In the world of lighting design, understanding how light interacts with a space and its elements is vital. At White Night, we have incorporated an insightful tool that enhances our understanding of this interaction: the luminance camera.
A luminance camera is a specialized device that measures the amount of light reflected off surfaces, known as luminance. It provides us with data-rich imagery, known as false color images, which map the intensity of light in a space, with different colors indicating different levels of luminance. This process transforms the abstract concept of light into a tangible, visual format that guides our design decisions.
The camera’s ability to measure reflected light – the light we see and experience in our day-to-day life – helps us understand how light interacts with different materials and how it shapes a space’s perception.
In the Research & Analysis stage, a key part of our comprehensive design process at White Night, the luminance camera helps us accurately assess the existing lighting situation, from understanding how much light spills onto a façade from external sources like street lighting, to the way light interacts with different materials. This data forms the basis for our subsequent design work.
During the Concept Development stage, another essential phase in our design process, the luminance data guides our calculations and decisions, helping us create designs that perfectly align with the space’s purpose and status.
Moreover, the luminance camera enhances our communication with clients. When feasible, we conduct test lightings to investigate and illustrate proposed lighting effects. The false color images produced by the luminance camera make the abstract concepts of light intensity tangible and understandable, enabling clients to visualize the outcomes of these test lightings and understand the potential of the full design.
In conclusion, the luminance camera, as one tool in our comprehensive toolkit, contributes to our lighting design process at White Night. By quantifying the nuances of reflected light that our eyes perceive but might not fully comprehend, it provides us with valuable insights, helping us create beautiful, effective lighting designs that perfectly meet our clients’ unique needs.
