This New Skylight is About to Change the Concept of Artificial Light Forever

Photography Tips

To talk about this latest innovation in artificial lighting, let’s just say that you have the power of the sun in your hands, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of whether it is overcast, snowing, or raining outside. Okay, let’s rephrase that. Let’s say you want to take natural light portraits, but the sun has already set. In normal circumstances you’d have to wait until tomorrow. But now, you can switch on CoeLux. Intrigued? Watch this:

CoeLux is an artificial LED powered light that creates the same impact on your brain as if you are standing right under a sunny blue sky. It’s detailed right down to the glowing bright sun in the sky. So you not only have a bright light, but also deep shadows and the unmistakable feeling that you’re standing under sunlight. (Via PetaPixel)

“It looks like sunlight, but it isn’t. It’s a brand new kind of artificial skylight, which for the first time recreates the same scientific process that makes the sky appear blue.”

At first glance, it’s easy to pass it on as skylight—until you realize that you’re standing at a subterranean level. When the realization sets in, the amazement begins.

The trick behind this amazing new product is simulation of the natural process that makes the sky appear blue. A layer of clear polymer comprised of nanoparticles of titanium dioxide achieves the same Rayleigh scattering effect that happens in nature.

Coelux opens up the door to a whole new world of artificial lighting possibilities

The applications are immense. Right from spas and entertainment to healthcare and construction, CoeLux promises the power to change the way we live forever. But for us photographers, CoeLux provides a continuous source of daylight, whenever needed—that is if you can cough up the associated cost. Coelux costs £40,000 ($61,686) ex-factory and a further £3,000 to 5,000 to ship and install. But with economies of scale coming into effect, prices should come down in the future.

CoeLux has been awarded the Lux Award for Light Source Innovation of the Year. It further establishes that this breakthrough technology is here to stay.