Lighting fixtures and systems with high energy efficiency and visual quality

A method of illuminating a localized activity area with very high energy efficiency and visual quality, comprising the steps of:

• setting up one or more lighting fixtures, said fixtures having a plurality of lamp units functioning therein, said lamp units each containing one or more light sources that can be focused,
• switching two or more of said lamp units into an on position,
• focusing said one or more light sources on said localized activity area, and, thereafter,
• reconfiguring said lamp units on said fixture in an extended pattern that gives said fixture an aperture, or effective diameter, that is a significant fraction of the distance from said fixture to the illuminated activity area, whereby illumination of the area comes from a plurality of directions,
• aiming light beams from said light sources so as to combine on said activity area in an illumination pattern having desired characteristics.

A method of illuminating a localized activity area with high energy efficiency and visual quality, comprising the steps of:

• setting up two or more lighting fixtures, at least one of each said fixtures being located to each side of said activity area, and arranged so that all of said fixtures are mounted at a level above a viewer's head, and to the side and somewhat to the rear of the viewer's usual position with respect to said activity area;
• switching on two or more lamp units in each of said fixtures,
• focusing one or more of said lamp units,
• reconfiguring said fixture so to array said lamp units in an extended pattern that gives said fixture an effective diameter that is a significant fraction of the distance from said fixture to the illuminated scene, whereby illumination of the scene comes from a plurality of directions;
• and,
• aiming light beams from said light sources in said fixtures so as to combine the lights on said activity area in an illumination pattern having desired characteristics.