Thanks to each and every person on this site, from the Webmaster and admins to the commenters and posters. Thank you guys for making me feel like a person with a passion and not a problem or an "unhealthy obsession".

I loved lighting far before I found this site, before I had ever opened a browser tab, before I could even talk (and back when I thought LEDs were the best lighting type, but we were all stupid as little kids). But I've always felt really alone in my passion, like nobody else in the world could ever like lights like I do. A large part of this probably comes form my parents. They would always say "you have to many lights" or "it's an unhealthy obsession" and they blamed my poor social life on my lighting passion (Spoiler: it's not ). Lighting-Gallery has really helped me feel like part of a community, like somewhere I can finally relate to people. It's proven to me that there's nothing wrong with me. Now I'm a freshman in highschool, my social life has improved and my light collection is still growing!

So thank you guys, and never let this site shut down.

I was (and am) bullied for liking street lights. I have been obsessed since I was like 1 or something! I’m usually shy, and do not have a good social life. But I do not believe it has anything to do with liking street lights.

I think this site is really fun! There are many brilliant characters!

But for now @lightbulbhpscfl stay strong, do not let people criticise your passion!

I'll give you my two cents worth.  I thought it was a strange hobby that I collect light bulbs about 50 years ago.  I did not find anything until I found this site.  I have been here for about 18 years now

I can relate to this so much, it's beyond words! I've always loved streetlights, even before I could walk or talk, let alone know what the internet was. As many of you may already know, I've always anthropomorphized them, and they always had souls, personalities, and something to say! Up until I joined this site in May of 2026, I didn't know any of the model names or manufacturers of the streetlights and parking lot lights I had been seeing for many years. Then, over the course of the summer, I learned from all of you guys about the models, manufacturers, and design lineages of the streetlights I had always seen, and now I can put a model name to all of them. I first learned about the GE M400, then the GE HMAA, the Holophane Mongoose, the AEL LuxMaster series, the GE Decashield, and so on and so forth!
Now, I can proudly identify about 95% of all the streetlights in my city, and it drives the people around me nuts. 

That's awesome. I thought I knew a lot about lights, but after seeing the people on this site, I don't know much at all.

This site opened my eyes, too. When I first joined in March of 2023, I was a freshman in high school. I did not know the types of lighting around me- I only knew that each kind of light technology was unique in its own way, and thus, fascinating.
Over the course of these three years, I have learned an inexplicable amount. I've not only grown better at identifying makes and models of luminaires I see around me, but I've also grown as a person. I think this forum truly solidified my unapologetic passion for lighting, and thus, made me far more confident and comfortable within my own two shoes.

Thank you-- all of you-- for making me feel at home here. I'm quite happy to be here. 

First off I'm one of the older members here, age 70.  I grew up in the 60s 70s. I grew up in Long Beach California. In school I was questioned by the teacher as to my drawing of power lines, poles, streetlights and the like. One time a girl brought a 400 watt MV clear top BT37 to class to show. I don't know how she got it, but it was memorable. I would look at the different types of outdoor lighting and noticed the different types of lamps in them. Mostly incandescent and mercury vapor. I did see the M2 type Na9 once in person during a family trip to Ohio. I had always thought that there were others like me, but didn't know where they lived. Finally visiting my mother and used her computer with the early Internet, I typed in "series streetlighting" and found LG as well as a few other sites, like Joe Maurath's, Yahoo groups among others.  I finally felt a sense of belonging.

I joined this site almost ten years ago when I was a dumb young kid. I’ve said some dumb and cringy things, along with posting some really crappy photos over the years, but man, growing up on this site is definitely one of the best things to ever happen to me. All the people I’ve met, chatted with, and seeing photos of lights all over the world. Still have so much more to learn, and more people to meet. I’m grateful to have this site as part of my life story. All of you on here, thank you for being you.

First off I'm one of the older members here, age 70.  I grew up in the 60s 70s. I grew up in Long Beach California. In school I was questioned by the teacher as to my drawing of power lines, poles, streetlights and the like. One time a girl brought a 400 watt MV clear top BT37 to class to show. I don't know how she got it, but it was memorable. I would look at the different types of outdoor lighting and noticed the different types of lamps in them. Mostly incandescent and mercury vapor. I did see the M2 type Na9 once in person during a family trip to Ohio. I had always thought that there were others like me, but didn't know where they lived. Finally visiting my mother and used her computer with the early Internet, I typed in "series streetlighting" and found LG as well as a few other sites, like Joe Maurath's, Yahoo groups among others.  I finally felt a sense of belonging.

That must be interesting that a girl brought a light bulb for show and tell