There may have been some things I missed, but I am certain I have learnt a thing or two about lighting as we approach the end of the semester. I think the biggest idea that we should all take home after a few months’ worth of lighting is how we should think about lighting and from there we can figure how to approach it in a practical sense. Lighting is not primarily focused on being the most aesthetic part of a visual, but first and foremost an aid to the visual narrative. Lighting really shines, no pun intended, when it seamlessly rides along the narrative. It is something we don’t take too much notice, until it is done horribly. Aside from the theoretical aspect of lighting, I have learnt plenty of practical things along the way. At the end of the day, it is all good to think a lot about lighting and all, but we could never make real sense of it if we do not apply it into practical scenarios.

I am going to list a few things that I felt were really interesting ideas that we learnt and practiced.

• A light source can be bounced against a white wall to create fill light. Utilising this technique will result in a softer light source that will spread amongst the whole room.
• When imitating light should always think about the intensity of the light; the direction in which the original source would actually come from; and the quality of the light. If we were trying to replicate an overcast day, then the light would be less directional and scattered every where. The light will be soft because the clouds act as a natural diffuser. The temperature of the lighting would be dependent on time of day (midday overcast would generally be around 6000k)
• We should always try to achieve depth in our visuals in order to avoid flat looking footage. For example, when placing a subject in a room, we can avoid a plain looking image by place the subject further away from the wall. Placing the subject in front of the corner of the wall is good way of achieving depth. Another way of obtaining depth is placing objects in the foreground. However the choice must be appropriate for the scene, and we should not be placing things in the back or front for the sake of achieving depth.
• Sometimes it is just better to use the available light. Not every scene requires lighting equipment, and we should always think about the light that is available to us in a natural setting.

I felt that some of these points that I have addressed would always be revisited in every shoot that I partake in. These points are just some simple fundamental tips, but are so essential to think about in order to properly light and construct a scene. One of our last lighting practicals was one of my most favourite lighting exercises I have experienced. Here are a few snap shots of the set up where we used white and black boards to bounce and take away spill light: