DIY Video Lighting Terms To Know: Fill Light, Natural Light, Ring Light

All right, so you bought this ring light because it's all the craze for creating videos. You set it up and you're wondering why it doesn't look as great as you thought it would.

Ring lights, also commonly known as glamour lights, are meant for up-close shots to help remove any lines or shadows when you create video content. They've become increasingly popular to the general public for video conference calls, influencer videos, and people just like you. 

Why? For starters, they're inexpensive. They also happen to come with this handy dandy tripod that you can pop your phone into the middle of--but they’re not perfect. Most affordable ring lights emit a pretty small amount of light in terms of filling up a room. So relying on it solely to achieve that studio look just isn’t going to happen. 

But hold up, don’t chuck your ring light in the nearest trash can just yet. To achieve the best lighting for video content, all you have to do is learn how to use a ring light in correlation with other factors, such as your environment. Here’s how to set yourself up for success:

Ring Light + Fill Light = Studio Look

I want to introduce you to the concept of a fill light. In studio production, we always use a fill light to compliment our primary light (or key light). But you don't necessarily need to go out and buy another light to do this. Simply use natural light.

If you're shooting video content in the daytime and have a window in your space, use it to your advantage. This will fill out everything else the ring light can't quite reach.

Why is this important? It will eliminate unwanted shadows and prevent you from looking like you're undergoing questioning in an interrogation room... Unless you’re going for the mobster movie look. In that case, go right ahead.

For the rest of us, I recommend making sure the window isn’t directly behind you. Your ring light is simply not powerful enough to counter that stronger light source, meaning you will be silhouetted.

A Few More Video Lighting Thoughts

Now I hear some of you saying, “But Farran, we’ve seen some of your recent videos and in some of them, you have your window behind you.” Fair point. But that’s because I'm using studio lights, so I can get away with it.

In your case, however, I recommend having the window either to the front or side of you. If it's not in the shot, it shouldn’t overpower your ring. 

… But if your window gets a lot of direct sunlight, and you’re still getting washed out, block the window with a sheer cloth or light-filtering curtain. 

One last thing: if you’re going to use natural light, be mindful of the time of day you're shooting. The last thing you want is to achieve the perfect lighting… only to have the light change noticeably as the sun sets. Because then, your shots aren’t going to match when you’re editing video footage later.

In summary, never rely solely on a ring light for video, use a fill light, and avoid shooting against a window. Look awesome and make that paper.

If you like what you’ve heard and you want to learn more about how to create video for Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, or TikTok then don't leave without signing up for my * newsletter * to gain more "quickie" video tips, course content and exclusive video coaching offers that will give you the confidence to do it on camera.