Not long ago, I wrote a popular article titled Why dynamic range is more important than resolution for achieving cinematic effects If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth a read. While I have always felt strongly that dynamic range is one of the most important elements in achieving a cinematic image, today I want to change gears a bit and talk about what I consider to be more important than DR. That’s lighting, of course.
Capturing cinematic images while shooting digital requires more than a single technology or piece of equipment. There are a lot of variables – from the camera itself to the lenses you use, framing choices, and post-production/color grading, just to name a few. Nonetheless, there is a certain hierarchy as to which aspects of cinematography are most critical to achieving the cinematic look we are aiming for. In my opinion, dynamic range is very near the top of this list, while other elements like resolution are closer to the bottom. When you shoot with a high DR camera, such as the Arri Alexa, it gives you a huge degree of freedom in exposing your images that wouldn’t be possible with a different camera in the same situation. However, it’s possible to get results as beautiful as those you get with Alexa using a poor quality camera or sensor… all you need to do is prioritize your lighting settings.
When we talk about capturing high dynamic range images, what we’re really talking about is ensuring that a lot of detail is preserved in the shadows and highlights so that the image doesn’t get clipped. This allows a lot of flexibility when color grading and results in more organic and forgiving images straight out of the camera. While high DR sensors like the Alexa or Red Dragon make this easier than ever, you can still preserve all the detail in your images by lighting the scene for the sensor you’re using. On the Arri Alexa, you might be able to use a harsh key light and no fill (since the dark shadows won’t be crushed), but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way. Bringing in a second light for fill or bounce is not a difficult task by any means, and it certainly allows you to bring back detail in those shadows, even if you’re using a light with very limited dynamic range.
Once you realize you have the power to control the lighting in your images in any situation, you’ll immediately start capturing more cinematic images – whether on your old Canon T2i or your brand new RED. The truth is, many first-time film shooters are fascinated by high dynamic range cameras, but fail to realize that there is still a lot of lighting involved in high-level shooting. Having a lot of freedom in terms of dynamic range is undoubtedly a very good thing, but that in itself doesn’t mean your images will look good. As a cinematographer, your job is to shape and craft light to create images that tell stories and evoke emotion. You’ll need to do this whether you’re shooting with a 5D or a Dragon. Whether you use natural light or studio lighting. All it takes is attention to detail. Here are a few well-lit scenes that would look gorgeous if shot with any digital or film camera out there because they are so well-lit:
You might think that’s all well and good, but in some cases (running being one of them), you can’t control the lighting. I think you can always control the lighting – you just have to think outside the box. For example, when photographing talent in strong midday sunlight, you may encounter ugly shadows under the eyes (a raccoon-like appearance), but that doesn’t mean you have to shoot that way in the first place. Instead, you can plan your shots differently to accommodate the lack of DR because you know the limitations of your camera and equipment, rather than shooting in difficult situations and then blaming the camera. You can choose to shoot near sunrise or sunset and this problem will go away. This is something many natural light filmmakers do (including Terrence Malick), so why should the rules be any different for you? Or shoot in the middle of the day, but at least use a pop-up board or a little LED light for some fill to help you out… Or in the situation where you want to shoot an interview but the windows are blown out in the background, guess what you can use? ND gel on the windows, just like what filmmakers have used for decades on productions of all shapes and sizes. Virtually every lighting situation has a solution, so try to think critically and develop techniques to compensate for the lack of camera DR. There is no doubt that shooting on a low dynamic range camera is a challenge, but if you understand the limitations of your equipment and improve your lighting skills, you will be able to make a camera with 8 stops of DR look like 14.
So why is lighting more important than dynamic range?
I mentioned earlier in this article that DR is at the top of the hierarchy in terms of elements that give you a cinematic image, and the only element that trumps it in my opinion is undoubtedly the ability to light a scene. As I’ve already outlined in this article, good lighting can make up for a lack of sensor performance, but there’s a whole other argument for the importance of lighting. While DR can help you preserve detail in your images, you need to master lighting to create the mood you and the director want. Picture two actors sitting at a dinner table on a romantic date. Now imagine that instead of using any specific lighting to shape the scene, you turn on a very flat and even house light. If you took this photo with a DSLR or Sony F55, it doesn’t change the fact that this scene looks terrible, and the mood would be completely wrong given the context of the background. Now imagine the same scene, but with the house lights turned off. There was ambient light from candles on the table, soft warm spotlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the characters from behind… A little filler was used in front of the actors (say a white bounce board) to give more detail to their faces. As you can probably imagine, the latter scenario not only looks better, but is also better for the story.
final thoughts
If you can master the art of lighting, you’ll truly develop your craft more deeply and thoroughly, rather than just focusing on buying better equipment to make your life easier. The irony of this situation is that when you actually master lighting and take it seriously, it will inevitably lead to bigger and better projects, and those jobs will inevitably lead to high DR that you may not be able to use today camera. Still, when you get there, and every one of your photos is taken on an Alexa, Epic, or similar camera, your biggest concern is still the lighting. No matter how much the industry changes technologically, one thing will never change: the basic science of imaging lighting. So if you haven’t invested the time in perfecting this art, I highly recommend you do so!
