5 Important Lessons I learned from Nightscaping’s Bill Locklin

5 Important Lessons I learned from Nightscaping’s Bill Locklin

By Mike Gambino

Character traits series - RESPECTThis week is the annual conference for the landscape lighting industry. They recently updated their website and I guess they forgot where they came from or would like to change history because there is no mention of Bill Locklin anywhere that I could find on their site. An honest mistake or a planned slight I don’t know. Whatever, but I feel compelled to make sure no one ever forgets who started the association, who put up the seed money from his own pocket and who paid to have the bylaws drawn up by a lawyer. In fact the whole idea and backbone of the association was Bill Locklin. I was honored to be one of the 30 or so founding members of this association. Sadly after only a few short years a different group with different ideas took over the association and Locklin resigned never to be a part of it again before his death in December of 2008.

I got to thinking this week about Bill Locklin and how this industry association has never shown due respect for our fore fathers such as Nightingale and Locklin. In fact I was so motivated by such inaction that I published and co-wrote with Mark Carlson the original Garden lighting book by FB Nightingale in order to preserve this crucial masterpiece by the originator of landscape lighting.

I have documented the ups and downs of my relationship with Bill Locklin over the years while he was alive but the fact that he was one of my first teachers, mentors and source of inspiration early on in my career will never change. Neither will the good memories and respect I have for him especially more so as I get on in my career and remember things he had taught me.

I know he would be proud of the immense success I have had in this business and I have fond memories of being a part of the Nightscaping and “Bill” family. Here are a few of the things I recalled from my memories with Mr Locklin.

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1-Enhance the Landscape and not compete with mother nature

This goes hand in hand with Bill’s mantra “to see the effect and not the source”. It was Bill’s philosophy to respect the night for what it was meant to be to enhance the landscape with light and not to compete with it.

2-Why Light? Safety, Security, Beauty

When asking Why light, the designer should key in on an objective or multiple objectives to incorporate into the initial design phase.

Safety- Avoiding injury, special considerations of safety should be pointed out and made a part of the design.

Security- Protecting your loved ones A NUMBER 1 concern.

Beauty- Sit back, relax and imagine you and your family are relaxing in your yard as evening approaches. Shadows shroud the lawn, the sky turns from blue to deep indigo then your yard magically becomes a mesmerizing fairyland as hidden lights illuminate flowers and trees.

3-There are no shortcuts….Take your time and do a good job !

Do it right the first time! If you don’t have time to do it right the first time then where will you find the time to do it over again?

Use quality products and professional installation techniques. If you do your job well then the persons who inhabits the house will be enjoying your lighting for a very long time.

Set yourself apart from the rest!

4-Maintenance

Every system will require maintenance. It is the responsibility of the professional to educate and “condition” a new client to this fact before making the sale. It is also the professionals responsibility to be responsible for their designs and be the one to perform maintenance.

5-People will expect your lighting to be expensive….DO NOT DISAPPOINT THEM!

Bill didn’t mean to rip off, overcharge or bilk your client, no not by any means. Historically , and it is still true today, outdoor lighting has been associated with the cheap hardware store kit lights which are junk , don’t perform and end up in the trash. So of course something of great quality when compared to that is going to be perceived as expensive by some even if it represents a  much better value.

In addition he was very clear in his teachings that if you were providing a quality product and service to your clients then you owe it to yourself, family and industry to make a good living doing it.

Facebook-iceThis 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 .

Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.

 

 

 

2 Comments
  • Keith Rosser
    Posted at 21:37h, 23 February Reply

    Mike, Thank you for this reminder of where we came from. Our friend Bill sure lived his life by example. I am grateful to have had the pleasure to have been taught by your dear friend and mine, Bill. This industry certainly owes Bill our respect.

    Keith

  • Mike Gambino
    Posted at 00:41h, 24 February Reply

    Indeed Keith thanks for your contribution.

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