How to Use Spotlights Vs. Floodlights

Whether you are lighting a stage, an event or your own home or garden, you have a wealth of options available to you in terms of design. Among the kinds of lights you can choose from are spotlights and floodlights. Just as their names imply, a spotlight highlights a particular spot with a focused beam, and a floodlight covers a large area with a wash of illumination. Consider which technique would best suit each area in your lighting plot as you create your design.

Instructions

- 1
  Use floodlights to blanket large areas with light -- for example, outdoor areas you intend to use for hosting parties, backdrops on stages or the dance floor at a wedding.
- 2
  Spotlight items or people you wish to accent. In your home or garden, use spotlights for sculptures or plants you are specially displaying; on stage, spotlight people singing solos or speaking soliloquies; or at a wedding, spotlight the bride and her father during the father-daughter dance.
- 3
  Play with color to create mood. Both floodlights and spotlights are available in many shades. Some suggestions include using blue floodlights to illuminate a nighttime garden or a red spotlight on a solo dancer.
- 4
  Mix the two types of lighting to vary the effect. For example, light a wedding reception with dim golden floodlights, and spotlight the cutting of the cake in a color that coordinates with the event's decorating theme.

Lighting Solutions for Galley Kitchens

How to Hang LED Lights With Suction Cups in the Shower

Lighting