Moonlight. It’s synonymous with beauty, with romance, with the enchanting allure of the night. A landscape bathed in the gentle cool glow of moonlight is among the grandest of natural sights: coy and yet inviting, mysterious and yet revealing.
Throughout all of human history, the moon has been the source of endless fascination and study. Light from the moon has inspired the most beautiful of musical melodies. Moonlight has sparked many of history’s great romances, both of fable and of fact. Moonlight has been the stuff of mythology and magic for countless cultures stretching back to the dawn of humanity.
Is it any wonder, then, that our modern-day ability to duplicate the natural beauty of moonlight is one of the most popular features of landscape lighting?
Landscape Lighting Techniques Simulate a Moonlit Scene
Simulating the light of the moon with artificial lights is all about light placement and angles. Light fixtures are mounted high upon trees and structures, and the light angled downward. The light filters through branches and obstructions, casting a nightscape of moon shadows upon the ground.
Special lighting fixtures can be used to shield from glare any viewers looking upwards at the light. And when installed by a skilled professional, the light fixtures and wiring can be hidden from view.
Though natural moonlight is not tinged with blue, that’s how it’s perceived by human eyes. So sometimes lights are installed with blue filters for an even more natural and realistic look. Many people, though, feel that a pure white light lends a more welcoming, inviting feel to their landscape.
Nature’s Grandest Glory is All Too Rare…
The grand spectacle of a landscape awash with the rich glow of the full moon is a sight that our ancestors enjoyed only on rare occasion. A full moon occurs only every few weeks, of course. And all too often the glory of a full moon is masked with clouds, fog or haze.
But thanks to modern landscape lighting techniques, we don’t have to wait for that once-in-a-blue-moon occasion to witness the wonder of full moon lighting. We can enjoy it every single night of the year.
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Bob Carr | TLC Incorporated | Outdoor Lighting | Landscape Lighting