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This site will illustrate what “quality outdoor lighting” is all about. You can read about it, can talk about it, but why not see for yourself?

For some reason the quality of lighting that we demand in our homes and offices is not found outdoors. This lack of attention is especially evident at night, when what we see is almost entirely the result of artificial lighting. Our mistakes are plain to see. We can’t blame Mother Nature or the weather for the shoddy appearance of our urban areas!

Paintings are by Van Gogh.

During the daytime we are accustomed to natural surroundings, even in densely populated urban areas. The sky, clouds, trees, and ground cover provide a comfortable backdrop to our daily lives. High levels of illumination make possible the perception of vivid color from reflected light. At the same time, contrast levels between the brightest and dimmest objects in our field of view are moderate.

Nighttime is a different story. Our natural backdrop, the stars, planets, and moon, are hidden behind an artificial urban haze. Illumination levels are low, and color perception from reflective sources is muted or nonexistent. The only color we perceive generally is from lighting sources themselves. Contrast ratios between lighting sources and the background is many times that during daytime. Even trained architects and engineers have difficulty in dealing with the nighttime, manmade environment. 

You can become more knowledgeable than almost anyone else about outdoor lighting by spending a little time on this site and checking out a few links. Start with the introduction, then visit the photoessay sections. We are starting with Northern Virginia, where I live. After a recent trip, I’ve added a Boston section. Hopefully other visitors will contribute illustrations from their communities. To do so, turn to the Contributions page. By authoring your own photoessay, you will not only help improve outdoor lighting practices where you live, but help others learn from your experiences.

A word from the Webmaster:
           I am not a lighting “expert”, and the opinions expressed on this site are strictly my own. So nothing of what you find here is revealed truth. On the other hand, the issues we discuss are not difficult ones, and the solutions, fortunately, lie in the realm of common sense. None of the photographs have been “doctored” or “morphed.” I believe you will discover, as I have, that there is very little real science to outdoor lighting, and that many of the reasons articulated for why we have surrounded ourselves with needlessly intrusive lighting don’t stand up to scrutiny. There is no rhyme nor reason for our cluttered nighttime environment. Like Topsy, it just growed. Now it is time to clean up the hodgepodge.  

Chris Walker, sponsor
e-mail: cwalker@commix.com

             Non-commercial Advertisement:
Please join the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) and learn how to improve your community with quality outdoor lighting. IDA has the educational material you need, and practical solutions you can apply wherever you live. Their Web site is www.darksky.org. It in turn has links to most of the resources you will need.

Please let me know of any corrections to this site, or suggest enhancements. With enough good feedback, I’ll add a “comments” section.

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