Can a white wall be used to bounce and soften light for webcam videos?
Asked 10/11/2014
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I want to light my face for webcam recording at a desk without buying a softbox or umbrella. There’s a mostly white wall with a slight blue texture in front of my desk. Can I aim a lamp or LED spotlight at that wall and use the reflected light as a softer source? I’ve tried it with a warm incandescent desk lamp and it seemed usable except for the yellow color. I could also tape white paper or cardboard to the wall if that helps.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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It will work after a fashion, but you'll get substantial reduction in light level when the light is reflected. In your application it may well be adequate.
If you wish to use a diffuser you do not need a formal or commercial one.
The paper that you intend stick on the wall could be used instead as a diffuser - it may prove too opaque, but it's easily tried.
Crumpled plastic bags , either white or clear, can be used to diffuse light effectively.
Add bags and increase crumpling to improve diffusion.
Light loss rises as diffusion effect improves, but probably less lossy than a paper reflector.
Originally by user6263. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6263
11y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — bouncing light off a white wall can work as a simple, low-cost way to soften light, similar to bounce flash in photography. The main tradeoff is efficiency: reflected light is much dimmer than direct light, so your lamp or spotlight may need to be fairly bright for video.
A few points:
- A white surface is best; any blue tint on the wall can affect color.
- White paper or, better, bright white cardboard can improve the surface if the wall isn’t neutral.
- A diffuser can also be improvised in front of the light with translucent paper or crumpled white/clear plastic, but stronger diffusion usually means more light loss.
- Compared with a softbox, a wall is harder to control because you can’t shape or direct the spill as precisely.
So: yes, try the wall bounce first. If the light level is enough and the color looks neutral, it’s a practical solution for webcam use.
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