A smart little Studio was created from an unused room in the new company building. From smart Dracast RGBWW lighting to an automatich background system this room now offers everything a photographers heart desires. More about this in the following lines.
The media agency "TheMediaGuys" has moved into its new office building and a free room was available. It quickly became clear that this should finally fulfill the dream of having an own in-house studio. However, it was also clear that this studio had to do a large numbers of tasks, from simple product images to portrait shootings to livestreams on the greenscreen, this studio must be ready for anything at any time!
With dimensions of 4.5m x 5.2m this room was not necessarily the largest and for many probably not the first choice for a Studio and they were aware of the challenge, but after a short time they had a concept and the project started.
As mentioned, there were many tasks to be accomplished in this studio, which is why the decision was made to use an automatic background system with which it was possible to choose from 4 different background colors within a short period of time. (White, Green, Black and Grey.)
(Foto Schienensystem)
It quickly became clear that an optimal illumination is particularly important when using the greenscreen for Livestreams.
Due to the size of the room and the widht of the background system of 2.7m it was clear that smaller Lighting Panels than usual in Studios had to be used. Nevertheless, the ability to control them centrally was wanted. We decided to show the guy´s our Dracast LED1000 X-Series RGBWW Panels. These Panels have a very wide beam angle in order to be able to optimally illuminate a larger area, have a full RGBWW spectrum (ideal for their demands on the portrait studio) and can all be controlled centrally with our Dracast DRX App without laying annoying cables through the studio.
The decision to go with this series was quickly made and after measuring the studio with a light meter it was clear that 6 Panels would do a great job here.
The Panels were attached to a small truss system and could thus be attached relatively close to the ceiling of the room.
This way they still have enough headroom even with normal room height.
The lighting was installed in 2 rows. The front row is used for optimal illumination of the Background and depending on the application, the rear row serves to illuminate the lower half and the floor area, or as an accent light for shootings. Thanks to the setting as different areas, both, individual panels as well as areas can of course be controlled separately.
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Portrait photography is one of the most popular genres of photography and is associated with a high level of fascination. Good portrait photos are atmospheric and convey the essence of the person being photographed. Effective recordings can be made outdoor, for example, but the studio also offers many opportunities for professional portrait photos.
In order to take beautiful portraits, there is a large selection of aids for photographers in stores - especially for setting up portrait lighting. But although lighting is very important for portrait photography, beginners do not necessarily need an extensive arsenal of equipment. It is of great importance to know the basics of portrait lighting and to choose your equipment for portrait photography appropriately. Read here how to work properly with light when taking portraits and what you should pay attention to in this regard.
• There are different types of lighting for portrait photography, such as daylight, clip-on flash, studio flash and continuous light.
• Not only the types of light influence the image effect, but also the set-up for the portrait lighting - that is, the position of the individual light sources.
• Depending on which lighting technology you choose, very different effects can be achieved in the portrait and you can emphasize or conceal certain areas.
First of all, it is interesting to know which types of light exist for portrait lighting. A basic distinction is made between daylight, clip-on flash, studio flash and continuous light for portrait photography.
For portraits outdoors, daylight is often sufficient as a light source. Natural sunlight - possibly in addition to a reflector - makes portraits look atmospheric. Here you can experiment a lot and, for example, take portraits against the sun. A reflector ensures that the face is evenly illuminated against the somewhat burnt-out background. This creates an attractive impression.
In the photo studio, too, natural daylight can at least be used in addition to artificial light. The natural light makes the portrait look soft and atmospheric. Of course, you need a window to use the daylight. The problem is that natural light is not as controllable as artificial light. Beginners in particular often have difficulties working with the daylight. The rule here is: Practice makes perfect. Don't give up just because you can't implement your ideas right from the start. Try different set-ups and improve your result until you are satisfied.
The camera's internal flash is unsuitable for portrait photography, but a clip-on flash can achieve acceptable results. It is more powerful and properly illuminates the scene in front of the camera. In addition, it offers you more flexibility than the internal flash, as it can usually be swiveled. For example, you can flash against the ceiling to provide softer lighting. The clip-on flash is ideal for small photo studios. It can be easily mounted on the camera and is immediately ready for use. Often you can also use the clip-on flash individually. Only in larger photo studios is this flash often not powerful enough.
