Lighting Effects
Cold / Warm
You can add to the feeling of coldness or warmth by using additional filters or doubling up on gels. Very blue means very cold, very red/orange means very hot.
Moonlight (or any night-time light)
This is an old standard technique which has become something of a cliché. You can make daytime seem like night by lowering the exposure slightly and adding a blue filter to the camera. However a convincing illusion may require more effort than this — you don't want any daytime giveaways such as birds flying through shot. You also need to think about any other lighting which should appear in shot, such as house or street lights.
Firelight
To light a person's face as if they were looking at a fire, try this: Point a redhead with orange gel away from the subject at a large reflector which reflects the light back at the subject. Shake the reflector to simulate firelight (remember to add sound effects as well).
Watching TV
To light a person's face as if they were watching TV, shine a blue light at the subject and wave a piece of cloth or paper in front of the light to simulate flickering.
Source: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/effects/
Tips for Lighting People
Harsh light is not flattering; soft light creates a warmer feel.
Avoid strong nose shadows or any strong contrast on the face. Place the key light on the same side as the camera and fill the shadows.
Avoid reflections from glasses. You may need to adjust the position of the subject and/or lights to do this.
Beware bald heads — they can reflect a lot of light and appear over-exposed. Try weakening or softening the light with a diffusion gel.
Soft light and diffusion helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Source: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/tips/people.html
Showing posts with label Lighting Basics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lighting Basics. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Lighting Basics, Part 3
DIY Lighting Kit
Professional lighting kits for video and photography are very expensive. Fortunately for the budget-impaired enthusiast, it is possible to put together a perfectly adequate lighting kit for less than $US100.
A good beginner's lighting kit should include:
Three (or more) lights with stands
Reflector board(s)
Power cables, extension leads and a multi-box.
The Lights
The standard budget light is the halogen work lamp which can be found at any hardware store or purchased at amazon.com for as little as $US10. These come with or without a stand and range from around 150W to 500W.
The stand-less units have a small handle and can be rested on any solid surface such as a table or the floor. This is not ideal for your main lights but it can be useful for fill lighting, backgrounds, etc. In any case these units are so cheap that it can't hurt to buy a couple.
Lights with stands are more versatile and you should have at least one of these (preferably two or three). Try to find a stand which goes up to around 2 metres (the height of a tall person).
Some lights can be used with or without the stand, making them even more versatile.
One drawback of these cheap lights is that the colour of the light is quite yellow. As long as you white-balance your camera this isn't a huge issue, but if you want the best quality lighting you can try one of these solutions:
Purchase a 32K white bulb (ask your hardware supplier).
Place a coloured gel in front of the light to correct the colour.
Speaking of gels, the other big drawback of these lights is that there is no built-in system for mounting accessories like gels and diffusers. You can improvise by creating a wire holder or separate stand for accessories.
You will also find that you can't alter the spread of these lights, i.e. from floodlight to spotlight. This is not a big concern for most people but if you do need this functionality you might need to consider a professional video lighting kit.
Reflectors
Professional reflector boards are used to add or control light in a scene. You can make your own from just about any large reflective object, although the exact colour and reflectivity will obviously affect your lighting. Common suggestions for an improvised reflector include:
Windshield sunshade
Sheet of foamcore
Polystyrene sheet
Stiff cardboard, or tin foil on cardboard (try both sides of the foil for different effects)
Whiteboard
Survival blanket (gold on one side and silver on the other)
Hobby shops have a lot of items which may be of interest. Online auction sites are also worth checking as reflectors can often be found fairly cheap there.
Power
You will need a few power extension cables of varying lengths, plus one or more multi-boxes with built-in trip switches. It helps to have a separate carry case for power cables.
Safety
Lights get very hot! Seriously, you can burn yourself badly or set fire to things.
Lights can draw a lot of current so be careful not to overload power sources.
If you're working outside, use an isolating transformer on your power.
Source: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/diy/
Professional lighting kits for video and photography are very expensive. Fortunately for the budget-impaired enthusiast, it is possible to put together a perfectly adequate lighting kit for less than $US100.
A good beginner's lighting kit should include:
Three (or more) lights with stands
Reflector board(s)
Power cables, extension leads and a multi-box.
