Lighting: Good Vs. Bad and why you CAN'T afford to ignore it
Alright ladies, let’s talk lighting.
When it comes to working with video, think of good lighting as your best friend, your secret weapon and your ace in the whole. It can quite literally be the difference between you creating an engaged audience who sees you as the expert you are vs. being overlooked and perceived as an amateaur. Did I mention that good lighting can also do wonders for fine lines and wrinkles? (GIVE ME ALL THE LIGHT)
But seriously, whether you are a business owner creating content to sell your product or services, an executive pitching via zoom, a job applicant about to tackle the video interview, or a speaker making the virtual conference rounds GOOD LIGHTING IS A GAME CHANGER.
Perfect example, look at the two images below. When you look at each image, what thoughts initially come to mind? Do you find yourself pre-judging the image on the right? I guarantee you aren’t the only person answering yes.
Now that we determined why good lighting is important, let’s talk about how to make that happen. It’s much easier and way more affordable than you think. I’ve put together a list of my recommendations from free to top of the line.
Natural light
Natural light is 100% free and can be an amazing light source. So if you are working with a limited budget and can’t afford to purchase a light right now you can always rely on good ol’ natural light. Find a big window and record your video with the camera situated between you and the window. Make sure that you are facing the window so that you take full advantage of that beautiful natural light.UBeezie 10” Selfie Ring Light $23.99
This light is perfect for you if you will be recording a lot of content for social media. It’s low cost but works great! he 10-inch ring light features 3 lighting colors: Warm White, Cool White and Daylight, each with 10 levels of Brightness to choose from, 30 lighting options in total. It is designed with a touch panel for easy setting control: turning on/off, lighting effect adjustment, intuitive and fun to use for daily shootings. Bonus it also comes with a remote.
You can purchase it here.LUME Cube Video Conferencing Light $69
This light is a little more expensive, but in my opinion completely worth it for size and ease! The Panel Mini brightens up your workspace with powerful, adjustable LED light. Includes softening diffuser, easy-to-control color temperature and run time, and adaptor cables to ensure you never get left in the dark. The simple suction design allows you to quickly snap it on. If you are looking for something small and convenient, this is it! I will say that this light is more suited for use with your computer. The suction doesn’t work well with phones.
You can purchase it here.
If you need a lower cost option, this light is great too.NEEWER 18” Ring Light $149.99
There are definitely cheaper ring lights (I’ve listed one above), but if you are willing to make the investment I would highly recommend this one. It has a ton of great features including a charging port so your phone doesn’t die while you are recording your content! I usually use mine when I need to go hands free when recording videos for TikTok or Instagram. It comes with a phone holder so you don’t need to worry about purchasing one. The cold shoe adapter is also compatible with most DSLR cameras.
You can purchase it here.LED Video Panel with Stands $197.99
I have four of these and use them for EVERYTHING! Seriously I love them. They are a bit more expensive, but if you are serious about creating videos they are a fantastic investment. I use mine for video conferencing, podcast recordings (that have a video component), YouTube videos, Entertainment Interviews, zoom calls, social videos and everything in between. It comes with a remote, RGB mode, 17 different special effects settings and three different color settings. You can also purchase separate battery packs so that you can shoot on location without worrying about finding a plug. (I’m using one of these panels in the image above)
You can purchase it here.
These are just a few options, but there are a ton of great lights out there. My suggestion is to find one that fits your budget and start playing with it! See what features work for you and which don’t and go from there. What matters the most is that YOU feel and look like the pro that you are.