Plate 77:  A new lamp is considered as a key light
(This plate added APR 2004)

Until now, the usual lamp that we have used as an overhead key light was a 100-watt incandescent flood (see Plate 7). For certain subjects, however, the illumination from the 100-watt flood is too intense, resulting in a swamping effect. The word swamping is used here in the sense of overwhelming, meaning that the overhead illumination is so intense that the details of certain subjects are lost in the brightness. Therefore, we are about to test a new lamp, shown in the accompanying photo. The new lamp is a 75-watt Plant Gro-N-Show blue-tinted incandescent flood. This lamp is designed for illuminating green plants in indoor conditions. The blue tint is a result of experimentation in the illumination of green plants. Experimental evidence has revealed that green plants grow better when they are selectively illuminated with certain colors of the visible spectrum. --more--

We have decided to test the 75-watt Plant Gro-N-Show as a key light in an attempt to avoid the swamping effect of the 100-watt flood. We are not interested in the original purpose of this lamp (making houseplants grow better), but simply in the photographic effects that can be obtained with this lamp in the overhead key light position. Go to top of page