This is the second part of our Guide to Lighting Water Features. The first part can be found here.
Fountains
Where a fountain only has a small amount of water flowing, propelled by an underwater jet, the foaming water is the feature to be lit. Positioning an underwater light immediately next to the source of the waterspout will make sure it is illuminated while concealing the source of light within the colour of the foaming water. Another thing to consider is that fountains are often more than a simple sparkle of dropping water and the source of that water flow can be a statue or another ornamental feature.
Wall Fountains
For wall-mask fountains it’s important to avoid heavy shadow, so don’t place lights underneath your water sprout. The best technique to use is to position the light with a narrow or medium-beam lamp so that the light looks like it’s travelling up the waterspout to accent the mask against the surrounding surface. On the other hand, a wider-beam lamp in a luminaire mounted further to the front of the basin or pool below can be used as a compromise to avoid ugly shadows.
Still Water
Underwater lighting can often be used to light upwards from the bottom of a still pool or without a central cascade to give an overall luminescence that helps the shape of the pool standout. The use of a frosted lens and placing lights at the bottom of the pool helps to diffuse the beams when there is no foaming spout to mask the light source.
Fishponds
In fishponds, mounting lights nearer to the surface, rather than at the bottom of the pond, has another benefit if there are fish: they are attracted to the illumination at night and stay active.
Waterfalls
Waterfalls offer a timeless fascination in the natural landscape and lose none of their appeal when they are copied. Whether the water flows over a rocky precipice in a tumbling cascade or flows in a shimmering sheet over a metal chute or that flat edge of machines slate, the sparkle and luminescence as it falls into a basin below demand emphasis by lighting at night.
Rock Gardens
Rock gardens are frequently found alongside waterfalls, and they can form the background to the focal point of the waterfall. By their nature, rock gardens recede from the water’s edge, with a sheer area of rock constructed for the main event – the water dropping down the face. The receding levels of the rocks mean that any underwater light is placed to uplight the waterfall from below will merely cast the upper rocks – and any planting at the upper levels – into complete shadow.
Streams
Streams can make beautiful, illuminated features. A meandering stream will enhance a moonlight walk and contrast with a raised deck or other linear feature. Planning the lighting in advance of construction can be difficult because the final look of the feature will owe much to the positioning of the rocks, falls and planting, and to the skill of the landscape contractor in creating a natural looking landscape. This concludes our two-part guide to lighting water features. For all professional Elipta underwater lights, take a look at the fantastic collection featuring pond lights, underwater LED lights and colour-changing lights.