December 18, 2009

Friday Flowers: Bentley Meeker

If you've ever attended a posh affair in NYC, chances are Bentley Meeker was hired to do the lighting. Bentley is a complete genius when it comes to lighting. His creations engulf spaces in rich light and bold textured projections. We've moved! The rest of this post can be read at: Ariel Yve Design


Image Source: BentleyMeeker.com
Doesn't this image of his work at the Plaza Hotel in NYC, just make you want to have a winter wedding? Most high end event designer's choose to pin spot centerpieces, but the deliberate omission of pin spots in this space really enhances the chilly, star lit effect. Stunning!

Have a wonderful weekend!

4 comments:

  1. hey, see all those little white specs all in a row near the top of the ballroom ceiling?... those are called pinspots and the flowers are pinspotted... you just can't see it very well in the photo. "deliberate omission of pinspots"? nope!

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  2. Dear Sir,

    Thank you for your comment. Yes, those lights at the top right hand side of the ballroom are pin spots. However, they are either being used for something other than lighting the centerpieces, or they're gently lighting the centerpieces from one side...not visible in this image. In any event, whenever I do a large scale event and use pin spotting, I pin spot large arrangements from both the front and the back side to make the effect seen from all angles. Since the pin spotting isn't visible from the angle that this photo was taken, I see the lack of pin spots used on side that we're seeing as a showcase of genius (whether it be deliberate or accidental). The next time you consider to writing a snarky comment on some girly blog at 4am...I'd recommend asking yourself...will this comment enhance my life or those reading it?

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  3. Hi Guys - Just saw this. Ariel, thank you SO much for your kind words. Michael, I hope I can help clarify this photo a little.

    The pinspots were highlighted on both sides, and while not as visible in this photograph, lights were indeed focused across the dance floor and onto the centerpieces directly flanking it. The lack of pinspotting visibility in this photograph is deliberate, and we did it for two reasons.

    The first is that we simply ghosted the units very slightly, running them at about 15% since the severe horizontal angles would put light directly in guests' eyes. Very low levels of that is acceptable, but not projecting intense light onto guests is cardinal rule of mine.

    Second, white light of any measurable intensity has a way of cutting through the blue, and washing it out. White light reflecting off of white flowers would be particularly egregious in that regard.

    I remember this photo well, (this was Donnie Deutche's second wedding, so I was there for most of the evening) and remember making choices to have to preserve the blue.

    Low light photography, while often making for spectacular images, which I love, sometimes doesn't give the most accurate representation of the nuanced lighting that exists within the frame. When you look at them directly on the ledge, the pinspots seem to be on much more brightly than they appear to be on the arrangements because the camera picks up the pinpricks of white light much more intensely than it does the blue.

    I hope this helps, and as old as the technology may be, I am a big fan of pinspotting. Especially dim pinspotting.

    Thank you very much,

    Bentley

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  4. Hi Bentley!

    Thank you so much for reading my blog, and for shedding light on the subject (pun intended : )

    I'm constantly in awe of your lighting artistry. You are by far the best in the world.

    I hope to have the to work with you sometime soon.

    Best,

    Ariel

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