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Lighting Designer
Although Howard Brandston's boyhood dream was to be a tennis star, it's a good thing he chose lighting design instead. In his own right, Brandston has become a shining star-and guiding light-in this field.
Brandston studied theatrical illumination at Brooklyn College and began his career in lighting in the New York theater. Early on, he was a designer at several manufacturing and lighting design firms including Century Lighting, where he served as assistant to the legendary Stanley McCandless, who inspired much of his design and work philosophy.
"Good lighting is an agreement between the designer and the client at the beginning of every project," said Brandston. "The ultimate criticism is when, upon completion of the project, the guy who's paying the money says: `This place looks precisely the way you told me it would.'"
Brandston also credits McCandless for teaching him to be careful and honorable with a client's money"design and budget are synonymous"-and to respect each and every member of a team. "Working with Stanley, I realized that every single person who works with you is critical to the success of a project-from the principal designer to the...