The Lights
The standard budget light is the halogen work lamp which can be found at any hardware store or purchased at amazon.com for as little as $US10. These come with or without a stand and range from around 150W to 500W.
The stand-less units have a small handle and can be rested on any solid surface such as a table or the floor. This is not ideal for your main lights but it can be useful for fill lighting, backgrounds, etc. In any case these units are so cheap that it can't hurt to buy a couple.
Lights with stands are more versatile and you should have at least one of these (preferably two or three). Try to find a stand which goes up to around 2 metres (the height of a tall person).
Some lights can be used with or without the stand, making them even more versatile.
One drawback of these cheap lights is that the colour of the light is quite yellow. As long as you white-balance your camera this isn't a huge issue, but if you want the best quality lighting you can try one of these solutions:
Purchase a 32K white bulb (ask your hardware supplier).
Place a coloured gel in front of the light to correct the colour.
Speaking of gels, the other big drawback of these lights is that there is no built-in system for mounting accessories like gels and diffusers. You can improvise by creating a wire holder or separate stand for accessories.
You will also find that you can't alter the spread of these lights, i.e. from floodlight to spotlight. This is not a big concern for most people but if you do need this functionality you might need to consider a professional video lighting kit.
Reflectors
Professional reflector boards are used to add or control light in a scene. You can make your own from just about any large reflective object, although the exact colour and reflectivity will obviously affect your lighting. Common suggestions for an improvised reflector include:
Windshield sunshade
Sheet of foamcore
Polystyrene sheet
Stiff cardboard, or tin foil on cardboard (try both sides of the foil for different effects)
Whiteboard
Survival blanket (gold on one side and silver on the other)
Hobby shops have a lot of items which may be of interest. Online auction sites are also worth checking as reflectors can often be found fairly cheap there.
Power
You will need a few power extension cables of varying lengths, plus one or more multi-boxes with built-in trip switches. It helps to have a separate carry case for power cables.
Safety
Lights get very hot! Seriously, you can burn yourself badly or set fire to things.
Lights can draw a lot of current so be careful not to overload power sources.
If you're working outside, use an isolating transformer on your power.
Source: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/diy/
Monday, November 23, 2009
Lighting Basics, Part 2
Lighting For Video & Television
Video lighting is based on the same principles as lighting for any other visual media. If you haven't done so already, you should read through our general lighting tutorials before reading this page, which deals specifically with lighting issues for video.
Light Sources
All video uses some sort of lighting, whether it be natural light (from the sun) or artificial lights. The goal of video lighting is to choose the best source(s) to achieve your goals.
First and foremost you need enough light. You must ensure that your camera is able to record an acceptable picture in the conditions. With modern cameras this is seldom a problem except in very low light or strong contrast.
Assuming you have enough light, you must then consider the quality of the light and how the various light sources combine to produce the image.
If you have clashing light sources (e.g. artificial interior lights with sunlight coming through the windows), you may find the colours in your image appear unnatural. It's best to control the light sources yourself if possible (e.g. turn off the lights or close the curtains).
When moving between locations, think about what light source you are using. If you move from an outside setting to an inside one with artificial lights, the amount of light may seem the same but the colour temperature will change according to the type of lights. In this case you need to white balance your camera for the new light source.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio is the difference in brightness between the brightest and darkest parts of the picture. Video does not cope with extreme contrast as well as film, and nowhere near as well as the human eye. The result of over-contrast is that some parts of the picture will be too bright or too dark to see any detail. For this reason you need to ensure that there is not too much contrast in your shot. See Camera Contrast Ratio for more details.
Camera-Mounted Lights
The camera-mounted light is an easy, versatile solution used by amateurs and professionals alike. Typically the light will draw power from the camera battery, although a separate power supply can be used. Be aware that lights which draw power from the camera battery will significantly shorten the battery's charge time.
This type of lighting does not create pleasing effects. it is a "blunt instrument" approach which is really only designed to illuminate the scene enough to allow normal camera operations. However it is a simple, practical solution.
Night-Mode Video Shooting
Some cameras offer a special "night vision" option which allows you to shoot with virtually no light. This mode uses infrared light instead of normal visible light.
