Lighting - tips, tricks, links, etc.

AllisonWilder · Dec 5, 2014

There are dedicated public camsite threads, but I've yet to see a dedicated public lighting thread, so this can be a space to ask questions, share tips & tricks and such!

I went through the public section and gathered up any noteworthy threads that discuss lighting in some sort of detail for easier viewing:

Lights Page taken from the super helpful Camgirl Wiki

How to lighting for a room
lighting
The cost of camming
Camera angles and lighting are important
Lighting recomendations?
Good cam/shitty cam <-- not specifically about lighting, but worth a glance, imo

:hello2:

Rose · Dec 5, 2014

For those who don't have a professional set up and/or are short on funds, a few extra desk or table lamps can really help improve your lighting. I use one desk lamp, one multi head floor lamp, and one single bulb floor lamp and my lighting is pretty good. You don't have to break the bank to have decent equipment.

This is the lamp Amber recommended, I use it as well and would second her suggestion, but don't buy the blue one! I made that mistake and it makes adjusting my camera settings a bit tricky. http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials ... A-12242155

JerryBoBerry · Dec 5, 2014

Rose said:
For those who don't have a professional set up and/or are short on funds, a few extra desk or table lamps can really help improve your lighting. I use one desk lamp, one multi head floor lamp, and one single bulb floor lamp and my lighting is pretty good. You don't have to break the bank to have decent equipment.

I second that. One night Miss_Lollipop got on cam but didn't have her usual lighting. She just had a desk lamp behind her laptop facing toward her. It gave a softer glow that highlighted her great. She looked really beautiful in just that simple light.

AmberCutie · Dec 5, 2014

Just for simplicity sake, reposting my detailed info here

.

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The following post is copied from a previous thread in the Models Only section (which you should get model status so you can access that area!)

Basically 4 of these, http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials ... A-12242155 2 in black, two in white one in/near each corner of my room, plus a fluorescent light behind my TV/pc monitors, and a 2 bulb lamp on the floor near the legs of my cam tripod.

Here's some pics:

In front of me: 2 tall floor lamps, 1 desk lamp (on floor) and the florescent behind the TVs

Behind

Then the other floor lamp is to my right and slightly behind me.

I only use soft white bulbs, as the daylight ones make me look way too pale and wash out all the colors on cam. I use a Logitech 9000 still, because the c910/920/930e all have the same effect of the daylight bulbs: washed out and pale, colorless.

I've used the pro lighting setup with umbrellas for a video and a couple photo sets. I find them too bright and "daylight" and much prefer my own lamps.

Edit to add: here's what my cam feed looks like with the current lighting setup:

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In my new cam room, I have much ligher neutral colored walls, so I've done away with the fluorescent light behind the TVs as the walls reflect a bit more light. I also don't have to turn on every single bulb in each lamp.

I personally find the professional light kits annoying and have only used them for a couple of my videos and not in my daily cam space.

JoleneBrody · Dec 5, 2014

I have such a mixture of every kind of lighting in my cam space and I use it ALLLLL! Being a redhead (I'm hard to light) who moves all over my camspace and needs to be well lit everywhere, I've definitely adopted the kitchen sink lighting strategy.

When it comes to overall room lighting, everyone is different and will benefit from different setups.
My two best tips that really apply to everyone are
1. Defuse your light. Paper lamps, shades, shoot through umbrellas... any form of lighting will be best diffused to create a more even and soft light source.

2. Have a low placed light, such as a desk lamp on the floor to avoid that dark hole affect, especially if you often stand.

AerynShade · Dec 5, 2014

I'm going to invest in some umbrella lights when I get back home, but I've been wondering about what lights would travel well? I house-sit around the world and most places have had truly awful lighting. Some places haven't had any sort of lamps at all that I could move around, just fixed overhead lights.

Any ideas for lights that wouldn't take up too much space in a backpack/suitcase?

Felicity · Dec 5, 2014

I used to have umbrella professional lights, and they are actually pretty cheap on amazon. However, they are a pain in the ass to take down/put up repeatedly if you don't want your cam room to look like a cam room in your off time. They are also bulky and a pain in the ass if you like to move all around the room. Plus, if you aren't a professional photographer they are kinda hard to explain if someone finds them. I much prefer the lights Amber and Rose mentioned because it's much easier to just turn it off and on and not have to worry about it beyond that.

SaffronBurke · Dec 5, 2014

I have two desk lamps, one with one of the swirly eco-friendly lights in it, the other with a daylight bulb. I also have one bluish led desk lamp sitting on the floor. I use that one because I found out that they used a blue light on Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge during "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend", and I REALLY like the quality that that gave to her skin. This combination helps to really highlight how pale my skin is without washing me out or making me yellow or orange, and still keep some of the rosy tint to my skin without making me look TOO pink.

