Light for streaming makes streamers appear their best. It generates the most enticing shadows and highlights on a person's face to increase visual appeal, clicks, and viewer retention. It can also assist viewers to perceive the streamer's surroundings as well as the items they are exhibiting to the camera, as well as harmonizing the overall color temperature of the streaming video. Read on and get the following information from this post.
- Introduction to lighting basics in streaming
- How to choose the fixture that fits your streaming style best?
- What are the best streaming lights at COLBOR?
- How to set it up to get proper lighting?
- What are other types of lights used for streaming?
Basics: Lighting for streaming explained
You may come across the following lighting terms when searching for setting up light for streaming. Read on to see what are they.
Key, fill, back, and background lights
Key light for streaming is used to illuminate yourself. It typically lies just to the left or right of your camera, but not so far as to produce deep shadows on half of your face.
Fill light is used to support the key light. It is often positioned at a different angle and utilized at a lower or equal brightness to "fill in" or reduce/eliminate the shadows cast by key light.
Back light illuminates you from behind. It is used to add depth to your look on the screen, separating or emphasizing you from the background. When it comes to streaming, it is usually optional and may not even be necessary.
Background light for streaming is placed behind you. It is utilized to spotlight background objects such as walls, shelving, collectibles, or other elements. It draws emphasis to the backdrop while also increasing the depth of field in the overall scene. A well-lit background may greatly help your brand.
Hard VS soft light
Hard light casts strong shadows. The lighting is quite somber and dramatic. Hard lighting is popular in some film genres, such as noir and horror, but it's definitely not what you're after for your live streaming or Zoom conference.
Soft light for streaming tends to "wrap" around things, casting diffused shadows with smooth edges, whereas hard light is more concentrated and casts sharper shadows. Because most people appear better in soft light, streamers benefit from understanding how to convert a hard light to soft light.
How to choose the best light for streaming: 4 factors to consider
With so many options in the market, it might be hard to choose the best light for streaming. The factors below help you make the choice.
Type and streaming purpose
Different types of lights can perform different roles, so it's critical to determine your lighting requirements ahead of time. LED lights for live streaming are a popular choice since they are bright, energy-efficient, and come in a variety of color temperatures.
When thinking about the function of your light, consider what you require the light to perform. Is it necessary to illuminate the entire space or just a specific area? Will you require dimmer lights? Do you want to be able to change the color temperature?
Brightness
You should select a light that is bright enough for your room and streaming requirements. Insufficient lighting may make the video appear drab and unpleasant, while much lighting might generate an uncomfortable and unsightly glare.
The brightness of the light for streaming should be adjusted according to the size of your room and the sort of stream you're producing. Experiment with various brightness settings until you discover the optimal balance for your live streaming.
Color temperature
The color temperature is measured in Kelvin and varies between 1,000 and 10,000 K. The greater the number, the whiter your light source. For example, a 3000K light source will look more yellow than a 6,500K choice. The finest lights have both options, with "warm" and "cool" illumination settings. This allows you to achieve a variety of effects based on your needs.
Lighting controls
Lighting controls are another thing to keep an eye out for. It's convenient to have an app or remote control to modify your lighting settings on the move. This is vital if you're a streamer or content producer who is going on camera for hours at a time when natural light begins to fail and the light around you changes.
What are the best lights for streaming at COLBOR?
Streaming light gives you a professional appearance, making viewers consider you as a reputable source of information, a gamer with all the know-how, or a travel vlogger with a genuine interest for the subject. Here are some lights we highly recommend at COLBOR.
COLBOR CL60R: RGB light for streaming under $200
Features
- Brightness: 22655Lux at 1m 5600K, with standard reflector
- Color temperature: 2700K-6500K(±200), RGB
- Light controls: Onboard buttons & wheels, App control
- Dimensions: 140*80*90mm (Light Base Not Included)
- Weight: 600g (Light Base Not Included)
- Price: $199.00
The COLBOR CL60R is one of the RGB lights for streaming. It features RGBWW COB beads to deliver full color with adjustable hue and saturation. It can "hear" ambient sounds and make responses with light effects thanks to its sensitive audio system. These two parts work together to bring creativity to your streaming by providing a wide spectrum of colors and an audio-visual balanced experience.
While this light is appropriate for any kind of media creation, it is best reserved for smaller studios where the light may be closer to the subject. You can use this light for video streaming, at-home product shots, as well as YouTube videos.
