11 replies to this topic

[EOSHD]

Imagine if every photo was lit using a flash gun, well the same goes for cinematic scenes. Often some of the most interesting and varied light is already right in front of you. Not everything has to be studio light rig based.

I don't think of 'lighting a scene' as always directly controlled, often it is wild. Lighting you can control is only half of the cinematographer's job and so many films make use of the sun as a key light. Terrence Malick has based a career on magic hour light!

The world of natural light is expansive and varied. As someone who has chased light a lot with DSLRs, and avoided the expense, power requirements and weight of having to carry lights around with me, here are some of my tips for a successful natural light shoot.

[Xiong]

Very great read Andrew.

[4dbill]

Hacked GH2 makes it possible to capture beautiful moving images with nothing other than a small inexpensive body and a decent lens (20mm pancake being my favorite). It makes it possible to show every day life, with natural light, that rivals the quality 'pro' cameras that costs 10-50 times more.
We often get discouraged not having the latest equipment, especially bulky expensive lighting setup. As Andrew states, light surrounds us always. We only know it well if we really see it, use it and embrace it.

[vincegortho]

A very nice read. I was very disappointed in the Zacuto shootout for the same reason.
My favorite type of lighting is bounced light, that pours in from windows. There's such a nice warm glow to everything it touches.

[xenogears]

Nice reading, thanks Andrew.

[Francisco Ríos]

Great article Andrew!
Thanks for sharing these knowledge.
Something that could be also interesting for low budget filmmakers is to shoot in black and white with GH2 or any cam. Black and white means not to worry about mix any sources with differents colour temperatures. So for example you can mix natural light with tungsten. Even more you can dim the lights without notice colour shifts. Cinematographer Fred Kelemen used lightboard on Bela Tarr 's film "The Turin Horse"
Black and white is really beautiful and let us be free from colour, so shadows and light became more powerful.
Of course it is essencial to shoot black and white as an aesthetic choice.
At last, I like very much one source light. Natural or artificial.
Best regards.

Best regards.
Francisco.

[HurtinMinorKey]

If any of you guys are ever in downtown SF, you should stop by the pacific energy center. They have a great exhibit there that shows a variety of different types of light sources and their effect on color. Its free to all.

[jemjemjem]

Awesome article, really appreciate it.

Thanks Andrew

[KarimNassar]

Great read thanks and absolutely agree that not everything must be artificially lit.

But I personally think that lighting is always controlled, at least if you do your job as a dp.

You say yourself that you shoot in a certain time frame so you are already controlling the natural light source with this simple choice.
And then with the placement of your subject, use of a reflector or diffusion, custom color balance etc you are controlling the light as much as you possibly can.

I think this makes the difference between bad/decent and great photography.

So I agree with your article about using the surroundings environment and lighting conditions but that does not mean you should just shoot as is, a little control with a reflector or a smart character placement will make a big difference imo

[TJB]

This is a fascinating topic - one that could and does fill volumes. I will never stop learning about light.

I agree with KarimNassar. Controlling natural light for portrait/ interview/ dialogue setups with simple cut and fill methods is crucial for outstanding results. Background choice and talent placement are equally important.

Thanks Andrew, good read.

[kirk]

Good and very inspiring article! I love using available lighting, and keep experimenting with it... here's a couple of recent GH2 shots in "impossible" locations with very little light and high contrast...

[tristan]

Speaking of using natural light sources. Has anyone heard of CRLS (Cine Reflect Lighting System), aka the Berger & Bartenback system? It often uses a single 5000 watt light and a bunch of reflectors for an entire lighting system, though it can also use the sun. Not sure how practical it is, but it definitely takes bounce lighting to a new level.

Hear's the website explaining the idea and a little documentary about the process:
http://cine-rls.com/?t=videos