Episode 121

Lighting Yourself on Camera

Microphones, lights, and cameras —the trifecta of good video creation.

But this time, we’re focusing on lighting and all the amazing things it can do for your videos.

Here’s the thing about lighting, it doesn’t just affect picture quality. It also sets the mood and tone for any video you’re creating.

So, if you’re looking for pointers on how to use camera lighting to your advantage, this episode of The Visual Lounge is a good place to start.

Matt Pierce, TechSmith’s Learning and Video Ambassador, delves into everything you need to know, from using natural and artificial lighting to how to get good lighting on a budget. It’s an episode packed with useful information that’ll bring you one step closer to mastering video lighting.

Learning points from the episode include:

  • 00:04 - 01:25 Intro
  • 01:26 - 02:30 Why lighting is the number 2 thing to consider in video creation
  • 02:31 - 06:02 How lighting affects picture quality
  • 06:03 - 08:44 What happens when you have too much light
  • 08:45 - 10:13 Finding the right lighting balance
  • 10:14 - 13:34 What to do without lights
  • 13:35 - 14:26 Why it’s better to use natural light in gloomy weather
  • 14:27 - 15:11 Tips for using windows as a source of light
  • 15:12 - 17:10 Matt explains color temperature
  • 17:11 - 18:16 How to match color
  • 18:17 - 23:11 How to direct lights in different environments
  • 23:12 - 25:19 Figuring out your lighting on a budget
  • 25:20 - 27:43 Matt’s take on ring lights
  • 27:44 - 32:51 How to make your lighting work better using diffusion
  • 32:52 - 36:26 Adding color to your lighting
  • 36:27 - 37:58 The role of lighting in the grand scheme of video making
  • 37:59 - 39:05 Conclusion

Important links and mentions:

Learn more about the TechSmith Academy.

To read the blog post on the topic or watch the video, go to: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/lighting-yourself-on-camera

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The Visual Lounge
Discussions about the power of visuals and videos and how to make them even better.

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About your host

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Matthew Pierce

Matthew Pierce, Learning & Video Ambassador from TechSmith Corporation, has created videos for learning and marketing for over a decade. He is the lead behind TechSmith Academy, a free platform teaching video and image creation for business, which has been used by tens of thousands of users. He is the host of The Visual Lounge Podcast from TechSmith, which streams live on Youtube and LinkedIn weekly. Matthew is a regular speaker at multiple learning and development-focused conferences and is a regular contributor to various training publications. Connect with him on LinkedIn.