What is Moonlighting and How Can You Use it to Your Advantage?
Are you looking to create a moonlit atmosphere outside? Do you need a beautiful sanctuary in your backyard at night?
If so, you need to look into moonlighting.
However, what is moonlighting and how can it help you create a beautiful outdoor experience at night? This guide can help show you exactly why a little moonlighting can go a long way.
What is Moonlighting?
Moonlighting is a lighting technique that will take your backyard from scary dark to beautifully lit. Rather than depending on a consistent amount of actual moonlight every night, you can imitate moonlight using outdoor lights.
The best outdoor lights for moonlighting are those that are subtle and elegant. The point of moonlighting is to recreate the soft lighting that the moon provides. This requires using low voltage lighting that is soft to the eye.
The easiest way to imitate natural moonlight is by strategically placing LED lights in your trees. By placing them up above the tree’s branches and leaves, you’re ensuring that the light will be filtered through the tree. This decreases the harshness and gives a more natural look like actual moonlight would provide.
As you’re placing your lighting in the trees, we urge you to consider harmless light hangers. By using wires and staples you could be harming the tree that you’re placing your lights on. You want this environment to last for a long time, so you should take care of the tree that is helping you create this moonlit ambiance.
You no longer have to worry about whether or not the moon is going to be hidden behind the clouds at night. You can create imitation moonlight by using your own LED outdoor lights through the trees.
Moonlighting Without a Tree
If you don’t have a tree in your backyard to filter light through, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do moonlighting. It just means that you need to approach creating moonlight in a different way.
The point of putting the light in a tree is so that the light points down like the moon and has a chance to be filtered by the leaves. There are ways to recreate this.
You should start by choosing a high place that does give the light some height over the rest of your lawn. One of the most important elements of moonlighting is light placement, which is essential to proper moonlighting.
Some height elements you may want to consider include the following:
- Columns
- Gazebos
- Pillars
- Patios
- Roofs
The air and other natural elements will filter the light as it shines down on your yard.
Finding the Perfect Moonlighting Height
If you’re looking to wow your guests and treat yourself, you need to find the perfect height for your outdoor lights. The better your lighting is, the better your moonlighting effect will be.
We suggest putting your lights at about 20 to 25 feet in the air. Even if you haven’t got many layers to filter the light, this height will help dampen the amount of light that actually reaches the ground in your yard.
It’s unlikely that you or your guests will be focusing on light fixtures that high in the air when you see the result that comes from such a layout.
Layering Your Outdoor Lights
If you want to create a high-quality moonlit effect, you need to take advantage of layering. The better your lights are layered, the more like moonlight your outdoor lights are going to look.
Think about actual moonlight. As it travels to the ground, the light has to run through miles and miles of particles. It passes through clouds, tree lines and more to make it to your yard.
By mimicking a similar effect in your yard, you can make it seem like your outdoor lighting is filtering through different layers.
Many people choose to place their moonlighting in a “high-traffic” area of their yard. This means that there are plenty of trees, bushes and other plants to filter the light onto the ground.
The more complex the trees and the more layers you add, the more effective the moonlit effect will be.
Using Water Sources to Your Advantage
If your yard has any water sources, you can use them to further elevate the moonlighting experience in your backyard. Whether you have a pond, pool, or a fountain, moonlighting can help create a reflection.
Everyone knows the beautiful scene of moonlight reflecting off of the water. You can recreate this scenery in your backyard.
By positioning your outdoor lights so they point towards and reflect off of the water, you can create the shimmering view that so many of us only see on television.
Coloring the Right Way
The color of moonlight is a silver-blue tone that may seem impossible to mimic with LED lights. However, there is a small trick that you can use.
All you need to do is invest in lights that have a light blue tint. We place emphasis on the word “light.”
If you invest in dark blue lighting, it will be extremely difficult to replicate moonlight. However, with light blue lights, you can use layering and water sources to further mimic the true tone of the moon.
If you can, choose a light blue that has a slight silvery tone to it. A subtle, low light can also give the same vibe.
Getting the Right Outdoor Lights
What is moonlighting without the right LED lights?
Finding the right outdoor lights is the hardest part of creating the perfect moonlit scene. Our LED lighting experts at Lighting Distinctions know exactly what kind of LED outdoor lights will help you create the perfect moonlighting experience.
With the best outdoor lights, you’re going to create the perfect space and ambiance for you and your guests to spend warm nights outdoors.
Feel free to contact us so that we can help you find the right lights for your space. We know how to find the right moonlighting setup for you. Just request a free consultation.