Elevate your lighting game
Whether you’re a yoga teacher, nutritionist or an instructor for sword juggling, in the post-covid age, taking our teaching into the digital realm has become more viable than ever before. Problem now, is that it’s so easy to get online, you’ll need to up your game to stand out from the competition. How? The visual and audio quality of our content
Don’t worry; you don’t need to spend thousands on cameras and become an amateur cinematographer. Good lighting can transform a modest living room into an inviting space where every movement and breath is showcased in crisp, flattering detail. Poor lighting? Well, that can leave you looking more like a silhouette in a dimly lit cave. Lighting is 80 % of the journey everything when it comes to creating A-grade video form your home.
Understanding Key, Fill, and Backlight: The Holy Trinity of Lighting
Whether you're filming in a professional studio or a spare bedroom, mastering the fundamentals of lighting boils down to balancing three types of lights: key light, fill light, and backlight. Think of these as the three pillars of a well-lit scene. I’ll admit that im going to be a little yoga-biased in the below, but similar guidelines will work for most creators out there.
1. Key Light: The Star of the Show
This is your primary light source, responsible for illuminating you—the educator. It’s the most important light in your setup.
For yoga, you’ll want soft, diffused lighting that mimics daylight. Avoid harsh direct lighting, which can create deep shadows that obscure your movements. You can achieve this by using softbox lights (i.e. a light that you then attach a soft box to) or ring lights. Both diffuse light beautifully and provide a soft, even glow over your entire frame. If you're filming during the day, use the key light in conjunction with natural sunlight—position yourself facing a window, allowing daylight to be your soft, natural key light.
Positioning: Place the key light at least a few feet away from you at a 45-degree angle, slightly above head height, angled downwards. If you're using natural light from a window, ensure it's in front of you or slightly off to one side, never behind.
2. Fill Light: Softening the Shadows
While the key light is doing the heavy lifting, the fill light is there to balance things out. Its job is to reduce the shadows created by your key light, ensuring an even, soft appearance.
If you're using soft natural daylight as your key light, you may not even need a fill light. But if you're in a room without great daylight, or if you're filming at night, you’ll want to place a fill light on the opposite side of the key light, at a similar height, but at a lower intensity. This can be another softbox, or even an LED panel with adjustable brightness.
The goal is for the fill light to "fill" in any shadows cast on your face or body, but not to compete with the key light. It should be subtle, just enough to create even lighting across your frame without washing you out.
Positioning: Place your fill light on the opposite side of the key light, ideally at the same height, about 3-4 feet away. It should be less intense than the key light, so dim it or move it further away to create balance.
3. Rimlight : Creating Depth
A rim light serves to separate you from the background, adding depth to your video. Without it, your background and body can blend together, making the video look flat. The backlight subtly highlights the edges of your silhouette, creating depth and a more professional look.
Positioning: This light should be placed behind you and slightly above, angled toward your upper back and head. It doesn’t need to be bright—just enough to outline you. A small LED light or even a well-placed lamp can work.
4. Bonus : Decorative lights
Beyond the functional lights that illuminate you, there’s room for creativity in how you light your space. Feature lights, like accent lamps, uplights, candles, smart bulbs or string lights, can add warmth and character to your background. These lights aren't meant to illuminate you directly but rather to enhance the overall ambiance, making the space feel inviting and aligned with the calming energy of yoga.
They can add a soft glow that breaks up the monotony of a plain wall. Avoid anything too bright or distracting—these lights should subtly enhance the aesthetic without stealing the show.
Positioning: Scatter them strategically around the background, placing them on bookshelves, window sills, or tucked behind plants. Ensure they're not so bright that they compete with your main lights, but just enough to add a cozy, peaceful vibe.
Balancing Natural Light and Artificial Light
In a home setup, you’ll likely be working with some natural light, especially if you film in a space with big windows. The best time to film is during the golden hours—early morning or late afternoon—when the sunlight is soft and diffused.
However, natural light can be inconsistent. Clouds move, the sun sets—lighting changes can be distracting. This is why incorporating artificial lighting is key. A few well-placed LED or softbox lights ensure consistency no matter the time of day. If you're relying on natural light, supplement it with soft artificial light sources that you can control.
If you want absolute control and want to paint a blank canvas with your light, then black out the space; install blinds, stick up bin liners …. whatever you have access to .
Extra goodies
Avoid Overhead Lighting: Overhead lights create unflattering shadows on your face and body. Stick to side lighting.
Always diffuse the Light: Use softbox diffusers or bounce light off walls to soften the lighting. Harsh light can be distracting and unflattering.
Keep it Balanced: Make sure there’s no one part of the frame that’s drastically brighter or darker than another.
Mind the Background: Ensure your background isn’t overexposed. Keep lighting on you, while the background remains slightly less bright for contrast. If you’ve got buckets of space, then give yourself as music distance from the back wall as possible
Experiment and Adjust: Lighting takes practice. Try different setups, take test shots, and see how the light interacts with your space.
Final Thoughts
Getting the right lighting for your yoga classes is an investment in your online presence and professionalism. Whether you’re filming in a compact studio or the corner of your living room, thoughtful lighting can transform the experience for your viewers. Balanced, diffused light that highlights your movements clearly, while maintaining a serene, inviting atmosphere, will help keep students coming back to your classes.