43How to Use Available Light

 

Garret C. Maynard

 

 

 

 

If you show up on a shoot or have a spontaneous need to roll tape with no light kit: relax. Today’s cameras and their ever-improving contrast ratios and light sensitive electronics are very forgiving. However, if you’re not so lucky to have the ideal situation in which to make use of the sensitive electronics, here are some tips to help you get that shot and look like a pro.

Available Light Indoors

Indoor lighting scenarios are innumerable, but, for the most part, you will be dealing with sunlight and incandescent mixed sources in the day.

The first tip is a no-brainer: don’t place your subject in front of a bright window. Move the subject to a place where the light source (window) falls ...

Get The Videomaker Guide to Video Production, 4th Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.