All of my lamps are pointed at the wall so that the light is diffused nicely. With this combo, I can also have my overhead light on for a brighter effect, without the big shadow under my face that the overhead light alone creates. It'll still show a little bit, but it's not super drastic like it is when I don't have the other lights on.

Jessi · Dec 5, 2014

I just want to say I strongly reccomend DAYLIGHT/full spectrum bulbs. These bulbs are white and mimic natural sunlight (usually around 7000k). Yellow or blue lamps can make you look weird. Avoid having brightly colored walls or curtains around your camspace as well because these things can reflect back on to you and mess up your white balance.

For my lighting I bought TWO of this set http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/2pk-combo-set/6000134546239

They are inexpensive, tasteful enough for my livingroom, and create a diffused light. My concern when shopping was that I dont have a dedicated cam room, so I wanted something nice-ish looking that people wouldn't question.

If you have a dedicated space or dont worry about looks, you can get these http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/likewise-trouble-lamp-with-4m-cord-0525012p.html at any hardware store. You can also buy stands for them. Much cheaper than photography lighting equipment, porn sets use them all the time.

This is the tutorial I used waaay back when. Its the basic whatever thats been hashed out a million times.

Thats my :twocents-02cents: on lighting!

JoleneBrody · Dec 5, 2014

Jessi said:
For my lighting I bought TWO of this set http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/2pk-combo-set/6000134546239

They are inexpensive, tasteful enough for my livingroom, and create a diffused light. My concern when shopping was that I dont have a dedicated cam room, so I wanted something nice-ish looking that people wouldn't question.

That is a great set and those little lamps would be GREAT for lighting from below. I have two little round paper desk lamps on the floor and they have just been the best thing ever when it come to properly lighting to hooha zone!

Rose · Dec 5, 2014

Rose said:
For those who don't have a professional set up and/or are short on funds, a few extra desk or table lamps can really help improve your lighting. I use one desk lamp, one multi head floor lamp, and one single bulb floor lamp and my lighting is pretty good. You don't have to break the bank to have decent equipment.

This is the lamp Amber recommended, I use it as well and would second her suggestion, but don't buy the blue one! I made that mistake and it makes adjusting my camera settings a bit tricky. http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials ... A-12242155

I should mention that because I live in a two bedroom apartment, it's imperative that ALL of my equipment be easily hideable and/or disguisable. I use 'regular' lamps for that reason. They stay up in my living at all times and significantly cuts down on my prep/cleanup time for camming. :twocents-02cents:

Elsalil_Stiller · Dec 16, 2014

I am super ghetto and use just two of these: http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-led-table-lamp-black/-/A-13557999#prodSlot=_1_24

They're $15 apiece and I was broke when I started camming. People tell me I look awesome, so I see no need to change just yet. Someday, I will upgrade when I get a bigger apartment and a dedicated cam room, but right now I do it from my living room so I need to be able to strike my set quickly if need be.

SpencerStorm · Dec 16, 2014

AerynShade said:
I'm going to invest in some umbrella lights when I get back home, but I've been wondering about what lights would travel well? I house-sit around the world and most places have had truly awful lighting. Some places haven't had any sort of lamps at all that I could move around, just fixed overhead lights.

Any ideas for lights that wouldn't take up too much space in a backpack/suitcase?

Mechanics clip lights. They are super bright, can be diffused and can clamp pretty much anywhere!! Not to mention super cheap and super small...and you can usually find them at thrift stores(if you are as cheap as me)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-75-W...p-Light-HD-200PDQ/205139241?N=5yc1vZbm8pZ12kx

AerynShade · Dec 16, 2014

SpencerStorm said:
AerynShade said:

I'm going to invest in some umbrella lights when I get back home, but I've been wondering about what lights would travel well? I house-sit around the world and most places have had truly awful lighting. Some places haven't had any sort of lamps at all that I could move around, just fixed overhead lights.

Any ideas for lights that wouldn't take up too much space in a backpack/suitcase?

Click to expand...

Mechanics clip lights. They are super bright, can be diffused and can clamp pretty much anywhere!! Not to mention super cheap and super small...and you can usually find them at thrift stores(if you are as cheap as me)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-75-W...p-Light-HD-200PDQ/205139241?N=5yc1vZbm8pZ12kx

Genius! You're a genius! Thank you!!!!

PearlSparkles · Jan 6, 2015

anyone know what kind of lights is good for white walls (can't be painted, im renting) i was looking at the ones that jessi had (the walmart ones) and maybe two desk lamps, would that be good or i'd appear too bright?

NyxieDay · Jan 6, 2015

Jeff Goldblum sold me on GE. Who wouldn't want to look this good?!

http://vimeo.com/108579174

AllisonWilder · Jan 7, 2015

Angelbaby said:
anyone know what kind of lights is good for white walls (can't be painted, im renting) i was looking at the ones that jessi had (the walmart ones) and maybe two desk lamps, would that be good or i'd appear too bright?

I think if you can aim the lights so that they aren't reflecting off the walls and blinding people watching you, anything you choose will be good. I personally used only studio lights when I had white walls and as long as I angled the lights up and down, to sort of let the light bounce off of the walls without being reflective or disruptive for viewers. Hopefully someone else who has/had experience white walls comes along, too!

CharlotteLace · Jan 7, 2015

AllisonWilder said:
Angelbaby said:

anyone know what kind of lights is good for white walls (can't be painted, im renting) i was looking at the ones that jessi had (the walmart ones) and maybe two desk lamps, would that be good or i'd appear too bright?

Click to expand...

I think if you can aim the lights so that they aren't reflecting off the walls and blinding people watching you, anything you choose will be good. I personally used only studio lights when I had white walls and as long as I angled the lights up and down, to sort of let the light bounce off of the walls without being reflective or disruptive for viewers. Hopefully someone else who has/had experience white walls comes along, too!

I have white walls and use studio lights. I have my left light angled upwards at 120 degrees, and my right one's angled down at about 75 degrees. The desk I cam from is between both lights, so they angle a bit past me. I also have a tiny ceiling lamp that adds a bit of a red tone to my skin. Not sure what your room's default light setup is.

Typically I look like this on cam. I prefer a bit of a warmer tone in my white balance, though I realize between that and my ceiling lamp, it makes for a redder picture.

Keep in mind how close you are to your lights, and your orientation to them, as well. The closer I move towards my cam and my lights, my skin begins to look paler/less red. (Note the wall behind me has about the same hue in both pictures).

I'd invest in studio lights if you can, Angel, and then play around with them to see how you like it.

I'm actually thinking of trying daylight bulbs soon to see if I can increase my clarity on cam. My hotel trip made it shockingly clear that I need to play with my light sources somehow.

If I could attain that crisp picture at home, without having the overexposed glare from natural light, that'd be peachy. It seems there's always new ways to perfect your light setup. Yayyyyyyyyy. :lol:

WinkingDaisys · Jan 13, 2015

AmberCutie said:
In front of me: 2 tall floor lamps, 1 desk lamp (on floor) and the florescent behind the TVs

Then the other floor lamp is to my right and slightly behind me.

I personally find the professional light kits annoying and have only used them for a couple of my videos and not in my daily cam space.

Does your room get warm with multiple lights? I have a lot of issues with my studio lights making my space hot and annoying and seeing as you said you've tried both...I figured I'd ask!

Rose · Jan 14, 2015

WinkingDaisys said:
AmberCutie said:

In front of me: 2 tall floor lamps, 1 desk lamp (on floor) and the florescent behind the TVs

Then the other floor lamp is to my right and slightly behind me.

I personally find the professional light kits annoying and have only used them for a couple of my videos and not in my daily cam space.

Click to expand...

Does your room get warm with multiple lights? I have a lot of issues with my studio lights making my space hot and annoying and seeing as you said you've tried both...I figured I'd ask!

I *now* have three of the blue tree head lamps that Amber recommended, so far they don't seem to make my room get too hot, but I cam from bigger room and usually only film with them. I haven't been doing too much live camming these days.

Emmalie · Jan 26, 2015

I found this really good and basic explanation for lighting during a photo shoot. I always use three lights for my photos, and 2 for camming. My main light is a soft box, my fill is a gold umbrella (it makes my skin look pretty and my stretch-marks minimal), and I light my background with a white umbrella.

Maliceinapartydress · Feb 24, 2015

Emmalie said:
I found this really good and basic explanation for lighting during a photo shoot. I always use three lights for my photos, and 2 for camming. My main light is a soft box, my fill is a gold umbrella (it makes my skin look pretty and my stretch-marks minimal), and I light my background with a white umbrella.

This is awesome for photography (thank you for sharing it!), but keep in mind the lighting requirements for stills (photos) and video. For a still, the aperture can stay open for much longer, so not as much light is needed. For video, depending on your number of frames per second (say 30), it can only get as much light as it receives in 1/30th of a second. I hope this makes sense. Basically with good cameras, you can adjust settings for a variety of lighting conditions, and for video, you need enough lighting so the camera's gain doesn't skyrocket.

