Lighting a chromakey screen.

Lighting is very important in photography, and this is especially true for chromakey work. It can, in fact, be quite challenging. We strongly recommend that you do some research into how to light for chromakey.

Here are some basic guidelines.

1. Make sure the screen is lit evenly across.
   
   
2. Be careful that your model is not casting shadows on the screen. The subject should be 8-10 feet in front of the screen (10 feet is recommended), and lit separately from the screen.
   
   
3. Set up two lights, one from each side, both a good distance from the screen. This will avoid getting a bright 'hot' spot in the center of the lit area.

Example of good lighting.

The photo at right is a great example of how to properly light your chromakey screen and subject. Notice how smooth the backing screen appears, and how visually distinct the model and screen appear. This photograph was lit and shot by Wayne King of Peoria, AZ. Here is how Wayne describes his lighting setup and photography process. "For the screen, I rented a professional green backdrop from Photomark (the pro camera store in Phoenix that I use.) Total cost was $10.00. "Two large soft boxes were placed about 3 feet from the backdrop and angled in about 45 degrees. Next, I took an incident meter reading to make sure the light on the backdrop was even over all but in particular around the area where the client's body was going to be. The meter reading was 125 @ F8.

"The client was placed 8 feet away from the backdrop. She was lighted with another large soft box from the right side (as you look at the picture). The angle was again about 45 degrees and slightly above her so that I would eliminate as much spill as possible.

"Then I placed a white reflector on the opposite side as a fill light. I choose this because I did not want to add more lights and therefore more spill possibility. I took a meter reading on the client's face and adjusted the lighting to 125 @ F11." Many thanks to Wayne King for his expertise!

Diagram of a lighting setup. Another experienced photographer, Neal Martin, sent us this diagram of the lighting arrangement he uses for his chromakey work. Neal says, "I photograph with a six light setup, in studio and location. Without getting into distance and power setups (which is dependent upon the background I've selected), basic things never change in photography. If you want it to look right, then photograph it right. "Primatte is a wonderful tool, but it will not correct a bad portrait session. You can't expect to stand your subject in front of a green screen and let Primatte take care of everything else. "Your thinking has to change a bit. You need to look at the lighting on the background that has been chosen, then light the subject the same way such as light angle and contrast range. My dance magazine image was taken using this exact light setup." You can see more of Neal Martin's work on his company website, www.martinphoto.com. We also feature Neal in our Primatte Gallery. Thanks, Neal!

Click for larger view

Do research. Test your lighting!

The chromakey process has been around for many years. The lighting techniques for this kind of photography are – of course – different than other photography mediums.

We strongly suggest that you research how to light specifically for chromakey. For free information, go to any online search engine (like Google.com) and type in 'chromakey' or 'bluescreen'. Otherwise, go to Amazon.com to look for books that can help you. There are also photography user forums that you can post questions to.

We also recommend that you test your lighting and physical setup BEFORE you start photographing clients. There are many factors that can create a GOOD or a BAD chromakey photo, and you will need to sort that out beforehand.