Lighting is getting more complicated all the time. Our guests Tony Esposito, Founder of Lighting Research Solutions, and Jason Livingston, Principal at Studio T + L, are here to help us understand the IES’ bigger book of color rendering — TM-30. Lamps and luminaires tested under these procedures can result in 140 different measurements; but none of those will probably end up printed on boxes on your shelves. Perception changes based on conditions and these measurements can help designers create useful comparisons that go far beyond high and low or good and bad color rendering. Please listen as we all celebrate fidelity, vividity and possibility in lighting.

Seeing is believing, so both of our guests will be at the ArchLIGHT Summit in Dallas, TX this September with a brand new demonstration room. NAILD will also be there for our own convention, so please drop by and check it all out. 

This special release of our series features Diane Knutson, a regional dark sky advocate / business owner turned Dark Sky International Board President. In this episode Greg Ehrich and Michael attempt to disentangle the need for jargon as a sales gimmick and the hurdle of hurdles jargon puts in the way of advocates and educators. Whether we end up calling what we do Night Sky Protection, Night Time Restoration or just Flipping the Switch the value of darkness at night continues to be there for the world to rediscover.

Christopher Cuttle has had a lifetime in lighting and he has a shelf full of awards and recognitions to reflect it.  Listen to this episode and you’ll understand why. Henrik Clausen talks with Kit about his unique way of looking at light and how it’s applied to a space. 

Christopher “Kit” Cuttle, MA, PhD, FCIBSE, FIESANZ, FIESNA, FSLL, is a lighting educator, designer and author. During a long career, he has held the positions of Head of Graduate Education in Lighting at the Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York; Senior Lecturer at the Schools of Architecture at the University of Auckland, and the Victoria University of Wellington, both in New Zealand; Section Leader in the Daylight Advisory Service, Pilkington Glass; and Lighting Designer with Derek Phillips Associates (now DPA Lighting Consultants), both in the UK.

Michael and John are thrilled to have Professor Foster on the podcast. He brings his deep scientific knowledge and understanding of circadian photobiology. Russell tells us about his discovery of the third photoreceptor in the eye for which he got a lot of pushback from the scientific community in the 90’s. They don’t push back anymore. Professor Foster is the Head of Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, the founder and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute and is a Fellow of Brasenose College Oxford. His research addresses how circadian rhythms and sleep are generated and regulated and what happens when these systems fail as a result of societal pressures, ageing and disease. 

OPR. What are the Owner's Project Requirements? That's what Julia Gordon posits on every project. Julia, along with Webster and Ron, discuss where a lighting designer goes from there. What’s the best way to design and implement the controls? Who should design and implement the controls? How do you work with the electrical engineer? This stuff will make your head spin. Fortunately, you’ve got this episode of the Conversation Series to clear a few things up for you. With 25+years as a lighting designer, Julia’s background has given her the ability to bring an extraordinary level of attention to detail and create enthusiasm in all phases of her projects; from initial design development, through photometric analysis, project document preparation, specification, and the final site aiming of light fixtures. 

Efficiency. Isn’t that what everyone strives for? Well, the lighting industry is going digital with productivity improving applications. Ben and Paul discuss how they have come up with a way to curate lighting product content - kind of a mix of Spotify/Wayfair/Pinterest for lighting specifiers. Fueled by manufacturers and agents this might be the ticket. Might be time for you to check gosourcery.com. Ben Fischer brings over 7 years of partner level experience in the lighting industry and has a strong, entrepreneurial mindset with a vision for strategic growth and innovation. Paul Hudson brings over 20 years of lighting experience and strong relationship-building skills with clients and manufacturers. 

This is David’s second time around on Get A Grip On Lighting. David talks, with Michael and Greg, about his dislike of recess cans (“why do you want to light the carpet?”). David's experience has led him to put down his light meter and use his eyes to measure what is bouncing off the walls. Michael doesn’t quite agree with discarding the light meter, but they do agree that the important lighting is vertical lighting. David Warfel is Midwestern farm boy turned lighting designer, author, and educator who passionately shares the gift of light. Whether blogging at languageoflight.blog, writing for Fine Homebuilding, Technology Designer, and Houzz.com or designing residential and entertainment experiences from coast to coast, David simply wants to help others live better lives through the scientific and artistic application of radiant energy. 

Our old friend is back! John Arthur Wilson joins Michael and Greg to complain about the state of the controls manufacturing industry. Why isn’t there a standard yet on this critical infrastructure? Let's think about the end-user, the CUSTOMER! John Arthur Wilson is a lighting-industry influencer with a curiosity for lighting and its myriad connections with society. Motivated by community and a desire to provide value, he offers a unique perspective that blends pragmatism, creativity, and big-picture thinking. 

In this episode you get three unique perspectives on urban lighting. Co-host Michael Colligan in Canada, co-host John Bullock in the U.K and guest Kate Hickcox from The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They discuss the challenges of lighting populated areas. Will more light decrease crime? Will less light? Perhaps it has to do with the kind of lighting. Listen to this, then join the conversation. Kate Hickcox joined PNNL as a Lighting Research Scientist in 2020. She is a creative thinker in the field of lighting, with over 18 years of experience in both lighting research and lighting design. No matter which hat she’s wearing, her goals are simple – to provide equitable and universal lighting solutions that support humans and the environment. Kate’s unique background blends the artistic with the practical and allows for discovery of unique design solutions and innovative research-based strategies. 

Amardeep Dugar talks with host Henrik Clausen, about the poetry of lighting. As he explains it, language is compositional just as lighting is. And so Amardeep has been examining the connection between poetry and lighting. He is also looking at architecture itself as a light source. He believes this may be achieved with bioluminescence. Could that mean the end of light fixtures? Amardeep also instructs yoga and has taken up the guitar. A trained architect and an advocate for all the elements of lighting – design, education and research – Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar is the founding principal of Lighting Research & Design. Aside from working on high profile projects and teaching at several architecture schools, he has been instrumental in conducting lighting workshops educating students and professionals about the importance of lighting. He is also the co-founder of an online platform for lighting called the Virtual Lighting Design Community. He has been elected to the IES Board of Directors and is part of several committees within the IES.