In the case of a studio flash, the flash tube protrudes from the device. The light is therefore distributed in all directions. This is ideal for large photo studios. The flash can be connected to a power source and combined with different light shapers. For example, you can use softboxes, reflectors or spot attachments for your portrait lighting to specifically generate soft or hard light. Studio flashes are particularly suitable for ambitious amateur photographers or professionals, because they are designed for continuous use.
A flash only illuminates the scene at the moment of taking the picture. With a permanent light for portrait photography it is different: this light source remains switched on all the time. This is a big advantage, because you can see the effect the light has on the portrait before you take the picture. Continous Lighting can be handled flexibly and in a user-friendly manner. However, it can lead to a large amount of heat being generated in continuous operation.
Different light settings are suitable for the portrait lighting setup, with which you can get the best out of your recordings. In the next sections you will find out which light set-ups are possible for your portrait illumination.
Flat light is the easiest option for good portrait light. The light comes directly from the front of the camera. With this lighting technology, there are hardly any shadows on the face. The complexion appears flat, the facial contours are flattened and the facial features hardly have any ups and downs. This is why the set-up is ideal if you want to correct an uneven complexion on your model. Even if you use hard light, you can take powerful photos with the flat light technique.
As the name suggests, this setting of light results in a face that looks like it's split in half. The light falls strongly from the side on the person, so that one half of the face is brightly illuminated and the other half is completely in the dark. Additional shadows can be avoided by not placing the light source too high. A light shaper that is at face level is also recommended. This light set-up makes the portrait appear dynamic and exciting. Make sure, however, that pores, skin imperfections and wrinkles become more noticeable with this lighting technique.
With this set-up, you illuminate the side of your face that faces the camera - i.e. the wider half of your face. The narrower side, on the other hand, disappears in the shadow. Broad Light is a softer alternative to Split Light. This set-up is particularly popular in video productions, as it mimics natural window light and movements are not a problem. With this light setting you have to make sure that the eye facing away from the camera does not get too dark and lose its highlight. A small reflector or brightener can help.
Another possibility for a good portrait light in the studio is the short light. It's the opposite of Broad Light. You illuminate your model in such a way that the half of the face facing the camera is darkened, while the narrow side is illuminated and thus highlighted. Often you need a brightener or another light source here to avoid a shadow that is too harsh. This lighting setup in the studio is perfect for taking an exciting and impressive portrait.
With the Loop Light, the light source is mounted centrally in front of or slightly above the model. This is then moved a little to the left or right. In this way, the nose shadow shifts to the opposite side - and looks like a loop. This rather complex lighting technology has a number of advantages: The shifting of the light to the side gives the photo tension and dynamism. One side of the nose automatically becomes dark, which gives the portrait depth and is also pleasantly skin-flattering.
The artist Rembrandt preferred dramatic light set-ups for his drawn portraits. In order to generate the Rembrandt light, you have to position the light source similar to the Loop Light - but further to the side. The loop shadow of the nose should coincide with the shadow of the cheek. On the half of the face that is turned away from the light, a small, illuminated triangle is created below the eye. This is the typical feature of Rembrandt light.
Of course, beginners don't want to invest so much money to start portrait photography. However, every portrait photographer should have the following equipment for portrait photography:
When choosing a lens, first pay attention to the focal length: For a blurred background you need a small distance to the model and a long focal length. Longer focal lengths are therefore well suited for classic portraits. A light wide-angle lens, on the other hand, is ideal if you are aiming for scenic portrait photos that also capture the surroundings. In addition, it depends on the light intensity: the further the aperture can be opened - i.e. the smaller the maximum possible aperture value - the more blurred and softer the background becomes.
An open aperture requires that you hold the camera very still. Otherwise your photo will not be in focus. It is therefore generally advisable to work with a tripod in portrait photography. It doesn't have to be an expensive tripod. A table tripod is also a good alternative for amateur photographers.
Regardless of which light set-up and which type of light source you ultimately decide: a collapsible reflector is always recommended. This removes unsightly shadows and makes the light appear softer. Instead of a professional collapsible reflector, you can also use a sheet of white paper. Experiment with the reflector and hold it at different angles in the light to find out how it affects the portrait light.
