Illuminata

UP-LIGHTING is a technique that is utilized frequently by landscape lighting designers to emphasize a particular feature in the yard. Because we are used to seeing everything lit from above, when an object is lit from below, our brains recognize it as something unusual and our gaze is attracted to it. Because of the unusual nature of up-lighting, it is best used sparingly, indeed, this is where the majority of design mistakes are made.

It is very easy to up-light every candidate in a space but the eventual, overall effect is to create a scene where multiple objects are screaming for the viewers attention. It is therefore necessary to be extremely careful when deciding to up-light something and only proceed if it can be justified in the overall, creative concept of the design.

Suitable subjects for this technique include open structured, ornamental trees such as this Sweetbay magnolia. The plants form follows the basic shape of the light cone emanating from the lamp. The light emphasizes the interesting branch structure and fine leaves of the specimen. Other candidates include Japanese maples, Crepe Mrtyle, and dogwoods.

It is very important in this situation to select a light fixture that will be shielded from view to avoid glare. For this reason, designers frequently specify buried or in-ground fixtures for this application.