As we’ve seen so often in our endless tour of computer setups on social media, ambient lighting matters. Sure, you want proper lighting so you can see what you’re doing, but extra-mile work like setting Philips Hue ambient lighting — as in today’s Mac Studio setup — can make a big difference cosmetically and in more practical ways.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Philips Hue ambient lighting enhances setup
B2B software company worker and Redditor mcaputo023 (“Cap”) showcased the well-lighted setup in a post entitled, “Updated Mac setup with standing desk.”
He mounts his Mac Studio desktop computer under the desk to drive a pair of Studio Displays side by side on a desk shelf above it. The side-by-side orientation brought up common concerns we covered in Friday’s post about the setup, which talked about tricks to sync dual Studio Displays for sound and brightness levels.
Today we’ll look at Cap’s lighting. The stock image above shows what a dramatic effect ambient smart lighting can achieve under certain conditions, like moody colored-light splashes on the wall of a dark room.
By comparison, the photo below makes Cap’s lighting look subtle. That’s because he took a daylight shot with photo- and video-enhancing lights turned on, like ring and key lights. He also talked about setting up the lighting.
A litany of setup lighting products for clarity and ambiance
Photo: mcaputo023@reddit.com
“The lighting in the photo looks very nice,” a commenter said. “Other than the monitor light bars, is there any other light source in your office?”
“I create YouTube content, and video lights were in the area when I shot this photo,” Cap replied. “Otherwise, all of the ambient light is from [Philips] Hue.”
He listed the products and how they’re placed:
- Hue Gradient light strip along the sides and back of my desk
- Hue PlayBar along the far side of the desk
- The Hue Gradient table lamp behind the monitor is on the right.
So each one of those products mentioned can connect to a hub and be controlled on a smart-home platform like HomeKit. Cap can change the color and temperature at will and even set the lights as part of automations, like turning on when he comes home.
As for the lights used for photographs, he likes to use Aputure and Amaran video lights with a lantern. For his YouTube videos, he lights himself with an Octodome Soft Box.
And don’t forget the monitor light bars
And those aren’t Cap’s only lights, of course. As we see in many setups, he mounts monitor light bars on top of his Studio Displays.
“Do you find [the] light bars are helpful?” a commenter asked. “I professionally edit, and those have not made it into our post houses (yet), but I see them non-stop online. Did you buy the matte finish on the monitors to dim reflections?”
“I use the light bars as task lighting and turn them down when editing video,” Cap replied. “These are the standard displays without the matte coating and the exterior windows are behind me when I’m sitting at the desk. I close the shades to control the reflections but it doesn’t get too bright.”
And if you like the wallpaper showing on the setup’s Studio Displays, you can find it here.
Shop these items now:
Ambient lighting:
Photo and video lighting:
Computers:
Displays, monitor light and desk shelf:
Input devices:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
This colorful smart light strip comes with a base kit with plug. Can be applied to desk, cabinets and more. Control with Hue App and use it with HomeKit, Alexa or Google Assistant.
