Watch: 3 Ways to Set Up Your Lighting for Different Times of Day

Light looks different depending on the time of day: even and neutral light during the day, soft warm light at sunset, and hard blue light at night. So, if you trying to recreate these looks for your scene, for example, if you're shooting day for night—or night for day—or whatever, Matthew Workman of Cinematography Database has created a video that shows you what light qualities to look out for, what equipment you can use, how to set up your lighting. Check it out below:

There are many ways to approach lighting setups like these, but Workman's is relatively quick and simple. (Ted Sim from Aputure was on set during the demo, and mentioned that all three setups took only four hours.) Of course, these shots were captured in a studio, which means that 1.) there was absolute control over all of the light that was used in the scene, and 2.) there was more space to fit lights and modifiers.

This may not be the case if you're a no-budget filmmaker, because chances are you're shooting in your house, your buddy's office, or out in the field. So, you'll probably have to deal with not only light from windows or practicals that you can't turn off, but also limited space in which to place your equipment. (That 4x8 beadboard may not be such a good idea in a studio apartment.)

In any case, Workman does walk you through the process of nailing your light's color temperature for different times of day, as well as how to shape it to really sell the effect. What are some techniques you use to capture lighting effects for different times of day? Let us know below!

Source: Cinematography Database