In addition to portrait lighting, there are a few other tips that you should consider when taking portraits in order to get really lively and atmospheric photos:
• Interactions: Make sure that your model is always busy. Give directions or make it work with accessories.
• Assistant: Ask a friend or family member to help you with your portrait shoot. Your assistant can take care of the arrangement of the objects, keep an eye on the model's hair and take on small auxiliary work.
• Stay relaxed: If you want your model to relax, you should also appear calm and calm yourself. Show that you enjoy the shoot and enjoy your work. Then your model will also relax - and that is the best basic requirement for great and impressive pictures.
• Change perspective: In portrait photography, perspective is crucial. Often it is enough to change them only minimally in order to create a completely different portrait expression. Try out how it looks when the lens is a little above the model's eye level. A picture from below can also make the portrait look very interesting. There is no right or wrong here - experiment and see the differences.
The portrait lighting setup is important for successful portraits. By working with different lighting sources and set-ups, the portrait light can be influenced - and thus ultimately the entire image effect. Which type of portrait lighting is right for you depends on what goal you are pursuing with the shot. It is best to experiment with different settings to emphasize or hide parts of the face. The equipment for portrait photography does not have to be expensive. Often it is enough to get on board with little equipment such as a clip-on flash, a reflector and a photography LED Panel. If you also use the daylight, you have good prerequisites for impressive portraits.
]]>Light plays a crucial role in photography and video photography. The light changes constantly and varies depending on the time of day and season, geographical location, air pollution and weather. There are mainly differences with regard to the color temperature and the direction of light. In order to achieve successful recordings when taking photos or films, you should make sure that you use the lighting mood in a targeted manner. When recording outdoors, this means precisely planning the sunrise, the weather, the course of the sun and the location of the location. In studio recordings, on the other hand, it is important to work with the right light sources in order to ensure the best possible lighting mood in the picture.
When illuminating a subject, a distinction is made in photography and videography between hard light and soft light. It is important for you to know the differences so that you can consciously work with the hard or soft light. Because: Depending on how hard the light is, very different effects are created in the shot. These can either underline your idea for a shot or - if the lighting is not correctly observed - counteract your actual goal. For this reason, you will find out everything about hard light and soft light, the effect of the two types of light and how you can create the respective light in a targeted manner.
Hard light is usually not that popular in video and photo shoots because it casts harsh shadows. The shadow edges are sharply delimited with clear edges. Especially in the midday sun there are hard shadows when taking photos of buildings and people, which can interfere with the image effect. Sometimes, however, hard light is also created deliberately when a certain light setting is to be achieved.
The smaller the light source that illuminates a subject, the more contrasting is the picture - this is called hard light. If there is only a point light source, extremely hard light is produced. There are noticeable shadows and contrasts, so that practically no details can be recognized. Shiny motifs show strong highlights without drawing, where the light source is reflected directly. With certain motifs, hard light can underline the desired message. It ensures that the colors get a high level of saturation and look very brilliant. However, portraits with hard light are seldom successful: Dark eye sockets and long nasal shadows are created.
Hard light can be generated by small to point shaped light sources. Not only does the absolute area of the light source play an important role, but also the distance between the illuminated subject and the light source. This is why the sun, with its enormous diameter of 1,400,000 kilometers, can also be viewed as a point-like source of illumination, because the distance to the earth is so great. When exposed to direct sunlight, the sun also generates hard light.
In addition, hard light can be generated in a targeted manner using artificial lighting. You don't have to put in a lot of effort for this, because hard light usually arises by itself. Usually there is only one light source that shines point by point on the object from one or more directions. In particular, light sources with small reflectors - such as integrated or external flash units - provide hard light. The result is a plastic effect that is usually not desired. The effect is softened by the front light, because the extreme shadow cast disappears. If the subject is illuminated from the side, a strong shadow is also created in hard light. The illuminated object can appear more three-dimensional. In this way, when taking portraits, the person being recorded has a more striking effect. Light shapers such as a spot or tube can also be used to generate hard light in a targeted manner.
In contrast to hard light, soft light casts almost no or only very soft shadows. This applies, for example, to sunlight on cloudy or rainy days. The light does not reach the motif selectively from one direction, but rather diffusely. The resulting shadows have blurred and soft edges.
