{"id":554,"date":"2013-07-29T12:49:57","date_gmt":"2013-07-29T18:49:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/night-scenes.com\/?p=554"},"modified":"2013-07-29T12:49:57","modified_gmt":"2013-07-29T18:49:57","slug":"the-mark-of-vorro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/night-scenes.com\/2013\/07\/29\/the-mark-of-vorro\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mark of Vorro!"},"content":{"rendered":"
As I drive down the Austin roads at night, I am always looking for lighting on homes and businesses. When you\u2019ve been designing outdoor lighting for a long time, you quickly see the difference between those lighting projects that were designed and installed by a professional lighting designer and those who sell and install lighting but are not actually trained as a designer. As I drive down the Austin roads at night, I am always looking for lighting on homes and businesses. When you\u2019ve been designing outdoor lighting for a long time, you quickly see the difference between those lighting projects that were designed and installed by a professional lighting designer and those who sell and install lighting … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,27,20,11,5,29,24],"tags":[17,39,80,10,12,6,7],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe easiest way to tell these projects apart is what I like to call the mark of \u2018Vorro\u2019! We all know the mark of\u00a0Zorro, the \u2018Z\u2019\u00a0that the famed Zorro slashed wherever he went for all to see. The mark of Vorro is the dreaded \u2018V\u2019 that is plainly visible for all to see in outdoor lighting systems installed by those who are not well-educated in how light performs or lighting design. This is frequently the mark of an inexperienced lighting installer who does little actual design.
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\nThe typical landscape lighting \u201cbullet\u201d light, whether it be a halogen or LED, and regardless of the quality of the fixture, emits light in a cone shape. When used to graze a wall, the light looks like a\u00a0V\u00a0since you only see part of the cone. These lamps or LEDs produce beams in the areas of 15, 30-45 or 60 degrees of spread. These beams are commonly known as spot beams, flood beams and wide flood beams. There are times when each of these beams can be used appropriately for a specific purpose. Unfortunately, some installers use the same fixture, same light intensity and same beam spread for everything, without taking into account the desired look or function of the fixture where it is being placed. What we see most often is the 35 watt halogen (or equivalent LED) with a mid-range 35 degree beam spread used for everything on the property from walls to trees.
\nWhen trying to graze a narrow column, for example, the\u00a0skilled designer<\/a>\u00a0may choose the 15 degree spot beam to shoot a narrow light stream straight up the length of the column. On the other hand, if the designer wishes to graze a wider area, they may use the more diffused 60 degree beam for a softer, more radiant effect. Adding a linear spread lens to the fixture will widen the beam even more. Or the professional lighting designer could select an entirely different fixture all together. Personally, we tend to use wider\u00a0wash\u00a0fixtures when grazing expansive wall areas instead of the over-used bullet type fixture.
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\nSince narrower beams are confining their light in a smaller beam area, they produce a more intense and distinctive\u00a0V\u00a0shaped light effect; while the wider beam is usually gentler, more even with a less pronounced\u00a0V\u00a0effect. If a linear spread lens is used on the wider beam, the\u00a0V\u00a0effect is usually eliminated. When using a wide wash fixture instead, there is no\u00a0V\u00a0to begin with since the light is typically emitted in approximately 180 degree spread.
\nThe next time you\u2019re driving down the road at night, look for the mark of Vorro \u2026 and beware. \u00a0If you are in the greater Austin or Texas Hill Country, can we help you avoid the MARK OF VORO? \u00a0Contact us here<\/a>
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