Self Reflection

Large trees and grass lit by spotlights are reflected in a calm pond at night, with a stone wall and dense foliage in the background. - Christopher A. Lighting Design

Most experienced lighting designers are able to immediately envision what is possible at night. Read More This is what I believe separates artists from the contractors in our field. The first time our client and I drove around the bend in his driveway revealing this pond, I was overwhelmed with excitement of what could be. I knew that on a still night, properly lit trees would reflect like a mirror on the water and create true art. We had to exercise restraint not to light all of the trees, and choosing to leave the background dark helped the main group of trees to really stand alone as the celebrity of the scene. This was to be our first time deploying the Jan Moyer “shore scraping” technique mounting fixtures in the water to illuminate the bank of the shore. We spent time at night on a paddle board in the middle of the pond to determine the ideal location for the fixtures. I was wet and cold, but happened to look up and realize that the branches of the trees reached out past the shore line. I could accomplish the same effect with down lighting and keep the fixtures out of the water. We mounted downlights to the branches that extended out into the water and then pointed them back at the retaining wall and ground. This resulted in a perfect mirrored reflection that I had seen in my mind on the first day. Read Less

A row of trees is illuminated at night under a cloudy sky with a bright full moon. Grass covers the foreground.

A small tree illuminated by a spotlight stands between two large trees at night, surrounded by darkness and grass.

We almost neglected to light this tree because during the daytime, it appeared so insignificant next to mature giants. Read More After further consideration, we thought it might add some interest to the area so we added a few uplights. Much to my surprise, the little tree created a beautiful focal point in what became one of the best scenes on the property. Because the canopy is so much lower to the ground, the light reflects more than on the surrounding trunks, creating a foreground and background that provides depth. I find myself rooting (no pun intended) for the little tree to one day grow as strong as his surrounding brothers. This space evokes the emotion of hope. Read Less

A paved path runs through a wooded area at night, illuminated by artificial light, with tall trees and dense foliage on both sides.

The driveway leading from the street to the home is over 1 mile long and very diverse in terms of vegetation, trees, and open space. Read More Where we could, we downlit the driveway from over 30 feet in the air to mimic the effects of a full moon on a clear night. The shadows and dappling was intentional and this picture shows one of many different scenes along the path. We uplit trees that seemed to deserve attention at night, and left others dark. There is very little ambient light in this part of town and before our installation, the driveway felt creepy and foreboding to the client. Now, he and his wife intentionally drive slowly at night to enjoy the beauty of their space as they leave and enter their sanctuary. Read Less

A paved path winds through a park at night, with trees casting shadows on the ground under dim artificial lighting.

Category

Acreage Estate, Residential

Design Aspects

Mirror reflection achieved with branch-mounted downlighting, no fixtures in the water
Full-moon dappling along a mile of driveway, mounted at 30 feet
Deliberate darkness: background left unlit so the focal trees stand alone
Overhead-only lighting at the children’s play area, no fixtures or wires at ground level
Inward-facing niche lights on fence posts for nighttime gardening

Stepping stones lead through a mulched garden bed with small shrubs and tall trees, illuminated by a ground light at night. - Christopher A. Lighting Design

Our client has a 1 year old son and another on the way. Read More He built one of the most elaborate playhouses I have ever seen and placed it in the back corner of the property. Our goal was to illuminate the area completely from above to provide a safe play area and eliminate the possibility of the kids tripping on fixtures or wires. We lit this space a little brighter than I would have preferred, but the client wants to see their kids at play from the pool area and loves the scene. Read Less

A playground set surrounded by large trees is illuminated at night, with the sky appearing dark blue and the grass in the foreground neatly cut.

Three tall trees and one small tree are illuminated at night in a grassy area, with a dark forested background and a starry sky above.

A fenced garden with raised beds is illuminated at night, with a backdrop of tall trees and a dark, grassy lawn under a night sky.

I was instructed that “mamma loves her garden” and if there was any way to incorporate that space into the design, we should. Read More We used small niche lights mounted to the fence posts. They faced inward, allowing her to garden at night and created a rich shadow effect from the bars onto the ground. Read Less

To close, I chose a wider shot of the reflection pond. Read More Here is another example of dappling on the driveway. This photograph shows a clear foreground, middleground, and background and shows how much depth can be created with varying light levels. Read Less

A paved path runs alongside a pond at night, with trees and their reflections visible in the water, all illuminated by artificial lights.

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