Soft light is created automatically outdoors when the sky is cloudy. The sun as a light source then has an enormous radiating surface and the light is distributed very evenly. Contrasts are only sparse and there are no sharp shadows. This can be rather inconvenient for landscape shots and give the impression of monotony. For portraits, on the other hand, soft light is very popular because it makes striking faces appear more even and unevenness of the skin into the background.
If you want to work outdoors with soft light, it is best to choose a very cloudy day. Soft light can also arise in fog and sunshine, provided that the position of the sun is appropriate. This creates soft images - similar to the use of a diffusion wall.
In the studio, you create soft light by deflecting the light source. Flash light, for example, must not flash directly on the subject, but on a screen or a neutral wall. The reflection enlarges the surface of the light and makes it appear softer overall. An alternative are soft boxes or octaboxes, which also lead to a larger radiating surface and thus to softer light. You can also work with translucent umbrellas in the home studio. The large, white and translucent umbrellas are placed between the motif and the flash, which gives them an effect similar to a softbox.
Soft light in the studio can be better controlled by modeling it from the outset not with a point light source, but with surface lights. You can also create targeted soft light with our Luna T Softlight. When generating soft light with surface lights, it is important that you pay attention to the distance to the subject. The closer the luminaire is to the object, the softer the light appears. You are welcome to vary this here to try out different lighting effects.
Hard light and soft light differ mainly in the following aspects:
If you work with hard light, strong contrasts arise. Soft light, on the other hand, makes your picture appear low in contrast. The shadow cast is very distinctive and pronounced in hard light. The edges of the shadow are sharply defined and angular. It's different in soft light: The shadow edges are soft and flowing, hard cast shadows are completely avoided.
The question of whether hard light or soft light is more suitable cannot be answered across the board. It always depends on what you are recording and what image effect you want to achieve. Still lifes, for example, come into their own with soft light. Sometimes landscapes can also be photographed well with soft light, for example to emphasize the delicacy and softness of a sunset by the sea. Soft light is also typically used for portrait photography. Soft light is particularly recommended for a beauty shoot that focuses on the face. This is the best way to reproduce the skin tone and make the model look very natural. Even small bumps in the skin and distinctive facial features can be weakened somewhat with soft light.
However, you don't always have to use soft light for portrait photography. For example, if you want to specifically emphasize a person's hardness or fighting spirit, you can also work with harder light. When photographing or filming landscapes, you are also better off with hard light. The same applies to architectural recordings: the hard light emphasizes the geometric shapes and makes the object stand out better from its surroundings. The structure and the shape of the motif can be shown very well with hard light.
Light has many different properties and can - depending on the weather, time of day, season and air pollution - achieve a different lighting effect. In photography and filmmaking, a distinction is therefore made between hard light and soft light. For professional recordings that emphasize the desired target with their image effect, it is important to be able to differentiate between soft and hard light and to know how the light hardness can be influenced. Only then do you have the option of using hard or soft light as a stylistic device in your recordings.
There is no general answer to the question of whether you should work with soft or hard light. The optimal illumination always depends on the subject and the desired image effect. Before starting your project, think carefully about what you want to achieve with your recording and what light hardness you need to achieve your goal. Then you can consciously create hard or soft light and thus either provide hard shadows and high contrasts or smooth transitions and a natural softness in the picture.
]]>A green screen studio gives you as a video producer the opportunity to incorporate impressive effects into your films. While the technology used to be reserved for professionals only, it is now also enjoying great popularity among semi-professional filmmakers: Many videographers who record videos for YouTube or Facebook have already recognized the advantages of a green screen. No wonder: with the right equipment and a few tricks you can conjure up a studio out of a small room that opens up many possibilities. Before you can start, you have to set up your green screen studio as optimally as possible. There is a lot to consider in this regard, especially when it comes to lighting.
If the green screen is poorly lit, this is usually not indicated during the recording, but only when you want to edit your material later. An unfavorable chroma key shoot means that you have to put in a lot of subsequent work. Because: The object that you want to cut out does not stand out well from the background or can hardly be separated from the green tone of the background. As a result, undesirable effects such as spill almost always occur. You can save yourself this time-consuming extra work by observing a few things when setting up your green screen studio. With the right preparation, you create the best conditions for simple and effective green screen lighting.
