Calling all IES members! The 2012 IES Conference Steering Committee wants your input. Why do you attend the annual conference, or if you do not, why don't you? If you are an IES member, join the Illuminating Engineering Society group on LinkedIn and ENGAGE in the conversation that is happening there right now.
I attend the IES Annual Conference whenever I can. The conference itself is a time to engage. Listen to technical paper presentations. Learn about case-studies. Meet other lighting professionals. Influence our industry. Encourage students and emerging professionals who are just entering the world of lighting. Join a committee. Brainstorm. Take a class. Network. Submit a project for an Illumination Award. Gain perspective - get a bigger picture.
As lighting professionals, we refer to the IES Handbook for recommended lighting levels and other industry standards on a daily basis. I give back to this Society because it gives us the tools that we rely on every day. If architectural lighting is any part of your profession, the IES has already given you much. Imagine how much you might get out of it if you actually engage!

Let me start by saying that I don't want to be hyper-critical of anyone's lighting design. Hindsight is, they say, 20/20. And I'm sure I have some examples on someone's "bad lighting application" list somewhere! But the fact remains that we can learn from observing the spaces that we encounter on a daily basis.

This is a small civil war memorial in a park-like setting at a condominium complex near my home. It is nicely landscaped and has benches for rest and contemplation. During the daytime it is inviting, and - more importantly - visible. I typically see it when I drive by at 35mph on the adjacent road.

But at night when the lights are supposed to be doing the job of helping us see, the statue virtually disappears. From the drive-by view, all that remains is the glare of the bollards.

As a lighting designer, I would recommend just some in-landscape accent lights on the statue and some additional lighting at the stairs. The lighting on the statue would both illuminate the statue and provide comfortable ambient light for the sidewalk and seating area. Here's where it gets really interesting. The bollards that were actually used to light the area typically cost several hundred dollars each. So the designed solution would have cost less and provided better illumination. Think about that before saying you can't afford a lighting designer on your next project!

What's in a name? Envision was the name of a campaign at my church which ultimately led to me taking leadership of a ministry for the homeless in our community. That leadership position led to me attending the 2011 Global Leadership Summit where I heard Seth Godin speak. It was Seth's admonition to "do art" that re-ignited a spark inside me for my lighting design passion.
It is time to do my art.
It has always been fascinating to me to look back over my life at the thin threads that brought me to where I am today. It is equally fascinating to envision the future. Where can we go? What can we do? The endless possibilities are exhilarating.
Designers must envision how the final project will look. As a lighting designer, I help bring that vision to light...by bringing light to the vision. Envision is fun for wordplay. The human eye, vision, and lighting are inextricably linked. Vision. Envision. Envision Lighting Design.