Everyone loves YouTube! This is the reason YouTube manage to hold their position as the most popular video sharing platform. Everyone loves it because they make video streaming easier. Not to mention, they create a faster way to fame.
But even YouTube makes the video-sharing easier; many still find the video creation difficult. The most common problem every YouTuber experience is lighting.
Proper lighting may seem to be a basic problem. But the truth is it’s more complex than you think. The camera lens is not the same as the human eye because it needs more light to produce sharp and great video quality. So even it looks great on you, you still have to do a testing period.
To ensure you will get the best lighting when filming YouTube videos, here are 3 tips that you can consider.
3 Tips to get the best lighting when filming YouTube videos
Natural Light
Most YouTubers rely on natural light. No one can blame them because natural light produces the crispiest and sharpest video quality. Not to mention that it’s free.
The best way to use the natural light is by finding the area where you can get the most light of the day. If you are shooting in the open area, it’s ideal to find a place with shade. A tree is the best option because it’s not totally closed. There will be rays of light coming through the leaves and branches which will give an amazing effect on your videos.
But if you are shooting in a closed area, you must film beside a door or a window.
Lighting Equipment
Natural light is indeed a great source of light. But due to its limited time of sunrise, YouTubers doesn’t have the freedom to shoot whenever they want. This is when the artificial lighting equipment becomes handy.
In terms of options, there are tons of lighting equipment that you can choose from. If you are a beginner in filming YouTube videos, it’s recommended to start with the simplest lighting equipment – clamp lights.
- A clamp light is designed with a dome that is built with thin metal. It also has a clamp that makes it easier to attach to anything, and a light socket in the middle of the dome.
- For intermediate skill level, you can a mid-range type of lighting equipment. A good option for this is Softbox lighting. This becomes a good option because it can imitate the natural light that is coming through the window. It’s designed in various shapes and sizes with a stand and fluorescent light in the center.
Note: Whenever you purchase a fluorescent light for Softbox lighting makes sure that you buy the right wattage and the same color temperature.
- Lastly, for the advanced level, you can choose the high-end options like good ring lights for Youtube video (Cameraseals has a good review on this). A ring light is halo-shaped lighting equipment with a stand and plug. This becomes a popular option because it’s effective in eliminating shadows and creates a flattering effect on your subject’s face at the same time.
Ring lights commonly used in filming makeup tutorials and interview.
Point Lighting Technique
To maximize the effectiveness of the lighting equipment, you must accompany it with a proper technique. One good technique is the 3-point lighting.
The purpose of 3-point lighting technique is dividing equally the light to your subject. To do this, you need to place your subject at the center then surround him/her/it with the following:
- The key light is the brightest and biggest lighting equipment on this technique. This will help to remove any distractions from your surroundings, including your shadow.
- Fill light is positioned at the opposite side of the key light. Its purpose is to fill in any remaining shade of your subject’s shadow.
- The backlight is placed on the opposite side of the key light. Its purpose is to separate your subject to your background by creating a nice layer on your subject’s hair and body.
Conclusion
Success is what everybody aims whenever they posted new videos on their YouTube channel. One good way to achieve this goal is to get the best lighting when filming YouTube videos. But do remember that video quality is only one factor. Your priority must still focus sharply on the quality of your content.
