jats:p Lighting experiments were performed in a real context populated with dummies and objects. Using the King’s College Chapel in Cambridge as a case study, two field surveys of concert lighting were performed, one with the chapel empty and one with it occupied. In each survey, photometric data were collected under three electric lighting conditions and from six different viewing positions. A comparative analysis indicates that the data gathered from the occupied space represent the luminances more accurately, present a more detailed description of the light distribution, and provide a more extensive set of variables characterising the geometrical details of the visual scene. This study demonstrates the importance of using occupied spaces and considering the presence of occupants in field studies, which could be useful for obtaining a more complete understanding of complex luminous environments. </jats:p>