Nathan Halder's Video Resume

Here’s some examples of my lighting, with no audio, so you can concentrate on the images. Here’s my philosophy on lighting: keep it simple and make it look natural. I try not to use gels or put lights everywhere; this can make a scene look overproduced. When I first check out the room, I look for an angle to take advantage of the depth of the room. Long focal lengths make for a nicely out of focus background. Then I look for pictures, flowers, lamps, or books to put in that out of focus background. I also try to utilize a window as an easy back light (free subtle blue light). If we’re in a hurry, one 250 watt light with an umbrella does wonders especially when I turn off the room lights. Easy and quick . . . and 5-10 minutes of work. If there’s time, I’ll set up a back light on the interviewee or use the light as a kicker on the background. The easiest thing to do is use the barn doors to make a slash. Or, because I’m used to working with “flabby” barn doors on a DP light, I rotate and close the barn doors almost all the way to get some interesting spill light. Another method I have tried is to shine the light through a tall floor plant to get some interesting shapes and textures on the wall.