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Lighting for Video

This page is related to Audio & Video

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At a Glance

When recording a video for your online course, practicing basic lighting techniques can help enhance your video’s appearance of quality and reduce the chance of students being distracted by the visual aesthetics of your instructional materials.

Overview

By the end of this guide you should be able to identify properly lit spaces to work in, or modify a space to properly light your video. If you need assistance modifying your lighting to record a video, contact the instructional technologist that you are working with during your course development process.

 

A laptop computer on a desk next to a consumer electronics ring light and smartphone on a tripod

A simple desktop recording setup consists of a laptop, smartphone, or other camera and supplemental light sources.

Achieve a well-lit video recording

  • Find A Recording Space
    • One key concept to keep in mind when recording with your webcam is to try to find an evenly lit space and to keep your camera at eye level. This will prevent your video image from being too dark or too bright and ensure your facial expressions are visible to viewers. Recording with a light in front of you but behind the camera is one setup that tends to work well.
  • Adjust and Modify Light Sources
    • Observe how the illuminated objects look, paying attention to shadows (dark areas) and highlights (bright areas). If something in your video is distracting to you, it will likely be distracting to viewers. Add or remove light to correct for underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too bright) images.

Conclusion

You have now practiced how to light you next video recording. Consult the following references and resources for some additional helpful techniques for webcam video lighting.

References/Resources