Lighting and Background Tips for Perfect Instagram Video

Lighting and Background Tips for Perfect Instagram Video

Published on 4th of February 2025

You want your Instagram videos to be perfect, and that starts with good planning. One of the most important parts of planning your video is figuring out lighting and your backdrop. These factors can have a significant effect on your videos and whether your followers engage with your posts.

We’ve gathered useful tips for choosing the right lighting conditions and background for your Instagram videos.

Opt for Natural Lighting

Whenever possible, use natural lighting for your Instagram video. Of course, this is a lot easier to do when taking a video outdoors, but it is still possible indoors. Open up the windows to let natural light in. You may even want to consider setting up mirrors to get the light into your area.

Face the Window

Using natural light is only the beginning. You also want to position it properly for your video. Ideally, you should shoot Instagram videos while facing the window. This will give you even lighting on your face without any harsh shadows. Conveniently, the window automatically somewhat filters the light, helping to create that even appearance.

If you have to film facing away from the window, you must supplement the natural lighting. So, you would need to add a light source in front of you.

Choose the Time of Day

The key to taking advantage of natural light in your Instagram videos is to shoot them at the right time of the day. This is especially important when filming indoors, as it lets you plan for the time that the most sunlight will be coming in through your windows.

But choosing the right time of day is about more than just having enough light – it’s also about having the right type of light. For example, the golden hour right before sunset can add a nice yellow glow to your video. Try filming your videos at sunrise or sunset to give your videos that special, magical feel.

Use a Ring Light as a Backup

Unfortunately, it’s not always practical to use natural lighting. In these cases, consider a ring light. These circular lights are popular for a good reason – they illuminate the area around your face, ensuring the lighting is even. The only downside of ring lights is that they aren’t ideal for people with glasses.

Or Use LEDs as a Backup

If you wear glasses or aren’t a fan of ring lights, consider getting some LED panel lights. Some even let you adjust the warmth of the light. The ideal placement of the panels will likely be one on each side of the video frame. They should be slightly above your eye level and set at an angle. That slight angle prevents the light from showing up on your glasses if you wear glasses.

Opt for Lighter Clothing

You may not realize it, but the color of your clothing plays a large role in how bright and clean your video looks. Generally speaking, you should opt for lighter-colored clothing. Darker, contrasting colors will work well in some situations, but your default choice should be light-colored clothes. As a bonus, clothes in light colors will make your skin tone feel more even.

Keep the Background Clean

If you plan on keeping your original video background, then make sure it is clean and organized. It can have items in it but try not to make it look too cluttered. The background is also a great opportunity to show off related items, such as your brand logo or even some of your products. At the very least, make sure the background matches your brand’s aesthetics.

For those times you decide to have objects in the background of your video, try to minimize distractions (i.e., clutter). You also want to be further away from the items behind you, as this limits the details that viewers will see.

Consider Making a Physical Background

For those times that a simple background without distractions makes sense, consider just finding an empty wall to record in front of. Or you can grab a large piece of paper or even a sheet and hang it up behind you. Nature also makes an excellent backdrop.

Use a Filter or Built-In Background

While filters are much more common on Instagram photos than videos, there are still plenty of options. You can access these after you record your video by swiping left or right. You can also choose a built-in background of some sort that will turn you into a floating head. If you do this, you don’t even have to worry about the clutter behind you.

Don’t Forget About Spacing

As you think about the background and lighting, don’t forget to consider where you will be in comparison to the rest of the video. You want to be fairly centered in the video. The camera should also be at about eye level or slightly higher. Putting the camera slightly above eye level will enhance your eyes and make your face look slightly slimmer.

Do You Need a Professional Camera?

You may wonder whether you need a professional camera to take a good video for Instagram. It may help but it likely isn’t necessary. Most people and brands posting on Instagram use their cellphones, and smartphone cameras have advanced enough that most offer adequate features for shooting videos.

Still, you may want to get a professional camera, especially if you frequently take photos and videos for your brand. A professional camera will usually give you more creative control so you can record videos that look exactly the way you want.

When in doubt, start with your phone camera and see how it goes. If your videos are getting negative comments about the quality or are tough to edit, consider buying a professional camera. That way, you won’t spend the money unless you need to.

The Bottom Line

The best lighting for any Instagram video will always be natural light, whether you are recording inside or outside. If you can’t use natural lighting, consider a ring light or LED panels. Instagram videos also look better if your background is clean and decluttered, as this minimizes distractions in the video. Don’t forget to consider using Instagram filters as well to give your videos a more interesting look.

Published by Stormlikes.com

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