One late night earlier in the quarter I sat inside a Dunkin' Donuts with my good friends Julia and Sean studying for a lighting midterm that would happen the next day. While sitting inside of the establishment studying and reviewing fresnels, ellipsoidals, and the progession of candlelight to electricity, we began observing the world around us. Calling out different elements of lighting we saw in the restaurant as examples for our terminology. It started out almost as a joke, but then once we actually began taking the time to observe the different affects of the lighting and how angling, color, and intensity played a part in each of the lights and ultimately the restaurant as a whole.
I started noticing that the closer the lights were to the seating area the brighter they became and the wider the lens, whereas the lights that were closer to the ceiling were smaller and incredibly warm. The intensity of both lights played into both the necessary practicality of a restaurant, where people need to see their food and feel comfortable in being able to see the cleanliness (or lackthereof) of the establishment they are in. Equally, the warmth of the upper lighting made the brown and toffee walls feel even more cozy, and somehow the place as a whole feel bigger. Providing both comfort in coziness without creating a Closter phobicly intimate environment. A subtle but important distinction between the two lights and their purposes. It made me realize the everyday importance of lighting and how significant a role it plays in accenting the other elements it is a part of. Without either one of these light sources, the restaurant would either feel like a sterile hospital or a cozy romantic café...neither what you want or expect from a Dunkin' Donuts. But the lighting we discovered we were a part of both helped us with our studying and with our general understanding of the significance of lighting.
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