The first step is the right surface. Suitable backgrounds for the studio are blue (blue screen) or green (green screen). These colors are ideal for the chroma key shoot because they don't appear in natural skin tones. Regardless of which background color you choose, similar principles are necessary for lighting. As a rule, however, green screens are used. A blue screen is only more suitable if the person standing in front of the camera has to or wants to dress in green. Apart from that, modern camera technology has focused on green pixels. They can collect more image information than blue pixels. In addition, blue eyes look unnatural in front of the blue screen, which leads to additional work in post-processing. The following applies: With a green background you are correct in most cases.
In addition to the hue, it is important that the surface of your background is as even and smooth as possible. Painted walls are well suited, but fabric or paper are also suitable if they meet the requirements mentioned. You should keep your hands off wrinkled cloths or highly reflective surfaces, because then the background will not appear smooth and even. Pop-outs are suitable for mobile use. They can be folded up and automatically fold out with just a few folds when opened. The gray fabrics are provided with green reflectors. So you need a green light to get the green color.
Once you have found a suitable background, the chances of good green screen lighting are good. This is important because otherwise your film will appear inferior and unconvincing. In fact, the best camera is of no use if you save on the right lighting. It is therefore worth investing some time for research and money for good equipment such as suitable continous lightig for green screens. When illuminating the green screen, it is important to avoid shadows on the background. In addition, the person himself must be well lit.
Diffusers are essential to ensure that the entire wall surface is well illuminated. These may swallow a little light from your green screen lamps or green screen LEDs, but at the same time ensure that the light is scattered. The background is thus illuminated more evenly. A waveform monitor or spot metering can be used to determine any unevenness in the color. They are usually included in professional recorders and field monitors. Apps for Android or Apple are cheaper and ideal for amateurs. This allows you to see relatively well with your smartphone or tablet whether you have achieved good green screen lighting. Even with simple and free tools like iMovie, you can turn a decent green screen into a transparent alpha channel these days.
There are various specific lighting concepts for good green screen lighting, which we will explain to you later. We still have one important piece of information in advance: mixed light is to be avoided in any case. It occurs when multiple light sources with different color temperatures are used. The color temperatures are given in Kelvin. In colloquial language, one differentiates between colder and warmer light. Light sources with a color temperature of around 5500 Kelvin are best suited, because this corresponds to natural daylight.
But how can mixed light be avoided? There are several ways to do this: On the one hand, you should only use lamps with the same color temperature. If daylight is to be used, then opt for a color temperature of 5500 Kelvin for the artificial light. This works best with green screen LEDs, where you can set the color temperature. In addition, you should always switch off the normal room lighting, as it leads to a mixture of several color temperatures.
An important basis for good green screen lighting is to know that green is not just green. There are different nuances and levels of brightness. It is all the more important to hit the right green with your lighting. The main thing is to create the shade of green that your camera demands. This is exactly what distinguishes green screen lighting from the lighting of an ordinary scene. If the light is off, the green in the camera looks black. On the other hand, if too much light is used, the camera will perceive it as almost white.
To get the best green for your video recording, test strips or color bar images are useful. They help determine the ideal shade of green. It is best if your camera can display the color bar. In addition, a waveform monitor and spot measurements help, which are not missing in professional cameras anyway. If you have a model without these extras, you need an additional device such as a field monitor. Possible test images are, for example, the SMPTE test image or the EBU 75 and 100 percent test image. In our region, the EBU color bar image with divided white bar is particularly widespread at 75 percent.
If you have a suitable test image, you can use it to analyze the green. You do this with the spot metering, because it provides you with a color code. You get the saturation in percent with the waveform monitor. If you have these values, you can align your entire lighting with them. In this way, you achieve exactly the green tone that your camera needs and you have much less to do with post-processing later.
Now we come to the question of how many lights you need for good green screen lighting and how you can best place them in your studio. There are different concepts for this. Which variant you choose depends primarily on your budget.
