Lighting Research

I want my documentary to have a sense of realism about it, therefore I must rely on natural lighting when filming my documentary. A lot of my filming will be shot outdoors, therefore I would usually depend on natural lighting. However, there is a lot to take into account in terms of lighting, even when filming with natural lighting. For example, I need enough light in the lens to see the subject however too much light will fill the entire shot with a white fill. I would need to make sure that the levels are right, not too dark and not too over exposed.

Rules become very slippery when you are shooting outside because you don't have ultimate control over the lighting. The sun can disappear behind the clouds and white clouds can become rain clouds that darken shots. This can dramatically change the mood you what to create within a shot. No matter where I am filming, I must take into account what the weather will be like and how I can take advantage of it.