Certain lighting(other than sun light) will damage game heads? I specialize in fish but have a high end client who has huge money put into their mounts which include elephant,lion,girrafe,etc.These are going on display soon and the contractor of the new facility asked me if I could shed light on the subject(pardon the pun).Can anyone help? Incandescent, flourescent,HPS. bad good? Thanks!
Return to Gamehead Taxidermy Category Menu
Tell the contractor to visit any reputable museum and see how subdued lighting reflected from vaunted white ceilings is use to light rooms like this.
The lights are already hung. I don't think the contractor is going to love hearing this, Haha.
I was interested in this as I am starting to look into better lighting. Not to sound like a smart A$^ but why did he ask if he had already hung the lights. Seems as though Georges favorite statement would fit here. just curious thats all.
I was in charge of the Art Gallery in college and hung/lit all the shows. Bouncing the lights off the ceiling or walls is the best method because it gets rid of the glare you get when pointing lights directly at an object. If you bounce the light, you shouldn't have to worry about the effects on the mounts...
I happen to be touring a new facility(I prefer not to mention the name at this time) that I had the great fortune to be able to display my work in when the head contractor started asking me about this subject. I told him the same thing Schulzie told colonel Klink....I KNOW NOTHING!but that I would check for him as I know this great site where all my worldly questions can be answered by alot of people who really really like me.Haha Sorry,Trying to lose that smart mouth. Anyway,I'm not quite sure just why they would not have put better planning into this. Now I'm no expert on big game but I would have to say that the big game taxidermy in this place has got to total aleast a quarter of a million dollars.You'd have thought they'd have hired a consultant rather than ask a fish taxidermist after the fact.
Still not quite sure what bad things could happen, if any, due to flourescent lighting. If I wee a game guy, I would have put a patch)hidden) on one of my mounts on display and under constant lighting, to see if (by removing the patch) there was any fading or what ever.I can tell you for fact that some greens are eaten up or should I say faded away on my fish mounts that are under these lights in sporting goods places I display at. These are standard quality paints, either polytranspar or life tone) other than the greens all seems OK.
Most stores use flourescent (blue/cool) lighting and certain warmer colors (yellow especially) can disappear under these lights. UV rays from the sun is what harms mounts. To the best of my knowledge there aren't any ill effects from any artificial lights out there (other than mis-representing your colors).
I have mostly soft-white lighting in my shop. This replicates the scenario which MOST customers will have when they hang their mounts...
I'll let them know!
and what you need is something in the 5000K range color wise. It produces the most accurate colors, and is the most like natural sunlight. I have a Sylvania F40DSGN50 in 4 foot 40 watt that we use here. Warm white colors are some of the worst around the 3000K range.
and what you need is something in the 5000K range color wise. It produces the most accurate colors, and is the most like natural sunlight. I have a Sylvania F40DSGN50 in 4 foot 40 watt that we use here. Warm white colors are some of the worst around the 3000K range.
Check with a lighting center or mfg.. I have seen slip on UV filters for Flourescents in th epast they don't cut back on the illumination only the UV rays that are a primary culprit of fading