{"id":239,"date":"2013-04-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-10T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sproutvideo.wpengine.com\/?p=239"},"modified":"2022-01-27T14:02:52","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T19:02:52","slug":"take-it-outside-6-tips-for-outdoor-filming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sproutvideo.com\/blog\/take-it-outside-6-tips-for-outdoor-filming.html","title":{"rendered":"Take it Outside: 6 Tips for Outdoor Filming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that the weather\u2019s warming up, why not film\u00a0some of your next video outside? Indeed, some of the best online videos are created right in your own backyard, on the streets of a city, or in a park. Basically, anywhere the lighting is good and the ambience is interesting.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve put together a list of useful tips for using these factors to your advantage. Use them to get\u00a0the most out of\u00a0your outdoor filming efforts! Keep reading to get the tips.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Use the sun as a backlight<\/h3>\n

By placing your subject between you and the sun, you can achieve a backlit or \u201chalo\u201d effect that emphasizes the outline of your subject. This can be a desirable effect for romantic or emotionally charged scenes. As a bonus,\u00a0the subject doesn’t have to squint into the sun.<\/p>\n

This technique works best when the sun is at a 45 degree angle. If it\u2019s too low, you risk getting lens flare, so try this after midday. Find out more about how lighting works for video<\/a> in our recent post.<\/p>\n

2. Use the \u201cgolden hours\u201d of daylight<\/h3>\n

Another option, depending on the look and feel you\u2019re going for, is to film when the sun is low in the sky. Roughly an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset, the sunlight turns golden.<\/p>\n

This magical time is referred to as the “golden hour” because nearly everyone and everything looks better in this lighting. Filming with the sun at your back will give your subject a rosy glow.<\/p>\n

3. Use a wide aperture<\/h3>\n

By manually selecting a wide aperture and zooming in on your subject, you\u2019ll be able to blur the background and sharpen the image of your subject. This is a nice way to visually create ambience without distracting from the subject.<\/p>\n

This is particularly important outdoors because it will help minimize the impact of any unwanted movement in the background. By limiting visual distractions, you’ll keep the focus on your subject.<\/p>\n

4. Use a microphone<\/h3>\n

Perhaps this goes without saying, but outside environments tend to have ambient noise. This can negatively impact the\u00a0sound quality of\u00a0your recording.<\/p>\n

To solve this problem, use a clip mic or a boom mic\u2014both of which you can place close to the person speaking\u2014to make sure the focal sound is the speaker, not the background. You can find out more about getting the best sound in your video<\/a> in our recent blog post on the topic.<\/p>\n

5. Use filters<\/h3>\n

Most cameras these days come with a variety of filters that will eliminate the slight annoyances of outdoor filming that can be distracting, like reflections and glare. A UV filter, for example, will reduce glare, while a polarizing filter will reduce reflections from water and windows.<\/p>\n

Read your manual to find out what filters your camera has, and use them! If your camera didn’t come with any, don’t fret. You can often fake this in post production, or buy specialty filters for your camera.<\/p>\n

6. Avoid autofocus<\/h3>\n

Shooting outdoors often means that there will be several objects in your depth of field, such as buildings, trees, etc. This can confuse the autofocus.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not careful you\u2019ll end up with footage that keeps focusing on the trees behind your subject, and blurring your subject. Always try to use the manual focus when you\u2019re shooting outdoors to keep this from happening.<\/p>\n

\n

Do you have any tips to add to the list? We\u2019d love to hear them. Feel free to leave them in comments below, or give us a shout via Twitter (@SproutVideo<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 2<\/span> MIN TO READ<\/span><\/span> Now that the weather\u2019s warming up, why not film\u00a0some of your next video outside? Indeed, some of the best online videos are created right in your own backyard, on the streets of a city, or in a park. Basically, anywhere the lighting is good and the ambience is interesting. We\u2019ve put together a list of useful tips for using these…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_eb_attr":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[39],"feature":[],"yoast_head":"\nTake it Outside: 6 Tips for Outdoor Filming | SproutVideo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Now that the weather\u2019s warming up, why not film\u00a0some of your next video outside? 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