Poor color balance, insufficient light, out-of-focus, shaky fuzzy videos are much too common on the video sharing sites. With the exception of HowHub.com it just doesn't matter which video sharing site I look at, they all show some videos lacking in lighting quality.
As an unscientific study, I looked at one-hundred videos on YouTube. This is a very unscientific estimate, but, I find that 5% of the videos on YouTube are lighted poorly. I looked at the "Featured", "Most discussed", "Rising", "Most Viewed", and some random videos...even some of the most successful videos are successful even though the light quality is bad.
Insufficient illumination:
The most glaring problem is insufficient illumination. People turn on their camcorders and if they can take the picture, that's all they appear to worry about. The worst offenses are indoor available-light type videos. These are typically videos of the pet, a baby, a family or whatever taken inside by tungsten available light.
The solution:
All they had to do is either balance the camera to the light source color temperature. Or, just ask the subject to move closer to the light...or move the source closer to the subjects. It isn't hard to do, but you just need to be aware of the importance of the light color, and adjust for it.
By the way, a camera can be adjusted for tungsten light or florescent light, or daylight, but it cannot be adjusted to any two or more illumination temperatures at the same time. For example, if you have window light illuminating part of the subject and tungsten light also hitting the subject, you will have a problem. If you adjust for the yellow tungsten light, the daylight will look very bluish. On the other hand, if you adjust for the daylight, the tungsten light will look very yellow.
Additional problems that are apparent in the "low-light" indoor situations:
Wide open apertures -
The camera's iris opens wide to allow as much light as possible into the camera. Most camera's lenses are less sharp at wide open apertures...additionally, there is very shallow "depth-of-field" at large apertures. (Depth-of-field is how much of the field, or area, is in focus in front of the subject and behind the subject.)
To illustrate depth of field, here is an example: If you are close up and fill up the viewfinder to take a head shot, you might find the the eyes are in focus, but the ears are out of focus. However, sometimes, the ears are in focus and the eyes are out of focus...not so good. Or, in a group of people, the front-most person will be sharp, but all the others in the background will be out of focus. This can be disconcerting to the viewer. The solution: Add more illumination and balance to that source.
Slow shutter speeds -
As the camera adjusts to allow more light in, it slows down the shutter speed to very slow levels. Small, but quick, movements of the subject will consequently be blurry...this can be used to your advantage, creatively, but that is another topic all together. The solution: Add more light on the subject.
No tripod - If the camera has chosen a slow shutter speed and the photographer is hand-holding the video camera, you have the recipe for a difficult to watch video. By the way, the tripod will help eliminate the tendency that some people have of "Watering the Garden" with their video camera. They want to get it all in, so they just move the camera around and "water" everything.
It is much better to stop, think, look at the subject. Decide what you want to show. If you need to pan, determine the starting point of the pan, and then determine the ending point of the pan. Start by spending a little time at the beginning and then, VERY SLOWLY pan. When you get to the end of the pan, you might spend a little time at that position, and then end the scene. The solution: A tripod is the solution...even an inexpensive one will improve the quality of the video tremendously. The tripod will help eliminate camera shake, and excessive panning.
Deep shadows, high contrast
We have talked about the color of the light, the intensity and quantity of the light, but what about character of the light? Diffused light is very important in all photography, but it is especially true in video photography. The digital rendition of reality has a rather narrow range.
We can see and experience 1,000,000 to 1 ratios between light and dark, but film cameras and digital cameras can only render about 250 to 1, at best. Consequently, we must do our viewers and audience a favor. Reduce the contrast of the picture by adding diffused light. Diffused light eliminates the harsh shadows usually caused by window light on an angle, existing light, and other close-in sources of light. The solution:
* If appropriate, take the subject outside on an overcast day. You will be amazed at the improvement in your result.
* Make your photographs or videos with the son light behind the camera in early morning or late afternoon light. Avoid noon lighting.
* Use open shade which is shade in the shadow of a building or other structure. This light can be very flattering to your subject, but it is a bluer light. You will need to correct for the blueness of the light.
* In an indoor, available light situation, put your back to the window and work from a large broad window if you can.
* In the studio, purchase two or more florescent light boxes and stands. They are not very expensive. The "light box" diffuses the light incredibly well and improves your photos or videos tremendously.
How about a cheap solution?
"OK, you say. I hear you. We need more light. Lots of it. And it should be of the same color temperature and it has to be diffused. Isn't there a simple, inexpensive way to accomplish this?
Yes. Go to your local home improvement store and purchase one of those quartz work lights. These lights have a quartz tube that give off lots of light and cost about $10 each. Reflect and aim the light into the corner of a neutral colored room. Don't aim the light directly at the subject. Remember, you want balanced diffused, not direct harsh light.
The light will be yellowish, but your video camera can be adjusted for that. Don't let any daylight come in the windows - do your videos at night, perhaps. The light will be diffused by bouncing around the room, and the light level will be very high. These are just the characteristics you want.
In summary: To make good videos, we need great quantities of diffused light of a single color temperature. This will help eliminate out of focus pictures, and blurry videos because of slow shutter speeds and wide open apertures. Always use a tripod.
Be aware of the light... "Go towards the light..." (Which movie was that, anyway?
Rich Day at TrafficBumper.com
has made a video covering many of the same tips as are in this article. Watch the video. With over twenty years in the photography business, he has down-to-earth suggestions to help you promote your site properly with video. Visit http://www.TrafficBumper.com
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