So, how do you create nice shots?
It doesn’t matter how expensive a camera you have or how great your equipment is; your lighting is going to make or break the look of your shot.
You don’t have to go out and spend a heap of money on a really professional lighting setup to have nice videos. In fact, you don’t need to spend any money to have nice videos, especially when you’re just starting out.
All you need is a bit of knowledge around how to use the lighting sources that are already available to you. The easiest way to achieve nice lighting when you’re filming inside is to find the largest window and use the natural light coming into your house.
1. Bigger is better!
The bigger and softer the light source the more flattering it is on your skin. I film a lot of my videos sitting next to the big glass doors leading to the balcony that flood our house with light.
Keep in mind, you don’t want the light of the sun to be hitting you directly because it’s much harsher and it’s going to create heavy shadows across your face. Not very flattering…
If you’re creating Facebook lives or IGTV videos where you don’t want to spend a lot of time setting up, head over to a window, get that natural light coming in on your face and you have a really quick way to achieve a more professional look to all your video content.
2. Create Depth
Remember when we learnt about shading in art class at school?
We had to draw a sphere, choose where the light source was coming from and give it highlights and shadows in appropriate places. It was much more interesting to look at as a 3-dimensional object than as a circle.
It’s the same concept when lighting your face for video!
If you face 30 to 45 degrees away from that light source you’re going to create depth with highlights and shadows on your face, and add more interest and dimension to your image.
3. Create the Illusion of Space
When you’re filming indoors you want to try to use the biggest room available to you. The further away you are from the background, the more you will stand out in the foreground.
Your background will be blurry and soft and it’ll lift your video to a higher standard because it gives the illusion of space and openness. Sometimes when you film in a small office or against a flat wall it can look cramped and uninviting.
4. Beware of Overhead Lights!
If you are recording videos in your house under your ceiling lights make sure you’re aware of where the light source is coming from. Be conscious of where the light is hitting your face and if you have any crazy shadows going on.
Lights from above can cause shadows under the eye (and none of us want that!) so if possible, film during the day and have your light source in front of you, not above.
5. Never Forsake the Foreground
If there is one thing I want you to take away from this post, it is never to sacrifice the foreground for the sake of the background.
If you don’t have enough lighting on you, it’s going to put the viewer off and make it hard for them to watch your video.
You want them to be engaged with you the entire time, so focus on filming in a spot that’s going to give you nice lighting on your face and worry about the background as your second priority.
6. But be Aware of What Is In It!
Check to make sure you don’t have anything distracting or the potential for anything embarrassing in your background. We’ve all seen those videos where the dog comes in and… I think you know where I’m going with this.
Be mindful of what is in your space but don’t spend all your energy designing the perfect background at the detriment of having a nice foreground.
Let’s recap;
- the bigger and softer your light source is the more flattering it is going to be
- it’s up to personal preference, but I’m a fan of the 30 to 45 degree away approach to get some depth across your face and add more interest to the shot
- try to use the biggest room available to you to create the illusion of space
- beware of overhead lights and nasty shadows!
- be mindful of what is in your background but never sacrifice a good foreground for the sake of the background
I hope these tips help you create more flattering videos. If you’d like more tips on filming Facebook Lives or IGTVs check out this post on 3 Ways to Improve Your Face to Camera Videos.
If you have any questions please leave it in the comments so I can answer it for you. Let me know what your biggest problem is when it comes to video.
Until next time, happy creating!