A Work Light for Basement Dwellers
My home office was the dreariest place in the house. Lodged in the basement--the only place safe from the distractions of family bustle--the thought of heading down there to put in a few hours' work was beyond depressing. Incandescent and florescent bulbs didn't help me much, providing neither the visual clarity nor spirit-lifting I needed in a workstation light.

My wife apparently got tired of hearing me complain about it, because she surprised me one day with the TaskLiteHD from The Lite Source. It uses High Definition Lighting Technology in a compact, swivel-based design that actual <i>fits</i> among the clutter on my desk! Not only can I now see my work in detail that I'd never thought possible out of a desk lamp, I can finally appreciate it, too.

Art Lighting Products Simulate Natural Light
It is a well-known fact that color does not exist without light.  That is why you must have true, full spectrum art lighting to display your paintings.  Just as special furnishings and speakers are created for you to enjoy every nuance of great music, so it is that true natural light provides the same benefit for paintings.  The color in fine art is something that must be appropriately lit to be properly appreciated.  If the lighting on a painting is incorrect, you do not see what the artist intended.
Your favorite paintings come alive with the proper lighting on them, giving you a view of the artist’s true image. From picture (art) lights to lighting for artists’ studios, Ott-Lite’s full spectrum lighting is the final touch in illuminating your paintings.

Consider Natural, Full Spectrum Lighting for Continued Breast Health
Scientific research continues in the quest to find a cure for breast cancer.  Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds women to look into the discoveries made to help preempt the growth of some types of breast cancer. Consider natural, full spectrum light for your home and office, because medical literature supports raising this subject for awareness as a growing public health issue.

In a research study involving shift workers, the findings were consistent that the hormone melatonin (MLT) was increased with exposure to some kinds of artificial light at night, and theorize that this may be one reason for the higher rates of breast and colorectal cancers in the developed world in night workers.  Though these studies are continuing, it is advised that women pay attention to lights used in the home, and select natural full spectrum lamps for use at night. 

Simple Solution to Indoor Health: Natural Lighting

Here are some affordable ways to improve your health without sending you into sticker shock. Using natural lighting, high definition full spectrum lamps, while working indoors is a start. Some of the benefits are:

        Reduction in eye strain

        Alleviation of some types of tension headaches

        Improvement of allergic reactions to indoor pollutants

        Improvement in job performance by extending wakeful hours
 
Research shows that visual acuity and the ability to perform indoor tasks are increased by up to 50% with the use of full spectrum lighting.  Ott-Lite is a company that manufactures full spectrum lights in the form of desk and sewing lamps, reading lamps and full spectrum bulbs.  These reasonably priced lamps and bulbs are simple solutions to improved health. 

Light Pollution Affects Health, Natural Light Advised
Natural light is advised for good health, and full spectrum light is advised for work indoors, using lamps such as those manufactured by Ott-Lite. 
However, did you know that too much light is affecting the earth and our environment?
For many decades it has been suggested that carbon dioxide produced by mankind's industrial activities might be modifying our environment, producing what we presently call greenhouse gas.  Similarly, the suggestion that human health might be affected by the length, timing, or even color of light that we are exposed to has only recently been given serious scientific attention.  This is due partly to studies that have revealed strong correlations between breast cancer and night work. 

Quilter Uses Natural Lights to Match Colors
“When my quilts are on the market, I can really see the results of using the right lighting for the job because every fabric color is critical,” says Laura Metcalf of Aunt B’s Quilt.  “The lights are important so that when I work under natural light lamps I can work longer.” 
Metcalf’s quilts grace the finest homes in the Nashville area and beyond that she exhibits work in craft events nationally.   Her use of colors in designs that depict her family’s Scandinavian heritage is important; the subtle shades of reds, whites, and blues must blend.  She uses Ott-Lites in her studio to keep her eyes healthy and her colors glowing.
“My grandma taught me how to quilt when I was eight years old, and I’ve been quilting ever since.  These quilts are my life.”

Wall Color and Full Spectrum Lights Essential For Artist Studio
An artist’s studio doesn’t just require a neutral palette for beginning a canvas painting, it is also necessary to have neutral wall colors as well as natural full-spectrum lighting.
Paint studio walls in a non-glare white or off white and then use a variety of draperies to set up still life paintings and portrait compositions.   Ott-Lite manufactures a full line of wall, desk and sewing lamps for this purpose. This kind of light is especially popular with portrait artists for their studios because of the way natural light and a neutral background enhances all shades of skin tones.
Remember to also install overhead light to cut unwanted bounced lighting and avoid double shadows.  This overhead lighting also does a great job of making true pigment color reflect on the canvas itself.

Artists Build Painting Studios to Include Full Spectrum Lighting and Plenty of Comfort

For an artist’s studio, the best solution is full-spectrum light, which is now available in both incandescent and full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs such as those produced by Ott-Lite. The critical part of building a studio is to have northern light, but if that is not possible, use multi-directional lamps, with full-spectrum light to get natural results.   

Setting up a studio means setting the mood of paintings, so that you may enjoy bright, non-glare light that blends with daylight and gives you true color rendition for creating new compositions. For example, a component that is essential for setting up a still life is true saturated light and the additional of a highlight source with a neutral wall color.  This makes the studio environment colors read correctly.  With the right lights, your studio will give you years of productivity. 

Lighting, Full-Spectrum Lighting and Human Health
            Is full spectrum lighting better for human health?  Are electric lights safe for human beings? 
         Electromagnetic Field Radiation or EMF is increasingly in the news because theories abound that it can cause health problems. Does lighting generate dangerous levels of electromagnetism (EM)? Most publicized cases cite the common 60Hz magnetic field, the frequency most often used by household appliances, office equipment and lighting. Most magnetic field frequencies from lights of that level are not in close proximity to workers, as they are located on the ceiling. Ordinary personal computers emit more radio waves than lighting. 
        A more significant factor in exposure to lighting is whether or not extended exposure to fluorescent lights, rather than full-spectrum lights, carries any health hazard.  It is generally accepted that full-spectrum lamps are better for vision, mood and health.  Ott-Lite is a good source of full-spectrum lights and lamps. 

Lighting Answers From Dr. Ott to Present Day Research

With much of the benefits of natural lighting in media and print, where do consumers go for the real thing?  Ott-Lites are a good place to start.   Pioneers in the field of photobiology, the Ott product line originated with the theories of Dr. John Nash Ott (research beginning in the 1920’s) who was a proponent of natural, full-spectrum lighting for plant and human health.  Known as the father of time-lapse photography, Dr. Ott’s research was the beginning of the natural lighting movement.  

A variety of manufacturers of full-spectrum light sources have claimed benefits from the use of full-spectrum lighting.  Their products, however, do not always possess the documented photo benefits of Ott-Lites.  It is safe to say that these manufacturers are using some of Dr. Ott’s theories to benefit their sales.