You can achieve the cheapest type of green screen lighting with two green screen lamps. This variant is particularly popular with beginners. You need two artificial light sources that illuminate the green screen at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Another light source is also used: natural daylight. It is used to illuminate the person standing in front of the green screen. So it really has to be close to a window for the concept to work and for satisfactory results to be achieved.
We generally recommend at least three light sources for very good illumination of your green screen. As with the first variant, the green screen is illuminated with two lamps at a 45 degree angle. In addition, a third lamp is used from the front. A ring light, for example, is suitable for this. If necessary, the concept can also be supplemented with natural daylight, provided that your green screen lamps have the right color temperature. For more information you can read our article about three point lighting.
If you want to achieve professional results, have enough space and a large budget, 5-point green screen lighting is ideal. Two lamps illuminate the green screen and three more lamps illuminate the person in front of it. One of these three lamps serves as a spotlight and is positioned behind and slightly above the person. This increases the contrast between the background and the person. This helps to easily expose fine structures such as hair later.
Experience has shown that three lamp systems have proven themselves for green screen lighting:
We will go into the individual options in more detail below.
Softboxes are inexpensive and perfect for even illumination. You can use it to illuminate both the green screen and the person in the foreground. The result is very soft, pleasant light. Three softboxes are enough for an attractive lighting of your green screen. However, the softboxes also have a disadvantage: They are very large and therefore need a lot of space. This is not ideal for small studios. In addition, the construction is difficult and takes longer compared to green screen LEDs.
Green screen LEDs are the right choice if you are looking for a compact solution. They are powerful and versatile. High-quality models can be used with a power cable or battery as desired. In addition, the video lights usually give you the option to change the color temperature. The brightness can also often be adjusted. However, video lights are more expensive compared to softboxes.
A ring light is not really suitable for the green screen, but rather to illuminate the person in front of it. You can achieve very nice results, for example, with two softboxes or two video lights and a ring light. It can be placed directly in front of the person to be recorded. The advantage: a ring light is sufficient to illuminate a person without shadows. However, the ring-shaped light is reflected in the pupil. Some filmmakers find this effect beneficial, others disruptive.
So you see: Well-positioned green screen lighting with the right light sources contributes significantly to achieving professional results with your green screen videos. Which lighting concept and which light source you choose always depends on your studio, your set-up, your project and your budget. For product videos, for example, you need a different lighting concept than for an interview.
In any case, it is important: The area of the green screen must be evenly illuminated. Reflections are disturbing and should be avoided. This is exactly why softboxes are ideal for beginners. It is also important to coordinate the color temperatures of the light sources so that no mixed light is created. If you take these tweaks into account, you will see that you have a lot less post-processing effort. This way you will achieve really high quality and impressive green screen videos.
If you need help with your Greenscreen Lighting, don´t hesitate to contact us via mail, Whatsapp or by phone.
In order to make sure that you are easily recognizable and that your face is not only illuminated selectively, the lighting should ideally be mounted about 30 cm above your eye level. If the light from there blinds you, you can also mount it a little higher. If you notice shadows under your nose and chin, however, the light is a little too high.
The light from outside provides an ideal natural light source for video conferences. However, the alignment to the window is very important, because you should never have the window behind you, otherwise you will be barely recognizable and even the best webcam cannot compensate for this. In the best case, the light comes from the side, because if it is behind the screen, it quickly causes headaches because of the different lighting conditions between the screen and the background, which strain your eyes..
Bhutajata, Color temperature black body 800-12200K, CC BY-SA 4.0
Soft light or indirect light is also a great help for ideal lighting in video conferences. Instead of direct light, soft light is scattered by e.g. a lampshade, but alternatively you can also point a lamp against a white wall and get a similar effect. In this way, indirect light can be generated from a direct light source. The advantage of indirect light is that it casts much softer shadows, making you more visible in your Zoom meeting.
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The perfect light is one of the most important means of creating images in photography and filmmaking. If you use the light correctly, you can specifically convey moods and change the atmosphere according to your ideas. You have a multitude of options for lighting design, so especially for beginners it’s not that easy, to provide optimal lighting. A good start is to deal with three-point lighting, because it forms the basis of good lighting. If you master them correctly, you only need a few light sources to achieve consistent results.
