How can I keep interview lighting consistent outdoors from sunset into evening when shooting alone?
Asked 10/28/2020
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I’m filming outdoor interviews solo, often during the last 60–90 minutes of daylight and continuing after sunset. As the ambient light changes, the look of the interview shifts noticeably over time, which makes editing difficult. My current setup is a Canon 70D with a 24mm f/2.8 lens, plus a bi-color LED panel as my key and a small LED as a back light. I’m considering adding fill with either a reflector or another light, and I’ve also thought about using a portable backdrop, but I need something practical for a one-person setup. What’s the best way to keep the subject lighting and overall look consistent as daylight fades?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
3
Eliminate the sun as a light source or over power it. I.E. remove the sun from the equation. (Your set up would work beautifully if you were shooting still photos but you are shooting video and your light source is changing "throughout it's timeline".)
Based on your photos it appears that you are using the ambient sun light as part of your light set up. The ambient light from the sun is acting as your Key light and the light you are using as your key is acting as a fill (and only as bright, maybe a little less bright,) then the Key (the sun). As the sun slowly goes away your "key light" goes with it.
If you set up with Three lights, same as you have but replace the sun with another light panel, this is your new Key light.
Make sure your new key is brighter then the sun when you start. As the sunlight goes away your subject lighting will not change, only the background will get darker.
The sun may be more powerful then your light panels and you may have to add a large diffusion panel, gobo or scrim panel to block the sun and keep it from over powering your light set up.
Of coarse you will set up your fill (light or reflector) and rim to work with your new key light set up.
Originally by user50217. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user50217
5y ago
0
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For video, consistency matters more than with stills. The main issue is that the sun is currently part of your lighting setup, so your “key” changes continuously as daylight fades. The simplest fix is to stop relying on ambient sunlight: either overpower it or minimize its influence.
Use your own lights as the full interview setup: key, fill, and back light. Make the key clearly brighter than the remaining ambient light, then use fill only to control contrast. A reflector can work as fill only while there’s still enough light to bounce; after sunset it becomes ineffective, so a second light is more reliable for a long interview.
Also lock your exposure and white balance so the camera doesn’t drift as the scene darkens. If possible, choose a darker or less prominent background so changes in the sky are less obvious. A backdrop could help, but for a solo operator it may add too much setup and transport burden unless you use a very simple foldable option.
In short: remove the sun from the equation, light the subject fully with your own fixtures, and keep camera settings fixed for a much more consistent result.
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