Understanding how to light scenes at night is one of the most valuable lessons to learn as a photographer. Open up a world of creative possibilities with these great examples.
The team over at Aputure are back once more with another insightful video on the subject of lighting night exteriors. This week, Ted Sim is joined by Feature Film Cinematographer Julia Swain, who explains the many ways we can use light to our advantage while shooting after hours. What I like about this video is how the different kinds of light used are built up on screen in stages so we can see exactly what each particular one is doing. This is a great way to learn the role of each light and an effective way to approach your lighting on your own shoots.
The video champions not only using the obvious moonlight when replicating light but also how we can best make use of practicals in the shot too. For those who don't know what is meant by the term "practicals," they are talking about light sources that are already present within the scene, such as lamps, TVs, fireplaces, etc. By using a combination of all these light sources, you'll be able to create an environment that will not only look great in your videos and your photography, but it will look like you haven't even lit it at all. Good lighting should enhance a scene rather than being so overpowering that it becomes a distraction. The setups in the video are great examples of how to do just that.
Lead image by Masashi Wakui via Pixabay, used under Creative Commons.
