14 Dec 11 Habits of the Professional Landscape Lighter
By Mike Gambino
Growing as a landscape lighter and reaching a professional level involves developing certain habits among other things. These are practices that come with time, as well as plenty of trial and error. Here are some of these productive habits
1. Valuing time
Besides being artists, lighting designer/builders are entrepreneurs and business owners. As with any other kind of business, time is money. It is therefore crucial for a professional landscape lighter to have a profitable way of valuing their time. That means having well defined rates, but also knowing which clients are worth spending time with and which are the ones it would be probably better to walk away from.
2. Being adaptable
There is almost no such thing as a landscape lighting project that goes according to script. Few are the exceptions because most of the times, there are challenges one way or another. The client might be a lot more difficult then they seemed during the initial consultation. The site conditions might be different than anticipated or the landscaping might not have gone in as originally described and planned. Whatever the situation, the landscape lighter is the professional that people look up to, and therefore he must be able to adapt to any unexpected occurrence on a regular working day.
3. Being open to collaboration
The landscape lighting design/build industry is largely about the relationships you build with other people from other lines of work. These are people that either help you do your job, such as landscape architects, designers, contractors, electricians or professionals from unrelated trades who are in need of your ability to produce lightscapes with a powerful impact. In any case, it is often surprising where the next job might come from, so it is important to keep an open mind and be in favor of new business relationships.
4. Exceeding expectations
Professional landscape lighters make it clear what they are being hired for, but often exceed the expectations of their client. Why? Because getting the job done will earn you your money and respect, but going the extra mile will bring you appreciation and recommendations. We all expect to receive what we pay for, but let’s admit it, who doesn’t enjoy getting more attention than what they paid for?
5. Always studying light
Light is the essence of our work. There is always something to be learned about it and no amount of experience is ever enough because each situation is different. Even when they are not on the job, pros notice others work and internally critique the project, were the shadows in a certain setting appropriate or could things have been potentially done better? It is a continuous exercise that helps keep a landscape lighter stay sharp and quick to adapt to any lighting situation the job might throw at him.
6. Being ready to get the job done regardless of mood
One of the biggest challenges in any creative field is being able to stay productive in the less inspired days. Not every day in the life of a professional landscape lighter (or any other creative field) is equally productive, and some days you just don’t feel it. However, after a certain point in your career, the ability to shake off any negative emotions and come up with a good result is crucial. Being able to meet the demands on bad days is proof of professional maturity and it is a quality comes with practice.
7. Getting dirty
It is easy to spot the hardest working pros on any project. They are the ones with the less fashionable clothes who get close and personal or down and dirty. They do so because they know that actually getting physically involved in production will bring value to their work and ultimately establish them as professionals who are not afraid to get their hands dirty to get the job done.
8. Constantly studying great lighters
You never stop learning for as long as you live and if you got into landscape lighting, it was probably because of the inspiration that came from great photos taken of the projects created by master landscape lighters. Even if you become a high end professional, it doesn’t mean you should stop studying the work of other important landscape lighters because we all have different visions and there is much to be learned from each other.
9. Standing behind work
You can never be considered a professional landscape lighter if you are installing projects and walking away from them never to return again. This is an important aspect of the business that should not be taken lightly. It is nothing short of disastrous when you lose contact with your client, don’t service the system and guarantee their complete satisfaction over time of that landscape lighting system. That might at times included personally paying out of pocket to replace failed components if the manufacturer won’t. The satisfied client is the lifeblood of the business and they should be treated as such.
10. Constantly improving marketing skills
As much as some folks don’t like to admit it, marketing is an essential tool for having a long career in landscape lighting. As times change, so do marketing requirements and techniques. It is therefore necessary to keep up with the trends in marketing just as much as it is with landscape lighting.
11. Willingness to travel for a project
Finally, traveling is one of the most important requirements of professional landscape lighters, and in fact successful artists. The benefits range from reviving creativity to finding new and unexpected inspiration. Traveling is one of the things that make people interesting and open minded and I don’t need to tell you how important that is in this industry. Trees and plants differ in regions of the country and world. Knowing the plant materials and how to light them makes for a well rounded and versatile landscape lighter.
Changing the environment can help you come up with new ways of improving your work, something that might not have been possible by staying in a comfort zone.
This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .
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