Why lighting is important for vlogs

Here’s a good example of what not to do when you’re doing a vlog (video blog) relating to lighting. Check out the video: Blair Kerkoff’s College Football Vlog. Here’s a screenshot of the video:

Because Kerkoff’s facing the camera, with no lighting on his face, he has raccoon eyes. I should also mention that the fluorescent lighting casts a sickly green tint to his skin. Compare that with this video I shot of Seth Gitner at Roanoke.com’s video studio.

Out in the field, there’s at least some excuse for poor lighting if you don’t have good equipment. In the newsroom, not so much. It’s not that difficult to get some decent lighting for your video. If nothing else, find a window nearby. You can also buy some relatively inexpensive flood lamps to throw some light on the face (I’ve used a clip-on desk lamp with a 100W bulb before to decent effect).

This isn’t to single Kerkoff out for derision (his delivery is actually very good, and seems well-rehearsed), more to point out how important lighting can be when doing video. For a better understanding, check out this short tutorial on three-point lighting techniques.

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