The Importance of Lighting

Timber Schuman, Editor

In photography and cinematography, most people get caught up in the settings of the camera and it’s movement, the white balance, the file type they want to use and so forth, but forget that settings are not everything. Lighting can be as simple as harsh sunlight or go as far as psychedelic flashing lights in a dark room. Each arrangement creates a different feel for the photo or video, for instance using a diffuser against direct sunlight creates softer shadows while preserving the bright, natural look and a more heavenly tone. Choosing a light or set of lights to use in your work can be a daunting task, with lights of every kind flooding the market. Based on my research and what hands-on experience I have, I would look at RGB lights. RGB lights can emit any color of the rainbow, which is a clear advantage over normal lighting (yellow to soft blue) because you still get what a regular light offers in a better package. They typically also come with a few different “modes”, which is a programmed light effect for videos. Police sirens and TV screens tend to be the two common modes.