![[Updated] The Art of Increasing Indoor Ambiance via Sunlight](https://thmb.techidaily.com/56e9a63f6cd0da6aa662fe6ddfb8ba418b2232ba03eb8e75fedd97f8000b9ecc.jpg)
[Updated] The Art of Increasing Indoor Ambiance via Sunlight
![](/images/site-logo.png)
The Art of Increasing Indoor Ambiance via Sunlight
Indoor Natural Lighting Tips
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A great looking vlog is a well-lit vlog. Not everybody can afford professional lighting equipment for their YouTube channels. It’s a big investment, especially if you think of your channel as a hobby. Sometimes even if you have a lighting kit you do not want to set up multiple lights and stands to every time you shoot a vlog entry. You might be shooting them every day. It is great to have lighting equipment, and it is also great to know when you can get around it.
How to Get Best Natural Lighting Indoors
Using a window as your main light source is a simple way to get high quality lighting on a budget. When it is bright outside a window is as powerful as any light you might have. So, besides just being cheap, windows can actually make your YouTube videos look amazing.
1. Windows as Key Lights
When you shoot near a window you can treat that window the same as the key light in a three-point lighting set up.
In three-point lighting you have a key light, a fill light, and a main light. Your key light, in this case your window, is off to one side. It will cast a shadow over half of your face which you soften using your fill light. Your backlight is a light you put behind you to help you pop out of your background.
Another thing that can help you pop out from your background is focusing your keylight so that its light is only landing on you, not your background.
Rather than setting up professional lights for your fill and backlights try using household lamps or reflectors. Reflectors are used to bounce light from another source, so if you set one up opposite to the window it will redirect light back at the shaded side of your face.
Reflectors are very affordable, often around $20, but if you do not have one then you can use a sheet of aluminum foil.
2. Windows as Front Lights
Vlogging while facing a window is a great way to get even lighting over your entire face. This is a great set up for makeup tutorials or other beauty vlogs. It can also work for opinion vloggers, or any other vlogging genre where the focus is on a stationary host, though.
The only issue that can arise when you use a window as a front light for your vlog is that you do not stand out from your background because the lighting is even on both you and it. This is not difficult to get around; you just need a backlight.
You can use a household lamp or a reflector as a backlight. The idea is that the light hitting you from behind will create a boarder around you that will make you pop out from the background of your shot.
3. Windows as Backlights
It is usually a bad idea to use a window as a backlight because they are too bright. Shooting with a window behind you will not just give you a dark boarder, like a lamp or a reflector; it will completely transform you into a silhouette. This is an interesting effect in some situations, but not in a vlog where your viewers are expecting to be able to see you. It is sometimes possible to make this kind of shot work by increasing your exposure, but then you might end up with over-exposed footage. Pushing the ‘info’ button a couple times will allow you to check you exposure on most DSLRs.
4. Diffusers
A diffuser is a screen of translucent fabric you can use to soften your light. The light coming from your window might be hard on your eyes, and setting up a diffuser between you and your window can help you not to blink. Often when reflectors come in colored sets one of the ‘colors’ will be translucent and you can use it as a diffuser.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A great looking vlog is a well-lit vlog. Not everybody can afford professional lighting equipment for their YouTube channels. It’s a big investment, especially if you think of your channel as a hobby. Sometimes even if you have a lighting kit you do not want to set up multiple lights and stands to every time you shoot a vlog entry. You might be shooting them every day. It is great to have lighting equipment, and it is also great to know when you can get around it.
How to Get Best Natural Lighting Indoors
Using a window as your main light source is a simple way to get high quality lighting on a budget. When it is bright outside a window is as powerful as any light you might have. So, besides just being cheap, windows can actually make your YouTube videos look amazing.
1. Windows as Key Lights
When you shoot near a window you can treat that window the same as the key light in a three-point lighting set up.
In three-point lighting you have a key light, a fill light, and a main light. Your key light, in this case your window, is off to one side. It will cast a shadow over half of your face which you soften using your fill light. Your backlight is a light you put behind you to help you pop out of your background.
Another thing that can help you pop out from your background is focusing your keylight so that its light is only landing on you, not your background.
Rather than setting up professional lights for your fill and backlights try using household lamps or reflectors. Reflectors are used to bounce light from another source, so if you set one up opposite to the window it will redirect light back at the shaded side of your face.
Reflectors are very affordable, often around $20, but if you do not have one then you can use a sheet of aluminum foil.
2. Windows as Front Lights
Vlogging while facing a window is a great way to get even lighting over your entire face. This is a great set up for makeup tutorials or other beauty vlogs. It can also work for opinion vloggers, or any other vlogging genre where the focus is on a stationary host, though.
The only issue that can arise when you use a window as a front light for your vlog is that you do not stand out from your background because the lighting is even on both you and it. This is not difficult to get around; you just need a backlight.
You can use a household lamp or a reflector as a backlight. The idea is that the light hitting you from behind will create a boarder around you that will make you pop out from the background of your shot.
3. Windows as Backlights
It is usually a bad idea to use a window as a backlight because they are too bright. Shooting with a window behind you will not just give you a dark boarder, like a lamp or a reflector; it will completely transform you into a silhouette. This is an interesting effect in some situations, but not in a vlog where your viewers are expecting to be able to see you. It is sometimes possible to make this kind of shot work by increasing your exposure, but then you might end up with over-exposed footage. Pushing the ‘info’ button a couple times will allow you to check you exposure on most DSLRs.
4. Diffusers
A diffuser is a screen of translucent fabric you can use to soften your light. The light coming from your window might be hard on your eyes, and setting up a diffuser between you and your window can help you not to blink. Often when reflectors come in colored sets one of the ‘colors’ will be translucent and you can use it as a diffuser.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Also read:
- In 2024, Unveiling the Secret Sauce for Massive TikTok Content Grabs
- [New] Text Memes Made Simple Utilize Meme Creator Tools
- Unlocking Free Animation Digital/Physical Realms for 2024
- [New] Unleashing Voice Commands with Top Mac Translation Programs
- [Updated] Streamer's Dilemma Is VLC Superior to MPC?
- Prime 6 Social Sites Boosting Biz Success for 2024
- [Updated] Optimal Webcam Solutions for Audio Professionals
- [New] The Veracity of FFmpeg’s Audio Extraction Techniques
- Unveiling Windows 11'S Core Enhancements for 2024
- [New] The Art of Eluding Home School Video Content
- The Ultimate Guide to Essential 10 FCP Plugins for 2024
- [Updated] The Cutting Edge in Photo Framing Techniques, 2023 Software Guide
- [New] Ultimate Storage Solution for Sony A7S II
- In 2024, Techniques in Producing Accelerated Video Narratives
- In 2024, The Plating Palette Techniques for Food Cinematography
- 2024 Approved Methods for Extracting Video Tweets as Compact MP3 Files
- [Updated] Switch to Picture in Picture While Watching YouTube
- 2024 Approved Swiftly Get Your Favorite Skype Tones From Here
- Extensive Insights Deconstructing the DJI Inspire 1 for 2024
- [Updated] The Perfect Blur Techniques for Smoother Photo Edits
- In 2024, Unlock Your Phone's Personality with a Customized WhatsApp Tone
- 2024 Approved Time Traveler's Guide Mastering Video Speed Adjustment
- 2024 Approved The Smart Explorer's Choice Premium VR Gear Ranked
- [New] Transform Your Pictures - The Leaderboard of Phone Sticker-Enhancers
- Streamlined Editing Best Apps Compatible with macOS Big Sur for 2024
- 2024 Approved The Low Light Guru' Writes for iPhone Users
- In 2024, Top Picks for Faith-Based Ringtones Online
- In 2024, The Fancy Filter Fest Snapping with Snapchat's Colorful Cartoons
- [New] Ultimate Utilities Free & Paid Mac/PC BD Software Compared
- [New] Unlock Your Creativity with These Under-$1k 4K Cameras
- Unleashing the Power of Light Advanced HDR in PS for 2024
- 2024 Approved The Best Aviation Start Syma X5C Reviewed for Droning Beginners
- 2024 Approved The Insider's Handbook Acquiring High-Quality, Cost-Free Images
- [New] The Ultimate Picture Editor Tutorial
- [Updated] The Compact Guide to Joining & Scheduling Zoom on Your Android Phone
- Top 7 Tools for 3D Animator's Creation for 2024
- 2024 Approved Streamlining Tech Upgrade Go Big Sur! On Your Mac
- [Updated] Top 15 Gadget Unboxers Your Ultimate 2024 Guide
- [Updated] Unveiling the Secrets of Successful Voiceover Integration
- [New] Streamlined Approach to Add Linktree in TikTok About Section
- In 2024, Unleash the Power of Online Livestreams with Us Today
- In 2024, Mac GoPro Editing 101 From Import to Export
- How to Show Wi-Fi Password on Samsung Galaxy XCover 7
- New Reviewing Efectum App For Smartphone Users Create Slow Motion Videos
- [Updated] In 2024, Laptop Tips Initiating Video Chats via WhatsApp Web
- How To Factory Unlock Your Telstra Apple iPhone 6
- [Updated] In 2024, Empathy-Filled Nintendo 3DS Games for Android Users
- 2024 Approved Simplified Approach to Preserving Video Calls
- From Device Footage to YouTube Shorts - Your Streamlined Approach
- 8 FREE Online Instagram Reels Downloaders That Will Save Your Day for 2024
- Top 10 Telegram Spy Tools On Apple iPhone 14 Pro for Parents | Dr.fone
- [Updated] 2024 Approved Easy Screen Capture App, W10 Edition
- Mobile Innovators' Guide Streamlined Channel Launch for Entrepreneurs & Content Makers
- [Updated] 2024 Approved Maximizing Memory Retention Through Mac-Based Audio Recordings
- [Updated] Effortless Method to Retrace Video Steps in Snapchat for 2024
- Picture Perfection on a Penny Your Guide to Free TikTok Backdrops
- [New] PeekIntoBetterCams Beyond MyCam?
- New The Audio Architects Guide to Stripping Down Beats Online for 2024
- Best for Broadcasting Is OBS Superior to Twitch Studio, In 2024
- How to Soft Reset Poco X5 phone? | Dr.fone
- Title: [Updated] The Art of Increasing Indoor Ambiance via Sunlight
- Author: Christopher
- Created at : 2024-06-03 19:48:23
- Updated at : 2024-06-04 19:48:23
- Link: https://some-approaches.techidaily.com/updated-the-art-of-increasing-indoor-ambiance-via-sunlight/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.