If you’re an artist who uses a camera, whether it’s a video camera or a digital still camera, you probably know by now that good lighting is essential for producing the highest quality of pictures and video.  It’s often said that what helps tell apart the experienced novices from the truly advanced users is the quality of the lighting itself, all other elements of the photo or video composition being the same.  Different contexts require different lighting when using a camera, however, so getting the lighting right isn’t as easy as it sounds at first listen.  With these tips about when to use these major light types, you may be better able to figure out which one to use when an event calls for it.

LED Lighting

LEDs are very bright, even in small quantities, so if you’re looking for a portable light source that can provide tremendous lighting capacity on-the-go, this type is it.  The type of light texture you get with LED lighting is very bright and intense, so if you use too many LEDs, it may overwhelm your shoot.  When used sparingly and at the proper distance, however, LEDs can provide great light coverage without taking up the space so many other light sources require.

Fluorescent Lighting

Unless you are trying to make your final video or photo look bad and drowned out, don’t use fluorescent lighting.  Though there may be exceptions, that’s a rule to work by in most instances.

Incandescent Light

Incandescent lighting is the type most people associate with light bulbs, especially before the advent of the fluorescent lighting era.  Still, incandescent bulbs produce light that has a warm, soft glow, and it’s the perfect light type for use indoors.  If you’re taking pictures or shooting video inside a home or other building, always go for incandescent lighting if possible, and just make sure that the spread of light is even so that distracting shadows don’t form on faces or other important areas.

Natural Light

Just as the rule says you should avoid fluorescent lighting at all costs, the rule also says that you should use natural light whenever possible.  Golden hour, which is generally the first hour after sunrise or the last one before sunset, is that time of day when the sun is low in the sky, and the light it produces is spectacularly inviting.  The big negative about natural light is that you can never predict when you’ll have a good enough source, and you can’t force the sun and the earth’s weather patterns to adjust to your shooting schedule.  Still, if you can use natural light, by all means you should do so.

Image credit: www.betterphoto.com