If there’s one area of content creation I’ll admit I need to brush up on, it’s artificial lighting. In this age of constant lighting, I’m sure I’m not the only one guilty of thinking: “That looks about right,” instead of spending more time delving into lighting theory.
However, video lighting is a broad subject, which can make it difficult to know where to start. That’s why I think this YouTube video by award-winning cinematographer and Academy nominee, Curren Sheldon, is so useful. Curren has reverse-engineered the topic by identifying six amateur lighting mistakes and how to avoid them.
With Curren’s lighting pedigree, it would be easy to overcomplicate things, but this is a great video for beginners and more experienced videographers alike. For example, mistake number one is very much a beginner mistake, flat lighting, whereby the videographer mounts the light – typically on the camera – so that it’s beamed onto the subject in the same direction as the camera is pointing. It’s essentially the same reason why, in photography, many photographers scoff at built-in flash; it essentially creates a similar washed-out effect.
The tips get progressively more advanced as the video continues, but things never get overly complicated. It’s a great springboard for you to identify areas of improvement, which you can head off and research further. A lot of ground is covered in barely 10 minutes, from lighting the space/scene to making sure that you’re using the right lighting equipment and learning to light with intention. I’ll certainly be bookmarking this video so I can refer back to it in the future.
You might also like...
Check out the best LED light panels and the best cameras for vlogging. If you're serious about video, take a look at this new video camera release, the Nikon ZR.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
