Exterior Lighting

Lighting is an art form worth mastering and can make your video or film a real stand out. Professionals sometimes spend hours setting up lights for one shot. It can take some experimentation and time to light a scene, but the results are very much worth it.

Why do we light?

- Technical: we need light so we can create an image on the video processor or film

- Establish mood, time, & place

- Give an image depth

- Stress importance on a certain part of your shot

Exterior Lighting

When shooting outside, the sun is the main source of light but you really have to watch the angle of the sun when shooting in bright sunlight. If you are shooting someone talking and the sun is directly overhead, you will get some harsh shadows on the face. If the person is standing if front of the sun, or any other bright light source, your subject may appear in a silhouette.

When shooting outside, things will look the best if the sun is at about a 45 degree angle.

Its a good idea to avoid huge light contrasts.

Keep in mind, outdoor light is brighter, you have less control over it, and is bluish.