lighting interviews
- Thread starter jimstamos
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William_Robinette
Shallow Member
It's just a different quality of light. Personally, I find soft boxes easier to control.
moonlitnite
Well-known member
Light composition
Light composition
Hi Jim,
It's more a question of what you're trying to do with the light. If you're just looking to have uniform light and eliminate shadows, you don't have to be very discriminate with your lighting. But if and your audience appreciate light composition, then it's not quite so rudimentary. I recommend you consider reading something like Ross Lowell's "Matters of Light & Depth" to learn the details if you're interested, although it may not be necessary if your interview shoot isn't particularly demanding.
Regards, Michael
Light composition
jimstamos said:
Hi Jim,
It's more a question of what you're trying to do with the light. If you're just looking to have uniform light and eliminate shadows, you don't have to be very discriminate with your lighting. But if and your audience appreciate light composition, then it's not quite so rudimentary. I recommend you consider reading something like Ross Lowell's "Matters of Light & Depth" to learn the details if you're interested, although it may not be necessary if your interview shoot isn't particularly demanding.
Regards, Michael
filmat11
Well-known member
With your umbrellas, the light spills and wraps around a large parabolic reflector. Although the light is soft and somewhat pleasing, it puts light everywhere and can make your location look more two dimensional.
A softbox , with it's reflective interior(on several brands) out puts more efficient light, into a tighter package. This light can be placed closer to your talent and create a nicer"portrait type light". Depending on it's placement, and the effect your going for, it can fill small wrinkles, and give your talent a window type light, similiar to OLD DUTCH painters.
If you want to see some difference what this effect will do...do a test shoot with your umbrellas and a friend. Have your light at a slightly less than 45 degree angle to your subject. Have your friend sit with their knees pointing at the light's stand, and turning their head toward lens. Then look at the light, now turn the umbrella around and have the top of the umbrella facing your talent. You should be shooting the light THROUGH the umbrella. You'll notice less output, but you can move this fixture in closer for even softer light than going bounce.
Of course, if you decide to film this way, you have created other problems...
Possible lens flare from the light, and light now bouncing off of the rest of your set. This is one of the main reasons softboxes are so popular, they contain the light from going everywhere but your talent.
A softbox , with it's reflective interior(on several brands) out puts more efficient light, into a tighter package. This light can be placed closer to your talent and create a nicer"portrait type light". Depending on it's placement, and the effect your going for, it can fill small wrinkles, and give your talent a window type light, similiar to OLD DUTCH painters.
If you want to see some difference what this effect will do...do a test shoot with your umbrellas and a friend. Have your light at a slightly less than 45 degree angle to your subject. Have your friend sit with their knees pointing at the light's stand, and turning their head toward lens. Then look at the light, now turn the umbrella around and have the top of the umbrella facing your talent. You should be shooting the light THROUGH the umbrella. You'll notice less output, but you can move this fixture in closer for even softer light than going bounce.
Of course, if you decide to film this way, you have created other problems...
Possible lens flare from the light, and light now bouncing off of the rest of your set. This is one of the main reasons softboxes are so popular, they contain the light from going everywhere but your talent.
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
This is what a softbox and a few extra lights gets you for interviews:
