Emulating Natural Light With Video Lighting | Connecticut Wedding Photographer

For a photographer, there are pros and cons to every lighting scenario. Just as with professional lighting, natural light photographers have to be masters of using their light source, but as every photographer knows, sometimes there is no other way to get “the shot” without the help of an outside source. Weddings in particular are a mix of outdoor light, bright sun, shade, window light, florescent lighting, yellow lamps, spot lights, reception uplighting, and dance floor lighting effects. Natural light does not always cut it. 

Perhaps you are a natural light photographer and you do not use artificial light sources because you believe them to create ugly light. You feel that artificial lights are too harsh for weddings or portraits. Or maybe using artificial lighting make you nervous. You might not know how to use them well in every scenario or maybe you find them to be complicated to set up and take down on the go. You feel that perhaps they will take away from the authenticity of your photography. No matter your reason, I want you to put all judgement aside and consider video lights. 

I had entertained the idea a few times in the past because I have seen videographers use them, but I dismissed the idea because it was not something I had seen many photographers use and I was not sure how it would compliment the style of my work. That was until the video light of a videographer at a wedding two years ago. I was photographing a cake cutting of a couple inside a lovely reception hall where there was purple uplighting. My off camera flash was working well, but it was also blowing out the purple uplighting behind the couple and was a little too bright for the ambiance. The video light of their videographer shown on the couple from the front, when I was situated at an angle to them and the effect was lovely. The light was softer and it did not over power the purple hues behind them. My use of video lights since then have improved significantly, but at the time it was a revelation. 

Still, it was not until this year that I have started to include video lighting into my repertoire. I was working on a photoshoot for the University of Bridgeport for some of their marketing materials. They needed portraits and candids of students hanging out around campus, in the classrooms, lounges, and even the dorms. The day started off grey and rainy. The indoor florescent lighting was green and low. Last minute, I decided to order a larger video light to take with me to the shoot and it was one of the best investments I have ever made for my photography other than my Fujifilm X Pro 2 and my favorite 50mm 1.4 lens. This light was an entire game changer! I was able to emulate natural window light, create soft and bright light for headshots in a dark library, and even enhance the overhead lighting in dimly lit rooms to make them look as if they were that bright in real life. 

Unlike flashes, strobes, or other forms of off-camera lights (or on camera flashes), they did not create harsh shadows and I could change the brightness and the color balance (warm to cool) with a simple touch of a nob. Because the lights were continuous and did not flash, the light that I saw was the light that I got. I was able to see what the photo would look like before I even took it. 

I bought this particular ring light from Amazon. I decided to go with this ring light because the size was small enough to easily carry on-location, the ring light would allow me to photograph images right through the center of the light if I needed more direct lighting, it came with a dimmer, and the color balance was changeable to mimic more yellow or blue toned lighting. The price was reasonable and it came with a light stand and a portable case. Because the bulbs are LED they are expected to last up to 100,000 hours which means they will provide reliable lighting to me for many years to come. 

You do not need to invest in a large light or even a ring light to receive similar benefits. Any powerful video light will be able to provide you with a good source of light when needed, however, for the type of photography that I do this medium sized ring light was the best choice.  

Limitations of the ring video light:

• Needs to be plugged into an outlet to work. For on-location shooting outside you will need to have a large extension chord and an outdoor outlet or a portable battery pack. 
• The ring light is bright, but not enough to overpower other bright light sources. For sunny settings you will need a powerful strobe light. 
• This small light it is great for portraits, but the light is not strong enough to light up larger groups of people. 
• May be intrusive in public locations because of its decent size and its brightness. 

How to emulate natural light using this ring light:

Direction of the light: Place the light in the direction form where natural light would come from. If you are in a room, pointing the light from the side will replicate window light, while positioning the light high on the stand and angling it down so it shines from above will mimic the overhead lighting in the room. 

Color balance: This ring light comes with the option to change the color balance from a slightly yellow tone to a more blue one. Depending on the time of day, natural light will appear more blue or more yellow. You will want to match the light color to the natural lighting depending on the time of day or the mood you want your photographs to emulate. If you are attempting to mimic lighting in a room, you will also want to determine the color balance of the lights that are already available and adjust your light to match. Having two different light sources with two different color temperatures can create a clashing effect. 

To create a window light effect: For portraits, especially wedding portraits where the bride is getting ready, to emulate window light you can set up a light to come in at an angle from the side of the subject. Turn off all other lights in the room to remove distracting light, especially if the color balance of that light is very different from your light source. You will want the color temperature to be slightly more blue to emulate natural sunlight coming in through the “window.” This technique is wonderful for hiding distractions in messy rooms, creating beautiful light where there is none, and even faking a window when no window light is available.  

During my most recent photo shoot at UB, I photographed students in a student lounge and I wanted to mimic the overhead lighting. I placed the light up high and at an angle to light the students from above. I then matched the color tone to a slightly warmer temperature to match the lighting that was already there. I also placed the light slightly to the left, where the windows are, so that the light was coming from a natural direction. At first glance, it does not look like the light provided too much lighting because it is more natural, but without the ring light this photograph would have been dark and there would have been shadows on their faces from the overhead lights. 

I used a similar lighting set up for this dorm room photo of a student studying. The room was actually fairly dark inside. By placing the light to the side where the windows were and making the color tone slightly more blue, I was able to emulate natural window light to make this room look bright and lively in a more natural way than a flash could provide. 

For scenarios like this one, a video light is nearly essential. There were three different types of lighting in this room. The sitting room where these two students were talking was very yellow and there were florescent overhead lights in the room just behind them. Coming in from the back right hand side there were also several windows that provided light with a blue tone. By lighting the girls from the front I was able to cover the scene with a more even light, but I was still able to keep the light looking natural instead of staged, which was very important for this type of photo shoot. 

The light can also be used for bright portraits and headshots or even used for more moodier side lighting. For this headshot taken in the library, we wanted a more studious look to the portrait of this student. I placed the ring light above to the left so that there was still some shadow on her face and so that the light was also out of reflection range for this student’s glasses. There are truly dozens of different ways to create unique lighting looks using this ring light. These are just a few examples. 

As this light is very new, I have not had the opportunity to use it in a wedding scenario this year, but I can already see the countless possibilities for lighting unique settings from getting ready portraits while makeup and hair is being artfully done, to detail shots from jewelry to cakes, romantic portraits, and reception shots. Video lights are not just for videographers or makeup artists. You may use a video light, particularly a ring light, in any kind of photography scenario from detail pictures of crafts, food, jewelry, and clothes to portraits of any nature.