What are the advantages and disadvantages of natural light vs artificial light in video production?

1 Natural light

Natural light refers to the light that comes from the sun or the moon, and it can create a realistic, organic, and dynamic look for your videos. Natural light is also free, abundant, and easy to access, as you don't need any special equipment or power sources to use it. However, natural light also has some drawbacks, such as its unpredictability, variability, and lack of control. You may have to deal with changing weather conditions, time of day, seasons, and locations that can affect the intensity, color, and direction of natural light. You may also have to use reflectors, diffusers, or filters to modify or enhance natural light, or supplement it with artificial light sources if it is too dim or harsh.

2 Artificial light

Artificial light refers to the light that comes from any man-made source, such as lamps, bulbs, LEDs, or flashes. Artificial light can give you more flexibility, consistency, and creativity for your videos, as you can adjust the brightness, color, and angle of your light sources to suit your needs and preferences. Artificial light can also help you create different effects, moods, and atmospheres for your videos, such as dramatic, romantic, or futuristic. However, artificial light also has some disadvantages, such as its cost, complexity, and safety. You may have to invest in expensive and bulky equipment, such as light stands, modifiers, batteries, or generators, and learn how to set up and operate them properly. You may also have to deal with heat, glare, or flicker issues that can affect your video quality or pose a fire hazard.

3 Balancing light

Balancing light is one of the key skills in video production, as it helps to avoid unwanted shadows, highlights, or color casts that can ruin footage. It also creates a sense of depth, contrast, and dimension for videos and makes subjects stand out from the background. To balance light, you need to consider the intensity of your light sources, the color temperature, and the direction. To measure exposure level of your scene, use a light meter or histogram tool. For color temperature, use a white balance tool or color correction filter to adjust light sources or camera settings. Finally, to place light sources at different angles and distances from your subject and camera, use a three-point lighting system or creative lighting technique.

4 Natural light tips

If you decide to use natural light for your video production, here are some tips to help you make the most of it. First, plan ahead and scout your location. Check the weather forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and the direction of the sun or moon at different times of the day. Choose a location that has enough natural light for your video, and avoid places with too much contrast, such as direct sunlight or deep shade. Additionally, use the golden hour and blue hour; these are periods of time around sunrise and sunset when the natural light is soft, warm, and flattering. Utilize reflectors and diffusers to modify or enhance natural light by bouncing it, softening it, or changing its color. Finally, use artificial light sources sparingly; they can add brightness, contrast, or separation to your videos but should not overpower or clash with natural light.

5 Artificial light tips

If you decide to use artificial light for your video production, there are a few tips to help you make the most of it. Firstly, you need to understand your light sources and their characteristics - tungsten, fluorescent, LED, or halogen - and how to match them with your camera settings and your scene. Additionally, you can use light modifiers and accessories, such as diffusers, reflectors, or filters, to shape or control the light. Experimenting with different lighting setups and techniques can also be useful. These include key light, fill light, backlight, kicker light, or practical light. You can also try various lighting techniques such as low key, high key, split, loop, or butterfly lighting to create different atmospheres in your video.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?