Pros
- Bright 65W output
- Bowen-mount adapter for various modifier options
- Can be powered by V mount battery, PD power bank, NP-F battery
- Compact and stylish design
Cons
- Comes with light base but not include a stand
COLBOR CL100X: 110W LED light for live streaming under $200
Features
- Brightness: 25070Lux at 1m 5600K, with standard reflector
- Color temperature: CL100X - 2700K-6500K(±200) / CL100XM - 5600K
- Light controls: Onboard buttons & wheels, App control
- Dimensions: 152*80*90mm (Light Base Not Included)
- Weight: 800g (Light Base Not Included)
- Price: $199.00
With its 97+ CRI and 2700-6500K color temperature, the COLBOR CL100X is a versatile bi-color LED light for streaming that will suit practically every production, offering natural-looking illumination that merges effortlessly into the sunshine for outdoor video. The color temperature, light effects, and brightness of this device may be adjusted remotely through Bluetooth using the COLBOR Studio App. You can use the CL100X as the fill or key light for your live streaming.
Pros
- Bowen-mount adapter for various modifier options
- Quiet cooling fan
- PowerCube design for combining more fixtures together
Cons
- Cables should be arranged properly when more than one fixtures are combined
COLBOR CL220: Studio light for streaming under $300
Features
- Brightness: 105000Lux at 1m 5600K, with standard reflector
- Color temperature: CL220 - 2700K-6500K(±200) / CL220M - 5600K
- Light controls: Onboard buttons & wheels, App control, physical controller
- Dimensions: 212*128*219mm (Light Base Included)
- Weight: 1570g (Light Base Included)
- Price: $299.00
The CL220 studio light for streaming has a continuous power output of 220W. With a color temperature of 2700-6500K and a CRI of 96+, it can reproduce colors accurately. The TM-30 index is Rf94 and Rg102+ at 3200K.
In addition to compatibility with Bowen-mount modifiers, which is also a feature of the CL60R, the CL220 is built with a standard NATO groove to allow a variety of NATO attachments. It enables you to modify the lighting and design your own lighting kit for streaming.
This light is genuinely all-purpose, but its enhanced light output will make it much more useful in big studios.
Pros
- Powerful light
- Quiet cooling fan
- Compatible to most of light modifiers and streaming accessories
Cons
- Physical controller is sold separately
How to set up lights for streaming: 3 common setups to use
There are three common setups.
Three-point lighting setup
Three-point lighting is a traditional way of illuminating a scene using light sources coming from three different directions. It consists of a key light, a fill light, and backlights. They all face the subject and are similarly spaced apart. This setup is commonly used by streamers to accurately focus light beams on themselves in front of the camera.
Two lights setup
Loop lighting is another professional streaming lighting technique that includes one main light and one fill light. The key light is placed at your eye level, closer to the camera, while the fill light is placed on the other side to eliminate shadows cast by the key light.
One point lighting setup
In this setup, a ring lamp or LED panel would be positioned right behind the camera filming the stream. It has the lowest cost and setup time, making it ideal for beginners and those on a tight budget. If you're utilizing a single light source, aim it exactly above the camera and slightly down on your face. This will provide a pleasing light that will highlight your features.
What are other types of streaming light?
Aside from the aforementioned light for streaming at COLBOR, there are other types in the market. They also offer good illumination for streaming.
Ring Light
A ring light for live stream casts an even beam of light on a subject. It is usually utilized to draw attention to the subject in front of it, but it may also be used to give depth to an image or create an ambient glow.
The advantages of utilizing it for streaming are obvious: it generates an appealing form that can be used with any camera angle without the need for extra equipment. Furthermore, because you don't require as much light as the other types, you won't have any trouble making your frame appear exactly perfect.
Softbox light
Softbox light works by diffusing LED illumination through thin, translucent materials to provide more equal lighting with no bright spots or dark shadows. It is best employed in larger spaces since its setup is anything but small in size. However, this enormous setup includes professional streaming lighting, which is far superior to sitting in front of a floor lamp and calling it a day. For optimal effects, install softbox lights behind the desk you're seated at.
Light panel
This type of light for streaming is often portable and may be used for a variety of purposes, such as backdrops or diffusers. It can also enhance certain things in the streaming by adding highlights or reflections.
Overall, light panels provide a convenient and dependable option for streaming videos and photography with even, attractive lighting. If you want to attain professional-looking results without breaking the budget, light panels might be precisely what you need.
LED tube light
LED tube lights are an extremely bright type of illumination. They can be used to illuminate a room, a person, or an object.
Because of its tube design, they may be positioned directly above the subject, providing a natural effect with soft, even shadows.
Overall, it is an excellent solution for anyone who needs a bright, adjustable light source with steady and variable intensity. These lights can help you generate the right lighting for your project whether you're shooting in a studio or on location.
LED Strips
LED strips are commonly used as back light for streaming, but they may also be utilized as key lights or fill lights on stage sets and other situations where light is needed to illuminate an area.
They're also versatile because they come in a variety of lengths and widths, allowing you to make whatever form you choose.