Learning Video Lighting Basics are essential for good video. For video natural can be used but many times lighting equipment is needed. There are many tools you can use, but you just need the basics to start out.
Ring lights are circular or ring-shaped lights often used for beauty shots and close-ups. They create a unique, even illumination with a soft, circular catchlight in the subject’s eyes.
Cyc Lights: Cyclorama (cyc) lights are used to light a backdrop or cyc wall evenly, providing a consistent background for scenes. They are often used in green screen and white screen setups.
Gobo Lights: Gobo lights use patterns or templates to project intricate and creative designs onto backgrounds or subjects. They are used for special lighting effects and backgrounds.
Practical Lights: Practical lights are everyday light sources integrated into the scene, such as lamps, ceiling fixtures, or candles. These lights add realism and depth to a set.
These are just some of the many types and styles of lights used in professional video production. The choice of lighting depends on the specific requirements of the project, the desired look and mood, and the available budget. Skilled lighting designers and gaffers play a crucial role in determining the right lighting setup for each scene.
The Basic items about lighting that are essential for beginners in video production:
Key Light:
- The primary light source in your setup, positioned at a 45-degree angle to the side and 45-degree angle above the subject. It provides the main illumination on your subject.
- Fill Light:
- A secondary light source placed on the opposite side of the key light, used to fill in shadows created by the key light. It reduces the contrast between shadows and highlights.
- Backlight (or Hair Light):
- Positioned behind the subject, the backlight adds a rim of light around the subject’s edges, separating them from the background and creating depth.
- Color Temperature:
- Understanding color temperature (measured in Kelvins) and how it affects the mood and color of your video. Daylight is around 5600K, while indoor lighting is around 3200K.
- Diffusion:
- The use of diffusers or softboxes to soften and scatter light, reducing harsh shadows and creating a flattering, even illumination.
- Reflectors:
- Reflectors bounce light back onto the subject to fill in shadows. They come in various colors for different lighting effects.
Fluorescent lighting and LED lighting are two common types of artificial lighting used in various settings, including videography. They have distinct differences in terms of technology, characteristics, and applications:
Fluorescent Lighting:
- Technology: Fluorescent lights work by passing an electric current through a gas, typically mercury vapor, which produces ultraviolet (UV) light. This UV light then interacts with a phosphorescent coating inside the fluorescent tube, causing it to emit visible light.
- Color Temperature: Fluorescent lights are available in a range of color temperatures, but the most common type used in indoor settings is around 3200K (often referred to as “warm white” or “soft white”). There are also cooler versions available with a color temperature around 5000K to 6500K (referred to as “cool white” or “daylight”).
- Color Rendering Index (CRI): Traditional fluorescent lights have a lower CRI compared to LEDs, which means they may not render colors as accurately. However, some high-CRI fluorescent tubes are available that provide better color accuracy.
- Energy Efficiency: Fluorescent lights are relatively more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs but less efficient than LEDs. They can still save energy compared to older incandescent lighting technology.
- Flicker: Some fluorescent lights may exhibit flickering, especially when they are about to fail or in the presence of high-frequency electronic devices. This can cause issues in video recordings.
- Warm-Up Time: Traditional fluorescent lights can take a few seconds to reach their full brightness, which may not be ideal for situations where quick changes in lighting intensity are needed.
- Bulb Lifespan: Fluorescent tubes generally have a longer lifespan compared to incandescent bulbs but are typically shorter-lived than LEDs.
LED Lighting:
- Technology: Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) generate light when an electrical current passes through a semiconductor. LEDs are solid-state lighting devices, meaning they have no moving parts, making them more durable.
- Color Temperature: LEDs are highly versatile and come in a wide range of color temperatures, from warm (around 2700K) to cool (up to 6500K or higher). Many LED lights are also adjustable, allowing you to fine-tune the color temperature as needed.
- Color Rendering Index (CRI): LEDs generally have a high CRI, meaning they can accurately render colors, making them suitable for applications where color accuracy is crucial, such as videography and photography.
- Energy Efficiency: LEDs are among the most energy-efficient lighting options available. They consume significantly less energy compared to both incandescent and fluorescent lighting, making them cost-effective in the long run.
- No Flicker: LEDs do not flicker at typical recording frame rates, making them ideal for video production where consistent lighting is essential.
- Instant On: LEDs reach full brightness instantly when turned on, allowing for quick adjustments in lighting intensity.
- Long Lifespan: LED lights have an impressive lifespan, often exceeding 25,000 to 50,000 hours of use, reducing the need for frequent replacements.
- Dimmability: Many LED lights are dimmable, offering precise control over light intensity.
In videography and photography, LED lighting has become increasingly popular due to its versatility, energy efficiency, color accuracy, and ease of use. However, fluorescent lighting can still be suitable for certain applications, especially when working with an existing setup or budget constraints. When choosing between the two, consider the specific requirements of your video project and the advantages offered by each lighting technology.
Three terms you should know:
These three settings, ISO, shutter speed, and white balance, are fundamental tools for controlling exposure, motion, and color accuracy in photography and videography.
Understanding how to use them effectively is crucial for achieving the desired results in your visual content.
- ISO (International Organization for Standardization):
- ISO in photography and videography refers to the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor or film to light. It’s an essential setting that determines how well a camera can capture images or videos in varying lighting conditions.
