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Softboxes Make Me Squint On Set?
I have these softboxes I got off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SCGY5S/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . I had umbrella lights before and they did not light up my face enough in the video.
The problem is I can’t stand on set and not squint. My eyes don’t look relaxed and natural.
Here are one of my videos where you can see me squinting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_LyUlv3oSw
Has anyone else experienced this? Is there any type of lighting that doesn’t make you squint but is also bright enough?
I was thinking perhaps the white screens on the front of my softboxes are too thin.
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5 Replies
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Possibly the diffusion on the front of your softboxes are too thin and possibly too small. If you have a couple of c-stands, try flying some larger, light diffusion out in front of the soft boxes. You will likely find this modification makes you eyes much more comfortable.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
Another trick that sometimes can help relates to the relative contrast of things in your field of vision. A bright light against a black studio wall is going to cause some strain. If the wall behind the camera is dark, try hitting that wall with enough light to bring it up a bit, and see if the eye strain seems reduced.
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Thanks for the suggestion Rick. Any suggestion on what are some good light diffuser screens? I’m going to search on Amazon right now. -Kyle
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For professinal gear you might want to use BHPhotovideo.com. But for light diffusion you could use shower-curtain liner you can buy at Home Depot or the like. Otherwise, a roll of opal. Others will no doubt have similar suggestions.
Rick Wise
Cinematographer
San Francisco Bay Area
https://www.RickWiseDP.com -
At full power, you’re looking into the equivalent of two 1,000-watt lights (which is pretty bright, as you can tell.) If your camera can tolerate a little less light, try turning off a couple of the bulbs in each fixture. It also seems like the lights may be positioned just a little above eye/camera level – have you tried raising them and/or moving them out to take them out of your line of sight a bit? I use a softbox about this size for my key light and find that moving it off-axis helps my talent not be so blinded when reading the prompter.
Good luck!
Mark
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