Lighting at “Magic Hour”
Magic hour is the brief period before sundown.
On a sunny day, magic hour provides light qualities
that look especially attractive on screen. Shadows
from the low sun are long, which models objects
and enhances the impression of depth. The
moisture in the air is often low, so everything
appears exceptionally sharp and clear. The color
temperature is warmer, lending a golden tone
until near sundown, and then a distinctive sunset-
orange tint.
Lighting for magic hour is simple because the
low sun makes reflector placement easy. The problem
lies in capturing all the footage required in the
relatively brief time before the sun actually sets. For
this reason, you may wish to preset and rehearse
several different camera setups, so that you can
move quickly from one to the next as you shoot.
Another problem with magic hour is white
balance, because the color temperature drops
continuously as the sun goes down. One way to
solve the problem is by compensating for the color
shift while shooting. To do this, manually reset the
white balance frequently. That way, you will capture
the long shadows and clear light of magic hour,
but all your original camera footage will have the
same neutral color balance.
After you have edited a magic hour sequence,
you can apply sunset tint to taste or even warm
the images up progressively as the sequence
unfolds to simulate an actual sunset. Be aware,
however, that a digitally applied sunset color can
have a mechanical, too-uniform quality. If you
have the skill to capture it, there is no substitute
for real “magic hour” light.
incandescent lights as true white. You may also
want to set exposure so that the natural shadows
fi ll in as deep black.
If you will edit digitally (and no
incandescent lighting is used) you can create
the color, exposure, and contrast of “night” in
postproduction. In this situation, it is often
safer to get conventionally balanced and exposed
footage and then alter it later.
Use back-cross lighting. Instead of directing
the main light source at subjects from the front
or part-way to one side, position your subjects
and refl ectors as needed to splash the brightest
●
Daytime light levels are high enough for
optimal imaging.
●
Fewer lighting instruments and accessories
are required.
●
Though electrical power is helpful, in some
cases you can shoot without it.
In video, making daytime shots look like
night is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines
(the lighting setup is diagramed in Figure 16-32).
Set white balance for incandescent. Using
an indoor white balance setting outdoors
(Figure 16-33) will lend an overall “moonlight”
bluish cast to the footage, while rendering any
The characteristic long shadows and warm light of
“magic hour.”
McKinley at magic hour.
Chapter 16 Lighting Applications 351