Michael Woodall, a friend and photographer, has been combining multiple exposures to create these surreal and better-than-life photos of my projects for the last 25 years. The images captured the spirit and mood of the space but, in reality, the pool lighting was not of a high quality. You could not reproduce the exact scene in real life. Mike took a shot with the lights all on and then layered it in Photoshop with other shots where the lights were off. He adjusted the opacity to make the pool look subdued. The pool interior was then able to match the glow of the sky, and most importantly, the reflections around the pool were not overpowered.
Caption: This stunning opening image shows the pool lights subdued, balanced and within the scene. It’s not how it appears in real life! The balancing between pool lighting and the background lighting was done using photoshop. The actual lighting of the pool is much brighter. The standard pool lighting can be overwhelming in person and takes away the background light.
Take note of the fiber optic stars used in the sunshelf. Jan and I believe that this is the only solution to lighting a shallow space. Submersible LED strips and shallow water pool lights are too close together, creating intense hotspots. In this example you can see the pool lights are too close to the steps on the left. They are therefore very bright. The two pool lights are shining intensely onto the bench in front of the sunshelf, creating hotspots and attracting unwanted attention. Imagine the effect if you placed lights in the 9-inch deep sun shelf. It is important to leave enough space between the surface that will be lit and the fixture to allow the light to diffuse. You have less space to work with in shallow water than the imperfectly placed fixtures of these pool fixtures. If fiberstars cannot be used, it is better to avoid lighting a sun shelf. Rhonda Sheerin, Fiber Creations in Phoenix, Ariz. is the person I recommend to find out more.
All the elements of the scene were balanced. It’s a stunning photo, but we haven’t been able to reproduce the same beauty in a pool until now.
Until a few months ago, I would tell you that the best way to experience the visual effect of pool lighting is to turn them off. I would have told you to only use the pool lights for special occasions, such as a pool party or swimming time. When a beautiful outdoor backdrop is desired, it’s best to focus on creating a landscape as the main element. Then, you can work hard with lighting. The reflected surface of an unlit pool is then transformed into a stunning display, as shown in photo A.
courtesy George Gruel
This photo shows our approach up to now. This image was featured in an AQUA Magazine article a few years back. It was necessary to create a beautifully landscaped backdrop and then properly light it, resulting in stunning reflections on the pool. It’s difficult to tell where the pool area ends and the turf begins in this scene. The turf could be lit from the large mesquite or by a light hidden in the palms. This would give the turf a soft, diffused glow.
This approach was successful in creating a tranquil scene that would look great on canvas or hung on the wall. When using standard, non-dimmable lights for the pool, however they can be overpowering and too bright. Below, you can see photos B and C. This pool would have benefited from another light to fill the dark space between the lights. These 15-watt lights, which are 12 feet apart, have a distance of 12 feet. This would have brightened the pool even more, as if the pool needed it? The light in the shallow end creates a hotspot that is not present with the deep end. This could be fixed if the light was dimmable.
Photo B above features the same scene with standard non-dimmed 15-watt pool lights (too bright) set to deep blue, 12-foot spacing (too wide). Photo C below features the same scene with standard non-dimmed 15-watt white pool lights with 12-foot spacing. Note: This is a dark interior pool, Pebble Sheen Turtle Bay. A light interior pool will MOST DEFINITELY benefit from dimmable lights.
courtesy George Gruel
courtesy George Gruel
The reflections disappear when the lights are turned on. The reflections make the picture! We’re not trying to highlight the blown-out vessel’s floor. The “subject” of the painting is not the pool. You are directing the viewer’s eye to the brightest light. What is the object of this viewing angle. The background landscape. The most important thing in the hierarchy is the background.
The culmination of Woodall’s photoshop magic, and the better-than-life images, prompted me to ask a few weeks ago: What about these dimmable LED pool light fixtures, which are now available. Could we dim the pool lights to achieve Woodall’s perfectly balanced scenes? Jan Lennox Moyer – the lighting designer with whom I’ve worked for several years – was sceptical about the idea, but we decided to test it! Just in time for the article, we agreed to try an experiment at one of our past projects. We visited the residence we worked on with Red Rock Contractors a few year prior and photographed it for the AQUA magazine article “Metamorphosis.”
Photo D above displays four lights set around 40% for a romantic mood and atmosphere. For photo E below, we dialed the lighting up to about 60%, to what we call the “pool party” level. At this level, there’s plenty of light in the pool, and yet, it does not overwhelm the background. The backdrop is still the main focus, and the reflections are still distinctly enjoyed in the pool surface. Everything is balanced.
Jan and I were both delighted that the experiment, which used new equipment and techniques, was a great success. Photos D and E are shown above. We were able, by dimming 3-watt light bulbs at a closer 6-foot distance, to create a uniform lighting across the pool’s floor. This enhanced the character of the pool and its dimensionality without overpowering the scene or creating hotspots on the floor. The reflections were not affected at all by the lower, more desirable settings. Jan’s mantra “less wattage and more fixtures” also works for pool lighting.
This is going to be a game changer in my future. I’ll be using dimmable fixtures exclusively. I’ve been looking for subtle pool lighting for years. The landscape lighting is stunning, and the reflections are amazing.
Award-winning GENESIS instructor Kirk Bianchi is principal of Bianchi Design in Arizona, an environmental architecture and conceptual design firm that expresses the outdoors as a living art form.
Janet Lennox Moyer, IALD, is the author of the The Landscape Lighting Book, now in its 3rd edition, and The Art of Landscape Lighting. She is founder of the International Landscape Lighting Institute.
The article was first published in AQUA Magazine, the leading resource for pool and spa retailers, builders, and service professionals. All industry professionals can subscribe to the print edition of AQUA Magazine for free. Subscribe by clicking here.
