Led lights + filter for natural light?

rawfa

rawfa

Veteran
Hi guys,

I´m going to start a small personal project soon and the 2 main characters are always seated next to this big window. I really would like using the natural light that comes from it, but as the light moves I was thinking of getting one of those cheap led lights that come with a natural light filter. Do you guys think it could work?

thanks in advance

Rafa
 
"Natural light filter"?? Sounds like a marketing ploy.... what is natural light to you? The colour temperature? The directionality of it? What if the room has big windows...? What if it has one small window? Different premises calls for different ways to deal with the challenge.

Now you do say that they are seated at a big window, but you know daylight can be a million things and then more. If you have a bright sunny day, you'll have hard light hammering in if the window is on the southern side, if it is on the norhtern side it will give you nice skylight that hardly changes. If it's a cloudy day you'll have a cooler colour temperature to deal with than if it is sunny.

That's what I mean with marketing ploy... there's no filter that can account for all those situations. Even if the "natural light filter" is something that attempts to make the LED softer and a bigger source, it's still inherently different than a nice big window with the characters seated next to it.

If I had to light something like that at all, I'd probably go with a nice big HMI source through diffusion and then flag the top of the window.
 
Yeah I know the predicament... the thing is, regardless of which of these two you pick up, you might end up them being drowned out by the daylight, ie. having little of no effect.

You say that the light is partially bounced from another building? Does that mean that there is no direct light? That's already helping you a lot.
Ok, if we say that those are the limits. I would probably go with the CFL / softbox approach, shoot the wide shots during best light, and then when doing the close-ups, you could move in the light and see if you can cheat the daylight.

But if it was me, I would try and do it with daylight only and then make sure a pre-plan is so efficient that it could be achieved. If you have bounced light and no direct sun-light, I'd imagine you'd have a decent amount of time to shoot the scene in depending on the length of it. Also helps if the actors are ready and know their lines to minimise the number of takes ;)
I would probably go 1st close-up > wide > 2nd close-up if the time is pressed.
 
So is the window in or out the frame? And could you have multiple shooting days, so you could shoot at the same time of day twice or more?
I´d probably first try a huge white bounce from opposite the window, bouncing back the light from the window to fill in shadows on the actors faces.
Calculating with Rio de Janeiro sun of course;)
 
rawfa said:
I really would like using the natural light that comes from it
Click to expand...

What type of "natural" light are you trying to simulate?

- Flat, bluish light from an overcast sky coming through a large window?
- The slightly amber glow of early morning sunlight coming through sheer curtains?
- Bright streaming afternoon sunlight?

There are many different types of "natural" light, you just have to pick one...
 
Could a small LED panel or CFL softbox work for what? Every light has it's place, depends on what you're trying to do. There are so many ways to accomplish a daytime interior scene with window light playing as a key, need more details on actor and camera placement, which way the window is facing relative to the sun, etc.
 
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