The most common problem in videos isn't the camera; it's the light. A dark face, half bright and half dark, a yellow cast: post-production can rarely fully rescue these. The good news: at home or in the office, most of it is solved by changing where you sit.
The three most common mistakes
- Backlighting: sitting in front of a window with your back to it. The camera sees the bright window and darkens the whole picture, so your face goes black. This is the most common mistake.
- Only overhead light: light from directly above puts shadows under the eyes and nose and makes you look tired.
- Two colours of light mixed: window light is white, indoor bulbs are yellow, so one side of the face is white and the other yellow, which is hard to correct later.
The simplest fix: face the window
Turn round so the window is in front of you or at 45 degrees, with the camera between you and the window. Daytime window light is big and soft, the best free light there is. If direct sun is too harsh, draw a thin curtain.
No window: a desk lamp and a sheet of white paper
- Put the lamp next to the camera, a little above your face, angled 45 degrees towards you. Not straight on; that looks flat.
- If it's too harsh, don't point it at yourself; bounce it off a white wall or the ceiling and let the reflected light reach you. Much softer.
- If the other side of your face is too dark, hold up a white card or a white T-shirt on that side to bounce light back.
- Turn off any lights of a different colour; keep one kind only.
Filming products or small objects
Use window light the same way: the product on a table by the window, with white paper or plain fabric behind it. Light from the side gives the product shape; light from the front makes it look flat.
Should you buy a light?
If you film often or at night, one LED panel with adjustable brightness and colour temperature is plenty. One light in the right place beats three in the wrong places. Test positions with a desk lamp first, and you'll know where the light should go.
How much post-production can fix
Slightly dark overall, slightly yellow: fixable. A black face from backlighting, one side white and one side yellow, flickering light: post can improve them a little, but they won't look properly lit. See what color grading is.
Frequently asked questions
My glasses reflect the light. What can I do?
Raise the light and move it further to the side so the reflection angles away from the lens. Tilting your head down slightly also helps.
Are ring lights good?
Convenient for talking to camera, with even light. The downsides: a circular reflection in the eyes, and flat, shapeless light on products.
It's already filmed and the face is dark. Is it usable?
Send us the video. Some can be brightened to a usable level, some we'd suggest reshooting. Within 48 hours we'll tell you whether we can help, and if we can, we send a quote for you to decide.
