Recording Good Videos: Lightning

An article by Todd Simpson

If you notice that your videos seem dark, other folks will to and folks just skip dark vids and move on. As production values on youtube keep getting higher, it's important to "up one's game" a bit. Lighting is a key factor. The good news, IT"S CHEAP!!! You can buy just one light and do a world of good. If you can afford it (about $100) you can get three and do "Three Point Lighting" just like the pros do. But even just one good light can take your vids from looking very homespun to more pro.

This light in particular is a great choice. They are LED based, use common batterie packs from camcorders or Tripple A batts, or you can get a wall plug and never worry about batts. I've got mine attached to a very inexpensive clamp that rotates and mounts anywhere. Total cost $50. It's also dimmable. This light is about $26 and comes with a extra bits including a battery and case.

If you want a wal wart to plugin and never worry about batteries again, here ya go. About $15 bucks.

This is the clamp I'm using on my light and it's very handy. You can clamp the light anywhere you want. They are under $10.

Just one of these lights can take your videos from dark and muddy to clear and professional looking. It's well worth the investment as folks have started expecting high production values on youtube and just click away when they see dimly lit figures.

Here are some pics of mine Use them every vid.