Here's how you can master the art of lighting in video production for visually stunning and impactful videos.

Budget-Friendly Solutions Professional lighting equipment can be expensive, but there are many cost-effective alternatives. Household items like bedsheets can serve as diffusers, and aluminum foil can be used to create reflectors. LED light panels offer versatility and efficiency on a budget. Creativity in using available resources can often lead to unique and effective lighting solutions.

I learned about lighting by sitting in a dark room with a half-white bulb to understand how light interacts with objects. This helps grasp the basics. Next, increasing light intensity is crucial. Manipulating light through reflection, refraction, and diffraction comes in third. Mastering these steps is key. Training is crucial.

Le plus important en terme d'éclairage n'est pas d'avoir mille et une sources d'éclairage, mais plutôt de savoir comment gérer le peu de sources dont on dispose, afin de parfaitement transmettre les émotions qui sont nôtres.

One of the best ways to learn color temperature is to observe how your camera captures color. Switch to P Mode and check the targeted ISO, then in M Mode,, attempt using the same setting with adjustments. This exercise will enhance your understanding of color temperature. If you live in a city with intense daylight or in locations with minimal light, this knowledge will greatly assist you in manipulating light. The art of capturing light is ultimately what creates a photograph.

Colour temperature is really important in producing any photo or video as hot colours gives a worm sense,however cold colours are more used in morning light videos

Do not mix daylight (5600K) with tungsten (3200K) since it will cast a horrible color on the skin tones of your subject. In professional cameras, you can usually set the color temperature manually or "tell" the camera what is white so it can calibrate by itself. If you are adjusting your white balance, remember to hold a piece of white paper or cloth in front of the camera and be hit by the main light source for the shoot. It is helpful to open up your shutter and zoom in on the white piece for a better result (newer cameras can identify the white object, so you don't need to perform all these steps). The "mixing temperature" on the left text means mixing different colors using LEDs, like red and blue, not mixing daylight and tungsten. =)

D'après mon expérience, je ne recommanderais pas de trop se fier à la balance des blanc automatique. On peut l'utiliser pour avoir un aperçu de ce que le boîtier lui nous propose. Il est mieux de soit filmer en lumière du jour ou de nuit en fonction de l'heure par exemple, ou soit de régler manuellement la balance des blancs pour être sûr de nos réglages, parce que si réglé sur automatique, le boîtier pourrait même utiliser des températures différentes pour la même scène.

The standard light setup nowadays often involves positioning a large soft light source above the subject. Once this light is in place, you can add a reflector or a black flag on the opposite side of the person's face and a subtle backlight. When shooting outdoors, the first step is to determine the sun's position and ensure that it creates soft lighting on the subject. If you're using additional lighting, try to replicate the natural light and shadows that the sun would produce in the surroundings. Failing to do so may result in an artificial-looking image. Keep in mind that having multiple lights in your scene will produce more shadows, making them harder to manage.

Histograms are invaluable in adjusting light levels. Become proficient in interpreting them. While Photoshop and Lightroom are useful for editing and understanding adjustments, having a histogram visible while taking photos can significantly enhance your editing process.

Lighting ratios can be important in mastering light. The best tool for determining (and understanding) ratios is a dedicated meter, and even a cheap one is a great tool. While histograms are invaluable for setting exposure, they are poor tools for determining ratios. The graph isn't geographically specific enough (you cannot, for example, find the light ratio of a face in a wide angle shot that shows the full body). False color, which isn't available on most cameras but is common on even cheap monitors can more quickly give you ratio information.

When shooting content for platforms like YouTube, your best tool is your eyes. There are no strict rules in this field! You can go for a simple look if you want a broadcast feeling, or you can aim for a more artistic style, like mimicking Rembrandt's chiaroscuro technique. However, if you're working on more advanced projects like filmmaking, having a light meter is essential. In any case, remember that light bounces everywhere around your subject. You can use a white or light-colored wall to reflect light onto your subject instead of adding another light source to your scene. The more you shoot, the more you'll become aware of how to use the environment to make your shots look great.

You can learn so much from paintings about lightning in video production. Learning lighting techniques in paintings is essential for advanced cinematographers . For example, the use of Rembrandt lighting, named after the painter Rembrandt, creates a triangle of light on the subject's cheek opposite the light source. This technique adds dimension and a natural look to portraits. Another example is the use of Vermeer lighting, inspired by the painter Johannes Vermeer, which involves soft, diffused light coming from a window or a similar source, creating a realistic and gentle illumination that enhances the subject's features. Both techniques can significantly improve the visual quality and emotional impact of video production.🎨🎥

Lighting is an art form, and achieving greatness in this field requires a combination of education and practice. From my personal experience, I believe that reading books such as "The Five C's of Cinematography" by Joseph V. Mascelli and "Cinematography: Theory and Practice" by Blaine Brown can provide a good foundation of knowledge. After familiarizing yourself with the theory, the next step is to gain practical experience by shooting while being mindful of the reasons behind your choices in lighting and location. Additionally, attending masterclasses and enrolling in services like The Filmmakers Academy or MZed can provide hands-on learning experiences to help you improve your skills and achieve stunning results.