Lighting

Lighting

Lighting, when used properly, is an expressive and powerful tool. It can convey emotion, make a character appear evil, show contrast, or create a general mood. When used improperly, lighting can make it difficult for an audience to view or understand your intent. Understanding the concepts below will help you to use lighting properly and creatively.

Don't mix different kinds of light.

Cameras are very similar to our eyes. One big exception is that cameras are much better at seeing different color temperatures than the human eye. If you're shooting in an area that has incandescent (indoor) light and natural sunlight, the resulting picture will have colors that look unnatural. The problem is that your camera can only white balance to one temperature or type of light (indoor or outdoor) at a time. So, if your camera white balances to the incandescent indoor lights anything illuminated by the hotter outdoor light will appear as a 'funny' or wrong color. To avoid this, close shades or shoot with your back towards the window. If there is too much sunlight coming through the window, close shades or move to a new, more hospitable location. It's best to stay away from windows altogether especially on a sunny day.

Three point lighting

If you have a portable light kit or are in a studio, take advantage of three point lighting. By using three different points of light (key, fill, and back) you can create pleasing results. The key light provides the main lighting on your subject. It is typically placed above and slightly to the side of your subject. The fill light will generally be a smaller light placed adjacent to the key light, and slightly below the subject. The back light is used on the background or area behind the subject. Using a back light helps create a sense of space and depth.

Watch out for shadows

If you are using a single light, be careful, it can create very hard shadows. Using more than one light source can help diffuse the light making it easier to avoid those hard shadows. Try to keep the light source (lamp) out of your shot. If you get the direct light in your shot it can be so bright as to cause the rest of your picture to look dark. The rule is the same whether the light is incandescent (indoor) or natural (outdoor). A bright or reflective background (such as white) can also cause your subject to become dark or create unwanted shadows.

Monkey tip: If your camera doesn't have an accurate color viewfinder, try to bring a video monitor when you shoot. It is always better to find any color or light problems while you're shooting.

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