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cinematic lighting

Make any ordinary location look cinematic with these tips

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It’s great to be able to work in epic locations and make your photographs or videos look cinematic. For most of us, however, the reality is usually a little more underwhelming. When budgets are small, it’s quite common to end up shooting in less-than-perfect locations.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t lift those drab locations up into cinematic territory. With some lighting knowledge, interesting perspectives and good composition, you’d be surprised what you can achieve with even the humblest of scenarios. In this excellent behind-the-scenes video, YCImaging shows you how they shot a music video in an ordinary home. The results are spectacular and well worth a watch.

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Five things we can learn from cinematic lighting

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One of the bigger personal projects I’ve been working on recently is my Cinematic Studio Lighting course. During the process of writing the accompanying notes and shooting promotional images for the event, I’ve done a ton of research on how cinematographers and directors of photography work, think and plan their shots. I originally thought the two worlds of photography and cinematography would be fairly similar, but I ended up learning a lot more than I thought I would and I think that’s down to how cinematographers approach the setup of their image compared to many of us photographers, especially those of us who primarily shoot in a studio.

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A lighting 101 course using affordable tube lights

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Our latest edition of DIY Photography educational content is about lighting. We put together a little production to show the dos and don’ts of lighting. This fundamental guide is meant to help you get a better understanding of how to take better control of your set. Specifically, your lights. Lighting is a fundamental part of both filmmaking and photography. A basic understanding of the concepts and rules of lighting is enough to go to the next level. This course will break down the types of lights, some setups, and some tips.

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How to shoot cinematic footage on the cheap even with an entry-level camera

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When you want to shoot a professional-looking video, gear isn’t essential, but we can’t deny that pro gear sure can come in handy. However, if you only have an entry-level DSLR or mirrorless camera, don’t let it discourage you from creating. In this video from Mark Bone, you’ll learn a few tricks on how to turn even a cheap camera into a tool for creating cinematic videos.

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Why backlighting is this photographer’s favourite lighting technique

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Backlighting seems to be one of those techniques that people either love or hate. Personally, I’m a huge fan, although when shooting stills, I usually add a bit of flash from the front with a big softbox. But backlighting isn’t just for stills. it’s great for video, too, and can add a lot of drama and dynamism to a shot.

In this video, filmmaker Mark Bone discusses the backlighting technique, why he uses it in his work and why it’s his favourite lighting technique.

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How to effectively light black & white shots for a dramatic look

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Lighting scenes for shooting in black & white is a little different from working with colour. For a start, you don’t have to worry about colour. Brightness, direction and quality of light come into play a lot more. This can simultaneously make shooting for black & white both easier and more challenging at the same time.

In this video, Nerris from the A-Team gets together with cinematographer Justin Jones to walk us through the thought process of shooting for black and white. [Read More…]

These five lighting techniques will help you create scary horror scenes

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There are a lot of components that can make a horror movie or photo really scary, and proper lighting is certainly among the most important ones. In this video, Benny from Aputure shares with you five lighting techniques that will make your horror scenes truly hair-raising.

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How to create 5 cinematic looks with 2 lights in under 3 minutes

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People always go on about 3 point lighting setups. They’re a staple amongst photographers, cinematographers, and even CG work. Or people talk about shooting with just a single light source. The two light combo, on the other hand, is often neglected. Personally, 2 lights is the route I take most often in my own work, for both photos and video.

In this two and a half minute video, Nerris from the A-Team walks us through five different lighting setups. Each uses only a pair of lights. Many of them are quite common in higher end production from commercial advertising to Hollywood cinema.

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