It's a question for everybody who posts their content publicly -- amateurs and pros alike!

In the past, I've been fortunate to shoot in spaces with lots of natural light, and filled in dark spots with floor lamps. I'll often color correct while I'm editing to make the room "seem" brighter than it was. But I live in a small apartment without much natural light, and I'd prefer not to invest in a big, bulky setup, since I have limited closet space.

So what do you do to light your shoots?

I don't have direct experience to offer, but I've heard people talking about "ring lights" recently (e.g. for video conferencing while working from home), and I've put that on my wishlist. As I understand it, the light goes around the camera. So, if you already have some kind of stand for the camera to use (e.g. a tripod) then the ring light won't take up much extra space. Has anyone else tried that?

For MPV it was most often that big light in the sky with a photo reflector. Problem is that generally isn't available with a lot of trees or the very rare roof overhead. Technology has provided an easy fix with daylight balanced LED lighting that you can control with a dimmer. It's cheap, cool, easily available, and best for us it used far less power. Visit any home improvement or hardware store and look around for something that's daylight balanced and the size you need. Works great.

Look at the examples below - The scene is surrounded by growth but Anabelle is perfectly lit. That's actually a lot of watts that cost relatively little to put together and power.

For me it's very dependent on whether I'm shooting at home or traveling, and wether I'm shooting photos or videos.

For still photos I use a set of Paul C Buff Einsteins with various modifiers depending on circumstance.

https://www.paulcbuff.com

For videos shot indoors I use a few different kinds of LED lighting. It generates a lot less heat than traditional "hot lights".

https://savageuniversal.com/products/led-lights/2000-watt-location-light-kit/

A pair of the savage lights is pretty great for most use cases until you need to get extremely creative with your lights.

When I'm travleling, or doing shoots in tight quarters, these rechargeable LED color-adjustable light sources have been INSANELY handy. If you're working in extremely confined spaces and you need something minimally sized, a set of 4 to 6 of these guys with a few light stands will improve your light quality SIGNIFICANTLY.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PVXJZYY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


In the end, lighting is probably the most important component for your shooting, beyond what camera or lens you pick. Reduction in image or video quality because of applied gain which results from insufficient light is one of the biggest downfalls a lot of producers will face. I've seen far too often the case that people want to step up their quality by buying that next new camera body or higher end lens... Neither will help you out better than stepping up your lighting conditions.

My videos during the last few weeks I have used my Samsung S20 on a "clip on" phone holder with an LED ring light which is also attached onto the clip and powered by USB adaptor so fairly portable. The arms of the holder and light are movable and the light has a dimmer and can be changed to blue light or more yellow or somewhere in between.

I used an extension cord and an LED desk lamp for mine...which judging from the quality of them is more of a "what not to do"

I only shoot stills as a photographer and don't tinker with video yet, so... I run Interfit Badgers. I have three AC-powered units for my studio setup, and one battery powered for accent lighting or for shooting outside with fill light. If I don't feel like dragging a big bag with me, a simple speedlight with a Magmod magsphere or bare bulb works, or reflectors if I have an assistant (stands can work but won't follow instructions while I'm still behind the lens and 5-10 ft away.. lol).

A friend of mine bought a few cheap Savage ringlights. They're thin enough they can be hung on hooks on a board, or can be attached to small lightstands. And better yet, when not in use, they can be bagged up and slid under beds.

I've also been considering FlexLEDs or Demorphable LED replacement bulbs for standard 100w fixtures if in a garage or big open space. They're ridiculously bright and can throw light all over the place.

We use two of these LED light panels fully dimmable and also can be battery powered and the battery life far exceeds the shoot time. So have never ran out.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0752BSRZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In the hardware/automotive department of major stores, there's a portable light for hard to see places. It folds in half, is slightly bigger than an open hand, is battery operated, and has magnetic and bungie connections. It uses mirror backed LEDs, and puts out quite a lot for such a small unit. And the battery lasts a fair time.

If you have preexisting horizonal poles you could hang it on them. You did say a closet.

Or you can get a metal plate and tape it to the wall. The magnetic hold will keep it still.

As I said before, it folds, and each side has a light. The hinge turns a full 360 degrees, so you can position it however you want.