The Best Times to Shoot Video in The Spring | Crew Mama - Blog | Have you ever taken a photo or video and hated the natural lighting? It may be too harsh or overly shadowed. How gross! You look at other people’s reels and are jealous of how perfect their lighting looks in natural situations. How can it be? You feel like your camera has defied you.To be honest, it takes time to learn lighting (and camera settings to go with certain lighting scenarios). That said, there are definitely the best times of day to go outside and capture your subjects. The golden rule of capturing footage and images in natural light? Go two hours after sunrise OR two hours before sunset. These two times of day are known as (drum roll….) GOLDEN HOUR.Despite the name only consisting of an “hour”, it can last longer depending on where you are on the earth and what time of year it is. In the spring, we recommend a two-hour window. Since the sun is low in the sky during these two times of day, the shadows are less intense, and the angles and length are more flattering. As the sun is setting or rising, the warm colors are more prominent, which gives a flattering flair to portraits and video footage.
The dynamic range is much further during the golden hour(s) than it is during the afternoon. When the sun is directly overhead, the dynamic range of lighting is very short. This is what creates long and dark shadows as well as overly exposed faces.
Absolutely. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that light can fluctuate a lot during this time. The sun may set more quickly during certain months, and the weather during springtime can especially be finicky. Be prepared for shadows from clouds and other objects in your surroundings (think buildings and trees).
To combat various lighting situations during the golden hour, we suggest bringing an on-camera light or a basic lighting kit. On-camera lights can be fairly inexpensive and are easy to place on your camera in a pinch. We want to keep things as simple as possible, as this time of day is very limited and once the sun is set (or directly overhead), your shots will differ drastically. Are you ready to book more shoots to show off your camera skills? Create a FREE profile on Adesk.app today!Ready to shoot video in the spring season? If you are ready to book a camera crew with us -- Contact our team today!