- In practical terms, a higher ISO setting makes the camera more sensitive to light, allowing you to shoot in low-light situations but potentially introducing digital noise or grain. Conversely, a lower ISO setting reduces sensitivity, resulting in cleaner images but requiring more light for proper exposure.
- ISO values are typically represented as numbers, such as 100, 200, 400, 800, etc. Lower ISO values are used in bright conditions, while higher ISO values are used in low-light situations.
- Shutter Speed:
- Shutter speed, also known as exposure time, is the duration for which the camera’s sensor or film is exposed to light when taking a photo or recording video. It controls how long the camera’s sensor is exposed to the scene.
- Shutter speed has a significant impact on the look of an image or video. A fast shutter speed (e.g., 1/1000 second) freezes fast-moving subjects and reduces motion blur, while a slow shutter speed (e.g., 1/30 second) captures more light and can introduce intentional motion blur or create a sense of motion.
- Shutter speed is measured in seconds or fractions of a second, such as 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, etc.
- White Balance:
- White balance is a camera setting that adjusts the color temperature of an image or video to ensure that white objects appear truly white under different lighting conditions. It helps maintain accurate color representation.
- Different light sources (e.g., daylight, tungsten, fluorescent) have varying color temperatures, which can give images or videos a warm or cool cast if not properly adjusted.
- White balance settings include presets for common lighting conditions (e.g., daylight, cloudy, tungsten) and custom white balance, where you can manually set the white point using a white or gray reference object.
- Proper white balance ensures that colors appear natural and true to life in your photos and videos.
Types of Lights for you to use:
Basic Lights and Accessories
Bar light for webcam, great for video meetings and recordings
LED lights. For general lighting. https://amzn.to/47RyrA4
Square lights. For monitor video meetings and recording https://amzn.to/44pdGJf
Ring light. Great for key light
Hot shoe light. Attach to camera hotshot
How do you adjust white balance?
Adjusting white balance is essential to ensure that the colors in your photos or videos appear accurate and natural, especially under different lighting conditions. Here are the steps to adjust white balance:
For Photography:
- Select the White Balance Preset: Most digital cameras, including smartphones, offer several white balance presets or modes. These presets are typically represented by icons or abbreviations such as
- ✅️”Daylight” (sun icon),
- ✅️ “Cloudy” (cloud icon), ✅️”Tungsten” (lightbulb icon),
- ✅️”Fluorescent” (fluorescent tube icon), and ✅️”Auto” (AWB).
- Choose the Appropriate Preset: Determine the type of lighting you are in or the lighting conditions of your scene. Select the white balance preset that corresponds to the primary light source or lighting environment. For example:
- “Daylight” for outdoor shots in natural sunlight.
- “Tungsten” for indoor shots under incandescent lighting.
- “Fluorescent” for shots under fluorescent lighting.
- “Cloudy” for overcast or cloudy days.
- Custom White Balance (Advanced): Some cameras allow you to set a custom white balance. To do this:
- Find a neutral white or gray object, like a white sheet of paper or a gray card, in the same lighting conditions as your subject.
- Take a photo of this object, making sure it fills the frame and is evenly lit.
- In your camera settings, select the option to set custom white balance.
- Choose the photo you just took as the reference image, and the camera will adjust the white balance based on it.
For Videography:
- Access White Balance Settings: Open the camera or video recording app on your device.
- Find White Balance Settings: Look for a white balance control or settings menu within the app. This might be represented by a WB icon or “White Balance” in the camera settings.
- Select a White Balance Preset: Similar to photography, choose the appropriate white balance preset that matches your lighting conditions. Use the same guidelines mentioned earlier.
- Custom White Balance (Advanced): Some video recording apps or cameras allow for custom white balance setup. Follow the same steps as mentioned in the photography section to create a custom white balance reference.
- Monitor and Adjust: As you change the white balance setting, you may notice an immediate shift in the colors on the screen. Adjust until the colors look natural and balanced to your eye or based on your camera’s live preview.
- Lock or Confirm: Depending on your camera or app, you might need to lock in the white balance setting once it’s adjusted to your satisfaction. This ensures that the white balance remains constant during recording.
- Test and Review: Before your actual shoot, it’s a good practice to test your white balance settings and review the footage to ensure colors appear accurate.
Properly adjusting white balance is crucial for achieving accurate and natural-looking colors in your photos and videos, and it’s an essential skill for photographers and videographers working in various lighting conditions.
Practice and Experimentation:
- The importance of hands-on practice and experimentation with different lighting setups and analyzing the results to understand how lighting choices impact the
Additional considerations and tips specific to smartphone cameras:
- Use the Smartphone’s Camera App: Most modern smartphones have dedicated camera apps that allow for manual control of exposure settings, including ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. Familiarize yourself with these controls to optimize your smartphone’s camera for different lighting conditions.
- Tap to Focus and Exposure: Smartphone cameras often allow you to tap on the screen to set the focus and exposure point. Use this feature to control where the camera meters the exposure, especially in challenging lighting situations.
- Adjust Exposure Manually: Depending on your smartphone, you may have the option to manually adjust exposure settings. This can be useful for fine-tuning the exposure to match your lighting conditions.