About thirty years ago I was reading an article in a guitar magazine. It featured Keith Richards who was talking about guitar players. He said something along these lines and of course I am paraphrasing, “I am not interested in being the fastest gun in the west, anyone can do that with enough practice. I am interested in the chord and how simply moving a finger changes the entire sound.”
I hope to this day that I remember this quote accurately enough but I am going to stick with this memory. This is an example of having a passion for his art. That is the way I approach lighting. It is not about having a ton of lights on everything, but about having the right amount of light at the right spot that creates the emotion you will feel. Anyone can show up and pop lights in the ground, place light on a tree and call it landscape lighting. That is not it at all because there is no passion. You cannot simply go through the routine and have the same result as someone who is passionate about their profession. I think you know when you have found the right contractor, hair stylist or even accountant. How do you ask? When they make what they do seem exciting. Maybe when you are looking for the obligatory three estimates for your project you not only compare the economics of it but also the passion of what your contractor is bringing to the table as well.