

I-10

So there you have it. The key to successful landscape lighting in a nutshell, the Illuminator’s way. The rest you need to know is just detail and technique, so let’s get started…

THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN...BUT IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, WHY ?

Just One of the Results of Too Many Path Lights

I-11

Example Of An Uninformed Installer

I-12

I-13

CONTENTS AT A GLANCE Creating a Lighting Portrait

Chapter 1: Fundamentals of Lighting 1-1 Chapter 2: Structures of a Lighting System 2-1 Chapter 3: Types of Lighting 3-1 4-1

Color Photos

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Fundamentals of Lighting

How the eye works 1-3 Glare 1-4 Levels of light 1-8 1-12 Light ratio between levels 1-13 Ability to visually expand 1-14 Spill lighting 1-14 How light reacts with a surface 1-16 Apparent brightness 1-21

2. Structure of a Lighting Portrait Design strategy Sense and purpose Visual objectives Concept View point Theme Incorporate the home Focal point Rhythm and proportion Visual Direction Entry ways Path lighting Area enhancement

I-14

Vertically Depth

2-3 2-7 2-5 2-8 2-9 2-10 2-13 2-16 2-28 2-33 2-35 2-36 2-36 2-41 2-45 2-54 2-54

Intriguing elements Proper transition Light check: the critical visuals Pictures

2-59 2-62 2-63 2-64

3. Types of Lighting Up Lighting Stackability Placement of Lights - graphic Silhouette Lighitng Down Lighting Shadow Lighting Cross Lighting Moon Lighting Mirror Lighting Graze Lighting Security Lighting Atmosphere Lighting Seasonal Lighting Pictures

3-3 3-7 3-8 3-9 3-10 3-13 3-15 3-16 3-20 3-21 3-24 3-27 3-29 3-31

Placement of lamps Angle of slant Stackability Shrubs and plants Tree Lighting Tree graphic Tree picture Boulders and rocks Fences and walls Water Fountains and statues Arbors, trellises, patios, pergolas

4-3 4-5 4-7 4-9 4-10 4-12 4-13 4-18 4-20 4-23 4-30 4-32 4-36 4-37 4-38 4-40 4-43 4-48

Fire in the landscape Stairs Biggest secret i have...

Optical correctional lenses Pictures

I-15

17

18

-1 19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

E

HOUSE

8

A 1 7 2

6

D

3

4

5

B STREET-A

C