Whether shooting photos or video, understanding how to work with natural light and use lamps and reflectors, can give you professional results.
Understanding light quality
Hard light creates sharp, defined shadows with high contrast. It comes from small, direct light sources like the sun on a clear day or a bare bulb. It emphasizes texture and creates bold, artistic looks.
Soft light wraps around your subject, creating gentle shadows with gradual transitions. It comes from large light sources relative to your subject, like an overcast sky or light through a diffuser or soft box. Soft light is forgiving, flattering for skin tones, and ideal for most portrait and interview work. Though overly diffuse light can flatten an image too much.
The larger the light source appears relative to your subject, the softer the light becomes.
The best natural lighting conditions
I will use natural light where I can, it is also much stronger that your eyes give credit for yet can be a bit unpredictable.
Golden hour remains the gold standard for outdoor photography and video. This occurs during the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, when the sun sits low on the horizon. The light takes on warm, golden tones, becomes naturally diffused through more atmosphere, and creates flattering angles that add dimension to faces and landscapes. Shadows are long but soft, and the overall contrast is manageable for cameras.
Overcast days provide nature’s soft box. Cloud cover acts as a massive diffuser, creating even, soft light without harsh shadows. Colours appear more saturated, and you can shoot comfortably at any time of day. This lighting is good for video interviews where consistent lighting matters.
Open shade offers another excellent option during harsh midday sun. Position your subject in the shadow of a building, tree, or other structure where they’re shielded from direct sunlight but still receiving plenty of indirect light from the open sky. This creates soft, even illumination with a slight directional quality.
Three-point lighting
This foundational technique works for both video and photography, providing complete control over how your subject appears.
Key light: Primary light source typically positioned 30-45 degrees to one side of your subject and slightly elevated. This creates your main illumination and establishes the lighting direction. For most applications, place this light at about 45 degrees horizontally and 30 degrees vertically from your subject. If you only have one light, this is the position I use.
Fill light: Positioned on the opposite side of the key light, the fill reduces shadows created by the key light without eliminating them entirely. The fill should be less intense than the key light, typically 50% or less of the key’s brightness. This ratio between key and fill determines your overall contrast and mood.
Back light: Placed behind and above your subject, angled toward the back of their head and shoulders. This separates your subject from the background, adds depth, and creates a subtle highlight that makes your subject pop off the screen. The back light should be brighter than the key light but only illuminate the edges of your subject.
Achieving good results when shooting on the hoof
Window light: A large window provides one of the best light sources available. Position your subject perpendicular to the window for dramatic side lighting, or at 45 degrees for classic portrait lighting.
Reflectors and Bounce: A simple white board, reflector, or even a white bedsheet can redirect and soften existing light.
Practical Light Modification: If you’re using smaller LED panels try bouncing the light off white walls or ceilings creates much softer illumination than pointing them directly at your subject.
Lighting ratios
The relationship between your key and fill lights dramatically affects the emotional tone of your image.
A 1:1 ratio (equal key and fill) creates flat, even lighting with minimal shadows. This works well for corporate videos, product photography where you need to see all details, and any situation requiring clinical clarity.
A 2:1 ratio provides subtle modelling with gentle shadows. This is the most common ratio for flattering portraits and interviews, creating dimension without drama.
A 4:1 ratio introduces noticeable shadows and contrast, adding moodiness and depth. This works well for dramatic portraits, fashion photography, and cinematic video.
An 8:1 ratio or higher creates dramatic, high-contrast lighting with deep shadows. This suits film noir aesthetics, dramatic product reveals, and artistic portraits where you want bold visual impact.
Colour temperature
Controlling colour temperature ensures your images look natural.
Different light sources emit different colour temperatures, measured in Kelvin. Daylight registers around 5500-6500K (cool/blue), tungsten bulbs around 3200K (warm/orange), and fluorescent lights vary widely. Mixing colour temperatures creates issues in post-production as you try to find a natural look.
For the best results, match all your lights to the same colour temperature. If you’re using window light with artificial lights, set your LED panels to daylight balanced (5600K). When shooting indoors with tungsten bulbs, gel your LED lights with CTO (Colour Temperature Orange) gel or set them to 3200K.
Use a white or 17% grey card in your initial shot to help your white balance in post. Tell your camera what conditions you are shooting in. I will set to auto white balance if I’m shooting on the hoof, it does work well.
Practical tips for better lighting
Start with one light: Do a single-light setup before adding complexity.
Watch your shadows: Shadows reveal your lighting setup.
Control your background: Don’t forget to light what’s behind your subject.
Test and adjust: Take test shots frequently as you adjust lighting.
Experiment: While these principles work well, it never hurts to break the rules and see what happens.
Conclusion
When I get to a shoot, the first thing I look at is where are the light sources. Where is the sun if I’m outside. If it is an event, I will ask the organisers if the lights change during the event.
Getting the lighting right counts for a lot.