LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION. There’s a reason lights come first in this familiar Hollywood phrase. Because it can make or break your finished product.
And the best video lighting depends on whether you’re filming indoors or outdoors.
Finding the best lighting for your videos can be a challenging task. Maybe your shot isn’t bright enough. Or it’s too bright.
Sometimes the color temperature isn’t right, or the shadows are so harsh that you can barely decipher what is what.
You want your prospects and customers to really absorb what you have to say. Especially if you’re sending them a personal video message.
Knowing how to get good lighting for videos will keep your content looking sharp and professional. And you don’t need all the fancy lighting equipment you’ll see in a professional shoot.
Check out the following video or keep reading below for indoor video lighting tips.
Indoor Video Lighting Tips
1. Use Windows During the Day
Windows are your best friend when finding the best lighting for videos indoors during the daytime. And they should ideally be in the shadows to give you a soft, diffused light.
Make sure the window is generally in front of you when filming. This will give you the balanced lighting you’re looking for.
If you’re filming a video near a window flooded by sunlight, the harsh lighting will create dark shadows on your face.
You’ll also likely find yourself squinting on camera. That can be distracting to your viewers or video email recipients.
2. Turn On A Lamp at Night
The best lighting while filming indoors at night will come from a lamp. It should be bright but also diffused.
Your lamp doesn’t need to be a professional one. It can even be a simple, inexpensive desktop one.
But ensuring it gives off a diffused light is key. This will give you the soft video lighting you need with minimal shadows.
It’s also important to place the lamp even or just above your head. If it’s too far in direction, shadows will start to show on your face.
Bonus Tip: If you’re filming personal videos with your phone, a ring light is a great piece of video lighting equipment. It’ll give you the perfect lighting that really accents your face in a balanced way.
3. How to Set Up Lighting for Video at Your Desk
The best lighting setup for video at your desk will depend on a variety of factors:
- If you have a window near your desk…that should give you the good lighting you need for your personal video. Just make sure there’s no harsh lighting coming through.
- If you don’t have a good source of natural light at your desk…a lamp will give you great LED lighting for video.
- If you’re recording your videos with a webcam…we recommend Logitech. The awesome thing about Logitech’s webcams is that they don’t need a lot of light to capture a clear image. See the gear review video below to find out more…
4. Avoid Mixed Video Lighting
It’s a good idea to try to avoid an overwhelming amount of mixed video lighting. This is when you have competing color temperatures in your shot.
So, if you have a lamp producing a warm tungsten light, while also receiving cooler light from a window – you’re going to get an odd light combination on your face.
The mixed lighting can be rough on your camera sensor, as it’s trying to auto white balance with the contrasting lighting. Depending on how the sensor white balances, you can end up very warm and yellow shots or very pale and blue ones.
If your camera is struggling with the different color temperatures, turn off the lamp and stick with natural lighting.
5. Don’t Go Overboard with Backlight
Backlight is a very artistic and cinematic filming technique. But it’s not needed for simple video.
If you’re using a webcam to record your videos, it will probably have auto exposure. So, if there’s too much backlight, your camera will set the exposure to the light behind you. And your face is going to be left in the shadows.
Outdoor Video Lighting Tips
For many, recording videos indoors is a go-to option. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But it’s nice to change it up every once in a while by shooting video outside.
It’ll get you out of the office – away from the fluorescent lights and computer screens – to make unique, eye-catching videos for your viewers. This applies to both traditional video and screen recordings you might need for tutorials or presentations.
You may be worried about the unpredictability of filming outdoors, but the final result outweighs the risk. So get out of your comfort zone and do it.
Watch the video below and keep reading below for some video lighting tips to keep in mind…
1. Timing Is More Important Than Good Lighting
Yes, video lighting is important. But sometimes waiting around for perfect lighting is not an option. Especially since outdoor lighting can be so unpredictable.
It’s more important to get your video message out in a timely fashion, so you don’t miss out on key business opportunities.
Connecting with people at the right time with poor lighting is better than connecting too late with good lighting.
2. Don’t Wear Sunglasses If It’s Not Necessary
Eye contact is necessary for establishing trust. So, when shooting video outside, avoid wearing sunglasses if there is soft natural light created by clouds or snow.
Let people see your eyes when you send them a video. It makes your videos feel like a more personal conversation.
3. Wear Sunglasses In Harsh Lighting
If the sun is too harsh when you’re filming outside, sunglasses are OK. Viewers won’t be able to see you’re eyes anyway if you’re squinting too much.
The squinting can distract from what you’re saying, as well as your engaging outdoor background. And that just defeats the purpose of making outdoor videos altogether.
4. Shoot Your Video Before the Sun Is Too High
The best time to film outside is shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sun is not too high. This is commonly referred to as the “magic hour.” You get more flattering light when the sun is lower on the horizon.
Good windows include 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. However, this varies by time of year, time zone, and location in time zone.
If the sun is too high, the harsh lighting creates long shadows down your face. You don’t want these distractions in your videos.
5. Find Shade When Video Shooting in Bright Sunlight
Sometimes the lighting is still too bright during magic hour, especially if you’re recording outdoor videos in communities located in higher elevations.
If this happens, or you’re shooting video outside when the sun is high, find some shade. This can be a tree, building, etc.
It’s always better to record a video in the shade, instead of direct sunlight. But as a rule of thumb, try filming when there’s more cloud cover or haze for nice, diffused sunlight.
6. Avoid Filming Outside in Weird Shadows
Do not shoot videos in areas that can cause weird shadow patterns on your face.
Avoid places like wooded areas with trees that have lots of branches, or any shade that causes distracting shadows in your videos.
7. Record Outdoor Videos on Cloudy Days
Recording on cloudy days is much better than shooting video in bright sunlight. Clouds just make for better lighting because you’re able to film with natural light that’s not overwhelming.
There aren’t any harsh shadows, and the lighting is perfectly balanced. It doesn’t matter where you’re facing because you’ll always have a beautiful, even light.
8. Use Nature to Draw People In
People are drawn to nature. It has so much to offer. Incorporate beautiful outdoor scenery into your videos.
Film outside on a hiking trail, at the beach, or with a gorgeous scenic view of the mountains behind you. Feature places in your personal videos that will make it hard for recipients to resist pressing play.
This can also be a great backdrop for screen recordings when demonstrating outdoor activities or related topics.
9. Find Some Go-To Outdoor Filming Locations
After shooting videos outside a few times, you’ll find that there are locations you enjoy filming at.
Make these your go-to spots. That way you’re not scrambling for places to shoot your videos outside later.
10. Embrace the Spontaneity of the Outdoors
One of the greatest things about filming outdoors is that there’s so much room for spontaneity. You can capture awesome moments from the world around you.
You’ll see people hiking in the trails behind you, kids playing in the local park, birds flying, and more.
This all makes your video feel more authentic. And that’s what people like to see – real life, not perfection.
11. If You’re Recording Outside at Night, Find a Street Lamp
Shooting your personal videos outdoors at night can be tricky. But when your business depends on responsiveness, sometimes you’ll have to do it.
One of the best lighting tips for video in this situation is to use a street lamp. When you do this, don’t go too far underneath the lamp.
Get Filming!
You now have all the basic tips you need for shooting videos indoors and outdoors. Go put everything you’ve learned into practice.
And if you want to start using video messaging in your business, give BombBomb a try here.
