Soft light is created with larger light sources.ĭiffusing a light source by shining it through a semi-transparent material (like a white sheet) or reflecting it by pointing it at a large reflective surface helps soften harder light. In general, the smaller the light source, such as the sun on a cloudless day, the sharper the shadows it casts, or the harder it is. The softer the light, the more flattering it is. You can place your subject so the sun provides your key light, with reflectors to provide fill and back lights.ĭuring the golden hour, when light is softer, the subject can also be positioned in front of the sun, using it as a back light, with reflectors providing the key and fill lights (you’ve just got to be quick before the light changes too much).Īlong with the lighting setups above, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind.Īs a rule, you want diffused, soft light, like on an overcast day. Many video makers who use natural light like to use a variation on the three-point lighting setup described above. All of these can affect the light and color quality and make it difficult to achieve consistency in your shots.īut, with careful planning and adjustments as needed, you can certainly use natural light sources for your videos. It also moves and changes in intensity as the weather shifts and clouds pass overhead. The sun can be too intense, casting harsh shadows on your subject.
There are drawbacks to relying on natural light however. Photographers and filmmakers love the “golden hour” in early morning and late evening for its soft and flattering golden light. If you’re shooting outdoors or in a space with very large windows, you can use the sun’s natural light to illuminate your scene. While the back light adds a nice depth to your background, it’s not necessarily essential. If you’re just getting started with lighting or have a limited budget, you can get by with a two-point setup that uses just the key and fill lights.
It’s placed above and behind the subject (out of the shot). The intensity of the fill light is usually around half that of the key light.īack light: The back light (sometimes called a rim light) creates depth and provides a soft glow in the background. It should be positioned to the side, opposite the key light. It’s generally placed in front of your subject, around 45-degrees above and 45-degrees to the right or left.įill light: This is a softer light, used to fill in shadows on the subject’s face. Key light: The key light is the strongest, providing most of the light in the shot. As the name suggests, it’s accomplished using three lights:
Two or three-point lightingĪ three-point lighting setup is the standard for most basic filming. There are other ways to light a scene, but these are generally used for more artistic or cinematic filmmaking. Video Lighting Setupsįor most scenarios, including vlogging, corporate videos, and interviews, one of these three lighting setups will be your best bet.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to light a scene and share some good video lighting kit options for every budget. So how do you work out what sort of video lighting kit you’ll need? There are lots of options, and lots of confusing terminology around different types of lights, wattages, color temperature, bulbs, gels, filters, and more. The right lighting helps to set the mood and tone, creates a flattering shot, and helps ensure your viewers can actually see what you want them to. After all, there’s plenty you can do with a budget camera, or even your phone, but if you’re trying to shoot a video in the dark, it ain’t gonna happen. In fact, good lighting is one of the most important elements to filming a great video, potentially even more important than your camera setup. If you’re going to film a video, you need it to look good, and that means you’ll need lights.