Lighting Quick Tip

Quick Tip #1 -- Halogen shop lights, available at stores like The Home Depot or Lowes, often sold in pairs on a small stand, make excellent video lights. The color is just about the same as that produced by expensive professional lights, and looks great on-camera.

Unfortunately the light is extremely harsh and bright, which brings us to Tip #2 .

Quick Tip #2 -- make an aluminum foil reflector from an old umbrella to soften the light.
Fit the aluminum foil, dull side down, into the underside of an old umbrella and tape the pieces of foil securely in place. Mount the umbrella handle to the light stand, and bounce the light off the inside of the umbrella.

Finished with your shoot? Just close the umbrella and store it away for next time.

For photographs and a detailed description of the umbrella reflector, see Videomaker Magazine for October, 1998, page 136 for an article by Chuck Peters, Videomaker's Managing Editor.

Light still too harsh? Then consider Tip #3.

Quick Tip #3 -- Need an ultra-soft light reflector. Use an old movie screen. You can often find old movie screens -- the kind that have their own stand and roll up into a metal container -- at second-hand stores. Position the screen in the key or fill light position and shine a light directly onto the screen. The bounce light will be very even and soft.

Quick Tip #4 -- For another soft (diffused) light, try hanging a photo-flood bulb -- you can get one from a photo supply house -- inside a large Chinese rice-paper lantern. This gives a beautiful even spread of light, and the trick has been used by film makers and videographers for many years, but it is not without its dangers.

Be very careful if you try Tip #4. Rice-paper burns very easily, and using any kind of paper around a hot light-bulb can be very dangerous. If you try this tip, have someone stand by the lantern at all times. Only leave the light on for the few moments you are shooting.

Better still, look at these instructions for making a safe, inexpensive reusable Chinese Lantern.

Last modified 10/13/05