Moonlighting Masterpieces
Since the beginning of time, our Earth’s most natural light sources have always come from above. Long before man used fire and electric light, celestial bodies like our moon and stars were the only means for seeing at night. It’s soft, cool glow is so peaceful and serene.
The beautiful ambiance the moon and stars create is something we at California Outdoor Lighting look at for inspiration. There are so many techniques used in outdoor lighting and one of our favorites will always be moonlighting.
Our biggest goal as lighting designers is to create the right ambiance within a space. Most times this requires subtlety and understanding how light opens from its source. Lighting from above gives us so many opportunities to create unique patterns that change over time. The lighting lives and breathes with your landscape.
So putting a few lights in a tree sounds easy enough, right?
Wrong! Something as simple as using the right hardware is overlooked by many so called professionals. Trees are living organisms and as they grow, bad hardware can cost you dearly. Using things like staples to pin the wire is a bad idea. Here you can see what happens in just as little as a couple of years. It doesn’t take long for Mother Nature to take over.
Proper installation techniques allow for preventative maintenance, and nothing needs maintenance more than tree lights. Take a look at the next picture. Zip ties with eye loops allow you to back screws out as the tree grows, this stops the tree from growing over tie points.
The right mounting hardware also prevents tree rot. Stainless steel hanger bolts like you see below keep the fixture floating from the surface of the tree. This is so important for the health of the tree, not all metals are safe and using the wrong hardware can do serious damage. It can even kill the tree.
Proper installation is one thing, but designing moonlighting is even harder. Angles play a key role and if the light is mounted too steep, you can expect a lot of glare. If it’s too low, it won’t illuminate much and look like a spot light. On average our tree lights are installed between 25 and 40 feet. This gives light room to open and create a beautiful scene.
You also need to be careful of light overlap. Installing more than one light in a tree pointing in the same direction can cancel out amazing effects. Beautiful shadows created by one light might be cancelled out by another pointing at a slightly different angle.
Creating moonlighting should not be taken lightly, pun intended! It takes a lot of time and to learn how light opens and the best ways to use it. Most times, this has to be done from within the tree, climbing around to find the most perfect spot to mount something amazing. Rushing only sacrifices detail and we strive to be true craftsmen in our industry. Here’s a few more photos for moonlighting inspiration!
Want to learn more about what California Outdoor Lighting can offer? Contact us today at 310.940.0731 or send us an email at info@californiaoutdoorlighting.com. to schedule your professional lighting consultation.