The 3-point principle follows a simple background for image lighting: A natural impression of space can only be created in films or videos if the light comes from three different directions. Backlighting, light sources and shadows give an impression of spatial depth, which is particularly close to the natural visual experience that the human eye knows. Basically, regardless of where the light falls on the subject, shadows cannot be avoided. This is why a second light source is needed to lighten up these shadows, which are perceived as annoying. The third source of lighting, which is set up again at a different location, further enhances the natural impression.
The 3 point lighting is the elementary order in film lighting. The strongest light source is the key light, which brings the subject to be filmed into focus. It determines the direction from which the actual light comes - the so-called angle of illumination. The fill light is intended to brighten the object lighting and reduce the sharp shadows that often result from the key light. The back light behind the motif, should highlight it even more clearly from the background, which increases the spatial depth. Specifically, this means that the key and fill light are usually on the side of the camera, while the highlight is directly opposite on the other side. The following applies: No rule without exception. In special cases you can experiment and rearrange the lights. This can then be used to create very special effects.
The main light of the three-point lighting is the key light, which is why it is most important for illuminating the subject. It determines the angle of illumination - i.e. the direction from which the light comes. How you choose the lighting angle depends on the camera position. That means: First the camera is positioned and then you start with the arrangement of the light sources. The key light should be positioned next to the camera at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Make sure to set it slightly from above so that - just like natural sunlight - it illuminates the subject from above.
The fill light is used for brightening and is therefore an important element of the three-point lighting. It is primarily intended to reduce the shadows that inevitably emerge from the key light. This is exactly why a soft light is needed that is weaker than the key light, but still bright enough to make the dark shadows appear brighter.
Make sure that the fill light is not more dominant than the key light. The relationship between key light and fill light can be decided individually. For a classic interview, a ratio of 2: 1 to 4: 1 is used. When converting films, ratios of 8: 1 and more are also possible. For a classic interview, this means: the brightening should be no more than half as bright as the key light. A ratio of 8: 1, on the other hand, makes the contrasts appear much more pronounced, which also increases the tension in the image. So you can see that depending on the purpose, situation and location there are clear differences in relation to the ratio.
It is also important to choose the correct position for the fill light. It is best to position it on the other side of the camera - i.e. where the shadows are - at an angle of 15 to 60 degrees to the camera-subject axis. Indirect brightening is also a popular option, as it allows the shadows to be brightened naturally. The spotlight is not aimed directly at the shadow, but past the motif onto a wall or reflector. This reflects the light, which makes it less noticeable and appears softer and more uniform overall. It is ideal if the brightening is not noticeable in the finished image and is not really recognizable as a light source.
The back light represents the third element of three-point lighting. It has the task of clearly highlighting the object from its background, so that the foreground and background can be separated more easily. This makes the subject appear more three-dimensional and increases the depth of the image. If we assume an interview situation, the highlight creates a glowing ring of light. In the interviewed position, it extends from the back of the head to the shoulder. The side of the body on which the highlight is located is illuminated more intensely than the other side of the body. With the Back light, hard light is desired, which is why you should work without foil or indirect lighting. Foils are only recommended if the highlight has to be positioned too close to the person so that it is possibly brighter than the key light.
You position the back light directly behind the subject. Usually this means that it has to be opposite the key light. Ideally, it should drop in at an angle from above. An angle of 15 to 45 degrees is ideal. In this way a perfect wreath of light can be created. Also with the back light it is important to pay attention to the correct relationship to the key light, whereby different opinions and understandings exist. As a rule, professionals work with a ratio of 2: 1 to 1: 1. In some lighting situations it is also necessary that the back light is brighter than the key light. It lies behind the subject anyway, which is why it cannot replace the key light. This depends on the particular recording situation and the atmosphere and mood you want.
Basically, when it comes to three-point lighting, practice makes perfect! Only when you gradually gain experience you will get a knack for which relationships between the individual light sources and which positions are ideal for your shooting situations. Nevertheless, the following tips will make it easier for you to get started and help you quickly achieve great results with 3-point lighting:
The three-point lighting can be implemented relatively easily if you have internalized the theoretical basics. With the right lighting equipment and a little experience, you will be able to build up tension with a few light sources, consciously influence the atmosphere and create captivating recordings. For this reason, it is worth investing in a 3-point lighting set and experimenting with it.
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