Lighting, Naturally

I feel very lucky and grateful to have gone to Seth Godin’s Linchpin talk last Friday in NYC.  He shared incredible ideas and was truly inspiring. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

In the spirit of generosity and abundance that he spoke so much about, I am excited to begin a series of posts covering questions people ask me the most about making videos.

This week I’ll share tips on basic lighting ideas, affordable solutions and techniques.

Most importantly, I hope you have fun making your remarkable videos!

Here are a few things to remember about lighting:

• The best lighting is natural, daytime lighting.  Hazy days are awesome.

• Shooting outdoors is best, if possible. Just notice where the sun or main light source is and setup with this light source BEHIND you and the camera.

• If you’re shooting indoors, daylight is also the best.  The sunlight coming in from the window should be BEHIND you and the camera.  It is your main source of light.

• Raise the blinds and open the shades to allow more light in.  You can also turn on household lamps to add light.

• If you’re doing an interview and your subject is sitting on a couch or chair against a wall, make sure there is some space between them and the wall.  Move the furniture slightly away from the wall to create some depth.

• Place a vase of colorful flowers on a table near your subject.  A household lamp can also be placed in the shot for added light.

Important Tip:  If you are taping yourself talking into the camera, position yourself so that the main light source is facing you and BEHIND the camera, not behind you.  If not, this will result in you being in silhouette.  If unsure, do a quick 5 second test to see how it looks.

Inexpensive lighting tip for under $10:  Go to your local hardware store or Home Depot and buy a metal worklight, sometimes called a cliplight.  This can be pointed up to the ceiling or wall to bounce light onto the subject.

I sincerely hope these lighting ideas help get you more comfortable and confident creating your future video productions.

As Seth Godin said last Friday, “Work That Matters Is Work That Makes a Difference.”

Let’s get to work.