{"id":93170,"date":"2017-08-03T06:00:12","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=93170"},"modified":"2017-08-02T13:29:08","modified_gmt":"2017-08-02T18:29:08","slug":"exterior-day-scene-without-lighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/exterior-day-scene-without-lighting\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Light an Exterior Day Scene Without Lighting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lighting for day exteriors can be difficult. Fortunately there are budget-friendly approaches to creating a cinematic look in tough\u00a0scenarios.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cover image via Shutterstock<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In ideal scenarios, most of us would love to have 4K or 18K HMI<\/a>s on standby to light a day exterior scene<\/strong> the way we’d like. However, sometimes we can\u2019t always have those lighting units<\/strong> with us for a variety of reasons. In that case, learning to work and shape the biggest light source<\/strong> you have, the sun, is the strongest approach you can take. If you shape this source well, you can create cinematic images.<\/p>\n

Recently I was in this exact scenario with day exteriors. I\u2019m going to share my approach to how I shaped the harsh overhead lighting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Diffuse Your Overhead Source<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The first step to harnessing the sun is to diffuse it overhead<\/strong>. Below, you can see a photo of what we used on set. We had an 8×8<\/a> \u00bd silk<\/a>\u00a0suspended above the talents’ heads. This cut down that ugly top light that the sun can cast during the day. If a DIY route is more conducive to your approach, you can easily use a white bed sheet<\/strong> or a frosted shower curtain<\/strong> to diffuse the sun from overhead. Also, 5-in-1 reflectors<\/strong> feature a diffusion silk the you can hold or place on a stand above your talent.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

Step 2: Bounce in Your Key Light<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The most powerful light you\u2019ll ever have access to is the sun. Once you\u2019ve placed your overhead diffusion<\/strong>, you may notice your talent is a little dark compared to the background. You can easily remedy this situation by taking either a white or silver reflector<\/strong> and bouncing in the lighting from the sun onto your talent.<\/p>\n

This adds a key light onto your subject and balances their exposure with the background<\/strong>. I would always start with the white side of the reflector as the light source coming from it is softer. If you need more punch, try the silver side. <\/span><\/p>\n

The video below features how different certain bounce materials<\/strong> can look.<\/span><\/p>\n