This is useful in extreme circumstances when you have no other option. Unfortunately the results tend to be poor-quality monochrome green.
Of course, you can use this mode for a special effect if it suits the content.
Source: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/video/
Video lighting is based on the same principles as lighting for any other visual media. If you haven't done so already, you should read through our general lighting tutorials before reading this page, which deals specifically with lighting issues for video.
Light Sources
All video uses some sort of lighting, whether it be natural light (from the sun) or artificial lights. The goal of video lighting is to choose the best source(s) to achieve your goals.
First and foremost you need enough light. You must ensure that your camera is able to record an acceptable picture in the conditions. With modern cameras this is seldom a problem except in very low light or strong contrast.
Assuming you have enough light, you must then consider the quality of the light and how the various light sources combine to produce the image.
If you have clashing light sources (e.g. artificial interior lights with sunlight coming through the windows), you may find the colours in your image appear unnatural. It's best to control the light sources yourself if possible (e.g. turn off the lights or close the curtains).
When moving between locations, think about what light source you are using. If you move from an outside setting to an inside one with artificial lights, the amount of light may seem the same but the colour temperature will change according to the type of lights. In this case you need to white balance your camera for the new light source.
Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio is the difference in brightness between the brightest and darkest parts of the picture. Video does not cope with extreme contrast as well as film, and nowhere near as well as the human eye. The result of over-contrast is that some parts of the picture will be too bright or too dark to see any detail. For this reason you need to ensure that there is not too much contrast in your shot. See Camera Contrast Ratio for more details.
Camera-Mounted Lights
The camera-mounted light is an easy, versatile solution used by amateurs and professionals alike. Typically the light will draw power from the camera battery, although a separate power supply can be used. Be aware that lights which draw power from the camera battery will significantly shorten the battery's charge time.
This type of lighting does not create pleasing effects. it is a "blunt instrument" approach which is really only designed to illuminate the scene enough to allow normal camera operations. However it is a simple, practical solution.
Night-Mode Video Shooting
Some cameras offer a special "night vision" option which allows you to shoot with virtually no light. This mode uses infrared light instead of normal visible light.
This is useful in extreme circumstances when you have no other option. Unfortunately the results tend to be poor-quality monochrome green.
Of course, you can use this mode for a special effect if it suits the content.
Source: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/video/
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Lighting Basics, Part 1
One of the most important things you can do when acquiring (shooting) video and film is light the subject properly. This is particularly important when you are using a less than professional camera indoors. So, I feel like the next thing we should talk about is lighting. There is a wealth of information on this subject, so I'll do this over the course of the next few days. Here's Lighting 101... The Standard 3-Point Lighting Technique:
The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard method used in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery. It is a simple but versatile system which forms the basis of most lighting. Once you understand three point lighting you are well on the way to understanding all lighting.
The technique uses three lights called the key light, fill light and back light. Naturally you will need three lights to utilise the technique fully, but the principles are still important even if you only use one or two lights. As a rule:
If you only have one light, it becomes the key.
If you have 2 lights, one is the key and the other is either the fill or the backlight.
Key Light
This is the main light. It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.
Fill Light
This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key. To acheive this, you could move the light further away or use some spun. You might also want to set the fill light to more of a flood than the key.
Back Light
The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject's outlines. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look.
If you have a fourth light, you could use it to light the background of the entire scene.
This information was found at: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/
The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard method used in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery. It is a simple but versatile system which forms the basis of most lighting. Once you understand three point lighting you are well on the way to understanding all lighting.
The technique uses three lights called the key light, fill light and back light. Naturally you will need three lights to utilise the technique fully, but the principles are still important even if you only use one or two lights. As a rule:
If you only have one light, it becomes the key.
If you have 2 lights, one is the key and the other is either the fill or the backlight.
Key Light
This is the main light. It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.
Fill Light
This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key. To acheive this, you could move the light further away or use some spun. You might also want to set the fill light to more of a flood than the key.
Back Light
The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject's outlines. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look.
If you have a fourth light, you could use it to light the background of the entire scene.
This information was found at: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/
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