I wanted to share this for other newbies too, since I didn't know this until my kinky techie friend explained it to me.

Fridays_Child · Mar 8, 2015

BUMP!!!

I'm having a full on existential LIGHTING crisis! I have these currently, but I feel the bulbs included are just TOO BRIGHT for my pale ass skin tone.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product ... KQBEKYrMAI

I also tried replacing with a 65 watt 3900 lumens bulb but it was SO INCREDIBLY YELLOW I looked like I needed to be placed on the liver transplant list. Does anyone have a recommendation on a better, pale skin friendly bulb? Perhaps these weren't the best choice for camming lights? I've noticed that most of you have literal umbrellas that point & shoot (where as mine are umbrellas with a removable diffusing cover thing).

To top things off, I got these 2 really AWESOME papershade floor lamps to flank my sofa. They look AMAZING in real life, but on the cam they are overpowering the light coming from the studio lights (the lovely Ms. Jolene Brody recommended very low watt bulbs to create a more ambient look & I'm going to give these a shot tomorrow-- thank you so much Jolene!).

I'm having some personal dramatic shit in my real life that has left me feeling VERY bad about my appearance/self confidence/etc, so I'm sure my recent lighting obsession may be an indirect result of that lol. However, if I have ONE MORE EXPERIENCE of failing at this lighting thing & that in turn, contributes to my lack of self confidence to the point that I lose a day of camming, well, I just may go full on batshit insane.

HALP HALP HALP!!! PLEASE & thank you so very much!

xoxoxo- Holly

ramblin · Mar 9, 2015

Seems low-tech, but if the main problem is brightness (vs. color temperature), why not add a few inline dimmers so you can tweak things to your liking? The bulb you linked does say it's dimmable (some LEDs and CFLs are not).

Thinking something like this: http://www.truevalue.com/product/Electr ... /20283.uts

lolaloliepop · Apr 27, 2015

I have a horrible apartment with no light in the ceiling in my room at all so my only light source is my standing lamp but…it's one of those Boston product standing lamps ($40 on amazon) where the 3 lights can be rotated and the bulbs I use are all daylight mimicking bulbs (like $9). It's fail proof. Even at 1am it seems like I'm always lit with a sunlit glow to the point where makeup is unnecessary and it's not a high exposure…but it does make any acne invisible temporarily.

TheChubbyElf · Jul 17, 2015

Wow, you guys! The technical mumbo jumbo yall got going on in here! My head is going to explode, haha.
I feel like a huge dummy not knowing what an "inline dimmer" is. Or apterture. Exposure. ZOOM!

Okay, I know what zoom is.

I don't know anything about lights and now I'm feeling like my lighting is so inadequate in my room that I've been camming from my kitchen. I also hate the lighting in there, but I didn't know I could fix it with different bulbs and what not. Time to spend some money (yuck!) and do some experimenting!

AnimeAnnie · Aug 4, 2015

Thank you for this thread!

Last night I went to shoot some video clips only to discover that I had no idea how to light my space! I felt so discouraged, but after reading this thread, I feel like I'm ready to try again! I understand there is more info in the verified model section, so I look forward to being verified, and learning all that I can! I hope I can one day be helpful like this too!

MsLexi77 · Aug 13, 2015

Good thread. Until I get some funds coming in I am using a few lamps and a set of work lights. they are 500w work lights. I need to get a backdrop to lighten up the room. When I sleep I like it dark and have the room a dark maroon with gold leaf on it. It looks great but not the best for camming I think. Just starting off so it is a work in progress.

MinaRabbit · Aug 15, 2015

Personally I really like the super pale, yet warm and inviting lighting look. I think warm light is so romantic and really sets the mood for me. And if anyone here is a redhead, warm light will make your hair appear very very red rather than brown. : < My biggest peeve is the lighting making me appear to have brown hair, and warm light solves that.

I also find the placement of light is really important. While this isn't the most comfortable thing, I normally have a bright non-disbursed light right over and behind my cam. This gives you a pale look and highlights your hair (at least for redheads.) And it's very flattering lighting. If you move around a lot you clearly need more lights. You can never really have enough imo. And while with green screens I do disburse my light, for normally camming I never do.

So just something a little different. : >

I'm really jealous of people who have overhead dimmers in their cam rooms though! You can really get pretty balanced lighting from that combined with a one other light if that one light is placed correctly and is bright enough.

Sundae · Sep 23, 2015

Forgot how much difference just a simple desktop lamp can have on quality of cam. Wow. Thank bog I read this thread before it was too late. Just compared the two & i've been making an UBER mistake not using it in my shows now! Thank ya

Lighting - tips, tricks, links, etc.

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