The Complete Guide to Uplighters. Which one is right for you?
Having good lighting for events like weddings and shows is the pinnacle way to create an unforgettable experience. Uplighters can transform your venue; they can take a plain room and turn it into something extrordinary.
So, what are uplighters and what can they do?
They are typically standalone lighting units that can project a light, colour, pattern, beam, effect etc.. But when used in the right place, at the right time, with multiple units distributed across an area of space and grouped together; they can create a lighting projection and effect, wonderous to eye. Aimed upwards, the lights can be used in a way to bring focus to certain parts of any venue (as shown below by Core Lighting).
Uplighters come wireless or battery powered, dependent on your needs. They can be used both indoor and outdoor, however it will need to be IP rated if being used outdoors due to the possibility of being exposed to water and wet weather conditions. Uplighters are suitable for most industries but more popular with the weddings and events industries. This is due to this type of lighting being so versatile. There are a range of uplighter types, including cool white, warm white and coloured lighting.
The end result required of uplighters is completely up to the person using them. Uplighters are best used for highlighting walls or building accents (like pillars) or features of an event, like a dancefloor. If your needs include being able to fit in with a certain colour scheme to create an impact, or having a more subtle impact to highlight something, then this will impact the type of light you need.
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Shown above are some examples of up lighters being used to highlight wall features, this is a notable example of how-to bring attention to wall features. Shown below are how uplighters can be used to highlight features of events such as a dancefloor. As you can see the use of colour in the examples below creating a different atmosphere to the uplighters above, the colour of the lighting can change the scene and the mood of any environment to suit your need.
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The examples below are from Core Lighting. These are examples on how to use uplighters outdoors and in a big space to elevate your space and create a presence.
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Wired vs Battery Operated
Uplighters are available in both wired and battery powered, allowing for different circumstances. You may have a wedding venue whereby outdoor uplighters projecting onto trees can make an evening illumination quite memorable. For this you would need the battery-operated lights that can last up to 6 hours depending on beam strength. But don’t forget to make sure they’re IP67 rated. The night time sprinklers might come on.
Mains powered wired uplighters become necessary when you need to leave the lights on for a longer period of time. These are more permanne than a portable battery operated light which would need returning to its charging base. You can leave the wired lights in place and they will operate for longer periods. Ideal for fixed permenant placements like buildings and structures.
Standalone or networked
Modern day uplighters can now be linked together to perform similar projections at the same time. Wireless connections allow for fixtures to project the exact same colour, strobe at identical rates and fade in and out in unison. DMX is a universal standard within the lighting and events industry that controls the lighting fixtures. The DMX protocol allows for different types of lights and lighting brands to be connected together to a lighting desk, which can then control lighting scenes and effects, similar to what you might see in theatre shows. By networking lights through DMX on a lighting desk, you could create a mood in a marquee suitable, say for a dinner setting. But when the disco starts, you can bring down the lighting intensity around the dining area and bring on the moving disco lights. Networking lighting is possible today thanks to DMX. If there is a project you’re looking to complete, contact us for more information.
We hope you found this guide useful. If you need more assistance, then get in contact. You can either give us a call on 01752817140 or send us an email at [email protected]
