We talk all the time about how to properly add light to a scene, from where to place it, what power to set it at, how to modify it, and more. But just as important as the presence of light is the absence of it, and this great and quick video will give you an introduction to that concept.
Coming to you from Aputure, this great video introduces the concept of negative fill and why it's so important to both photo and video work. As the video details, reflected light is everywhere, and it can ruin what's otherwise a great lighting setup, so it's very important to think beyond just how you're controlling the lights you've brought to a scene and consider how the environment you're shooting is also affecting the final image. And while the video talks about using negative fill as a means to clean up light that is contaminating a scene, it can also be used to shape the light on your subject in a more intentional way, adding contrast and deepening definition. It's an important way to really fine-tune the look of both your photo and video work. Check out the video above for more!
Study the BBC productions, especially their drams light such as Doctor Who, Downtown Abbey and Sherlock Holmes. They employ the 'black box' principle where they they have no lights in a scene and only use the lights they need to tell the story.