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177 High-function outdoor lighting is often misunderstood as a matter of coverage — more light for safety, brighter light for usability, more fixtures for effect. In reality, function has far more to do with balance than brightness. When I walk a property at night, the first thing I notice is simply what's lit. Not because I'm looking for it, but because the eye is naturally drawn to whatever is brightest. That pull matters. Whether someone is arriving at a home or moving through a backyard scene, light determines where the eye goes first — and how the space is understood. One of the most common misconceptions in lighting design is that brighter is better, or that fewer fixtures with higher output will achieve the same result. I strongly disagree. Cohesive lighting comes from distribution, not intensity. Using more fixtures at lower output allows light to be layered evenly across a space, creating balance, depth, and comfort without harsh highlights or visual fatigue. When light is spread thoughtfully rather than forced into a scene, everything feels more natural and more resolved. Before a client ever says a word, I can tell when a design is working. Balance shows itself quickly. The foreground, midground, and background carry different light levels, but they relate to one another. No single element overpowers the scene. When those layers work together, movement through the space feels natural, and the lighting fades into the experience rather than competing with it. Much of what I correct when revisiting other systems comes down to fundamentals; poor connections that fail over time, fixtures placed too close or too far from what they're meant to illuminate, or lighting that was designed on paper but never truly resolved in the field. Good fixture selection matters, but practice, placement, and adjustment are what ultimately separate a good design from a great one. Lighting is a discipline, and it's rarely perfect on the first pass. Aiming, fine-tuning, and small adjustments are part of the process. When a project is finished and I'm proud of it, the space feels different. The boundaries shift. The shadows change. You can't take it all in at once — and that's exactly the point. When I find myself standing in a completed space and not wanting to leave, that's when I know it's right. If there's one thing I wish more designers understood, it's this: lighting can't be overthought on paper. Plans and standards are important, but the real answers come from being in the space — standing under the tree, feeling how the light moves, and understanding why something should be lit at all. High-function outdoor design isn't about control. It's about paying attention. Shedding Light On The Subject High-Function Outdoor Lighting Design High-Function Outdoor Lighting Design By Andrew Schwindler Sandy Beach Lighting & Design Co., Lafayette, IN

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