Lighting when doing an interview or portrait

[Kenny202]

Just got a Yongnuo YN600, 300x LED I think. Brightness is adjustable. Shot some video yesterday or someone speaking, like an interview so lights on face / upper body. Light did a superb job but damn it's hard for someone to have that shining directly in their face / eyes....even turned down. My understanding you basically have the light behind the camera pointed at your subject? It is even bright when I accidentally look at it...instant headache for me. It just occurred to me I don't have / use any filters so the light is straight off the LED's. Should I cover it with thin linen material or something to filter? Will this help the subjects discomfort?

I had the light back about 3-4 meters from the subject with output around 50%. The footage was great but wouldn't want to really turn the light down too much more or the clip would be a little darker and more dramatic. Any suggestions? What do you guys do to get around glare in the subjects eyes?

[Cornucopia]

https://www.hachette.co.uk/ilex-posts/ilex-photography/2015/08/12/three-point-lighting...20the%20scene.

And

https://nofilmschool.com/three-point-lighting-technique-examples-definition

Might help give you ideas on styles & placement. Remember it has to do with chiaroscuro and contrast as well as with basic brightness.

If you are limited to one main light, using 1 or more mirrors to fill in as 2nd lights. Yes, a scrim or sheet to create a softlight is probably preferable to the starkness of a hard light.

Almost NEVER is good interview lighting straight-on from the camera viewpoint - that has no real chiaroscuro and so flattens out the image and also indiscriminately lights the background to a similar degree as well, so no real control over contrast. The only time where this makes sense to use this style is in mobile shooting like newsgathering & location guerilla journalism type stuff, where you are limited by timing, logistics & circumstances. And once you move a light away from the focus of a talent's eyeline, it is not so much of a strain for them anymore.

Use height to help also, not much above eyeline is necessary.


Hope that helps,


Scott