Jump to content

night shooting


Recommended Posts

Hi,

I will be having a shoot at night in a house as well as outside the house in the open air. Is it a must to have the light source outside the window shinning through the window to be blue tint as moonlight ? How about the shots outside the house if the shots are not to be influenced by the light source from the house ? In other words, the light source is the moon. Can I light without taking into account of the blue tint by the supposed 'moonlight' ? TQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Moonlight doesn't have to be blue, but it helps if it is a little cooler than white so as to not look like an artificial tungsten source. Some people like a bit of green in the blue, some people like it barely blue, some heavily blue. You can also go with white IF the background tungsten practicals look warm in comparison so there is some feeling of a different source.

 

It helps if the house is in the background to edge light the person with tungsten as if spill from the house, and then you can have a dim cold light on the face as if the moon, underexposed. If moonlight is the ONLY light in the scene, then it can't be too dim or else the shot just feels murky. It's almost like you're mimicking how you eyes would adjust to different levels.

 

Now a house in the city could be lit outside with the effect of either yellow-orange sodium or blue-green mercury vapor streetlamps instead of moonlight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moonlight doesn't have to be blue, but it helps if it is a little cooler than white so as to not look like an artificial tungsten source. Some people like a bit of green in the blue, some people like it barely blue, some heavily blue. You can also go with white IF the background tungsten practicals look warm in comparison so there is some feeling of a different source.

 

It helps if the house is in the background to edge light the person with tungsten as if spill from the house, and then you can have a dim cold light on the face as if the moon, underexposed. If moonlight is the ONLY light in the scene, then it can't be too dim or else the shot just feels murky. It's almost like you're mimicking how you eyes would adjust to different levels.

 

Now a house in the city could be lit outside with the effect of either yellow-orange sodium or blue-green mercury vapor streetlamps instead of moonlight.

 

TQ David. It is of gread help to me. take care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Close your eyes and try to picture the location as you remember it...not as it actually is. What I mean is that you don't necessarily need it to be blue. I find people tend to believe things based on how they remember them, and not how they actually are. This is why I think audiences tend to believe in exagerrated moonlight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
Hi,

I will be having a shoot at night in a house as well as outside the house in the open air. Is it a must to have the light source outside the window shinning through the window to be blue tint as moonlight ? How about the shots outside the house if the shots are not to be influenced by the light source from the house ? In other words, the light source is the moon. Can I light without taking into account of the blue tint by the supposed 'moonlight' ? TQ

 

Hello,

For the human eye, moonlight will light a curtain or a window background, if you have just one little source in the roon, or no light at all inside.

So, if you are planning to use any light from the window, it should be well bellow your current T/stop for normal exposure.

If you overexpose a window, it really doesn't matter what colour the light is, as it is going to ''glow'' and maybe ''burn'' out it's colour.

As for your questions about the night exterior, it depends of the location that the scenario is reffering to.

A house in the city? near a factory? opposite a bright casino? near a fun park etc.

Dimitrios Koukas

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...