Which side do you put your camera on? When in doubt and you’re on set and don’t remember where to put your camera, remember to “choose the dark side.” A great image has lights and darks, and shooting to the dark side of the face makes the photo or footage have good contrast, which creates a more compelling and cinematic feel. In this video, filmmaker Rob Kaczmark, shares with us more about this helpful tip.
“Choose the dark side. Okay, why choose the dark side? Well, not Star Wars or Darth Vader, but you can often forget what side to put your camera on when setting up an interview or lighting set up. A dynamic image has contrast; something cinematic has lights and darks. A good DP said that when he looks at an image, he always asks himself, ‘Where’s the black?’ So, to create images that have good contrast and that are appealing, you want to shoot to the dark side of the face. There are exceptions to that, but if you’re shooting to the face’s light, you’ll see all light. If you shoot to the dark side of the face, you will see the light, but you’ll also see the dark. So, if in doubt and you’re on set, and you forget where to put the camera, remember, choose the dark side.”
