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ELLI offers various Online Training through either live group sessions (classes) or by pre-recorded sessions. Obviously, it’s best to attend a live session, as participants can ask the instructor questions and engage with fellow participants. However, in many cases, members may have scheduling conflicts, and this is the primary reason for watching pre-recorded efforts.
Our training is effective and efficient in that we provide as much detailed content as possible within these short periods of time. Typically, our training sessions last from 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours. All members will have access to our instructors for questioning, especially if they watch pre-recorded sessions.
Membership type matters with regard to two (2) things: 1) having access to educational content, and 2) the price you pay. Each membership type (Foundational, Premium, and Exclusive) allows you a certain amount of educational content. The more advanced or special the content is, the higher the cost to access it.
Courses, Events, and Special Events require a Premium or Exclusive level of membership. Each of these educational offerings are “pay-to-play”, which means you must pay for them outside of the annual membership cost. However, ELLI provides special discounts’ based on membership type—see below:
Discounts for Courses & Events
Note: All existing Legacy Members will receive discounts based on the membership type they wish to be included in (Foundational or Premium). They must choose their level of involvement and there cost will be adjusted to either Foundational at $150.00/yr. or Premium at $250.00/yr. (equal to Legacy plan).
Webinars & Classes are part of our general landscape lighting educational content—they are included with all membership types. However, Foundational members get access to one (1) per month, and both Premium & Exclusive members get access to two (2) per month. Access means that they can attend/participate in them. ELLI maintains a video library of content that members can view at their leisure and upon request.
The ELLI newsletter will announce these offerings each month, as well as the ELLI website will show a quarterly offering of topics—see below:
QTR 1—2025
Mentor Studies can be broken down into two (2) types: 1) Case-Study Reviews of either member’s projects or mentor projects that are to be shared, and 2) Mentor Discussions, where a mentor discusses design content or provides experiential insights. These types of studies are an excellent way to learn in small group sessions.
Mentor Studies are available to both Premium & Exclusive members only.
All Courses are considered, “Pay-to-Play” (participants must pay for them). Each Course is unique and customized to ensure advancement in a particular skill proficiency. A considerable amount of time has been spent by our instructors to prepare them. The following Courses are available for either live group participation or pre-recorded participation:
ELLI educators are highly skilled professionals who have been practicing their crafts for many years, if not decades. Each has worked in real-world conditions and speaks from experience. This is a benefit over those who are only ‘book-smart’ by having one or more college degrees.
There are two important tools one can use in landscape lighting design. The first is Photography and the second is the Critique. One might ask how these are tools, but as you will see, both can be used to advance one’s ability and recognition within the profession.
All lighting designers are judged by their work, and it matters not what the discipline is—landscape, architectural, interior, or exterior. Therefore, our work is our ‘brand.’ Our relevance and importance must be presented by a visual means—photography, in this case. Poor imagery results in never winning awards, as well as lower quality of jobs and smaller-scaled projects. By treating our photographic work like a promotional tool, we can advance. You should invest in a highly effective photographer or in yourself, which means you should spend a great deal of time mastering this art. Please see the following section on Photography.
The Design Critique is another tool that we can benefit and advance from. Very few today spend time performing critiques upon their own work or the work of others—this is a learned skill. One must have experience in the trade craft and artform if they are going to know what to look for in this critiquing process. Additionally, a design critique should measure against a set of principles and standards if it’s to mean anything. The following should be included for these measures:
Currently, ELLI is the only landscape lighting organization to utilize Critiquing as a measure or tool for advancement. ELLI does provide a service to have your project to be professionally critiqued—the cost is $300.00 per photo to be critiqued. If you are interested in this service or wish to learn more about the design critique, then please complete the following form, submit it, and pay by the payment button:
The cost of this service is $300.00 per photo. Please use the “Sign-Up” button to get started. click here for the payment.
The goal of the Design Critique process is to help lighting designers better understand aspects of lighting design that they have not yet learned. It’s a short-cut in one’s natural learning curve. Landscape lighting designers can now utilize this option for their personal advancement needs.
Photography is a critical part of this learning and awareness, as it provides us the easiest format by which to understand. As humans, we best learn through our visual means. Therefore, photography is an aid in this. It allows us the opportunity to capture a moment in time and space, from a specific point of view.
As lighting designers, we must rely on high-quality, excellent imagery to effectively portray our work, and to evoke emotion. These images communicate and express our art-form. As a consumer, imagery is the easiest way to explain design intent.
The benefit of good photography allows for the following:
The Use of Photography
Trade professionals need to be aware of the impact of good photography. It is highly suggested that a professional photographer with experience in night-time photography is utilized. Some lighting designers believe they can provide the same or better level of imagery. However, in most cases, this is far from the truth.
Why is photography so important? Because it represents your name and brand. One must truly consider how this decision alone impacts one’s success, professionally-speaking. Photography can be the difference between being ‘average’ or ‘mediocre,’ with that of ‘excellent.’
Lighting designers should consider photography as an art, just as their own craft, because it is. One would be best served by guiding the photographer, as to what they wish to capture. The photographer should focus his/her attention on the composition of these scenes. Their skill is in the experience with the camera and how to best display this imagery—it’s a joint effort.
Considerations in Photography
There are three considerations the lighting designer should understand in photography: