HV30 settings for darker skin tones.
 

I'm wondering if anybody has found a good setting or has any hints for shooting darker skin tones both for interviews indoors with LEDS and outdoors on the run?

Just curious - what is it you are asking during the interview that makes people have to run away outside afterwards?

:-)

I wish it were the questions that got them running, rather than what I have to look at in the mirror every morning.

I know this isn't what you're looking for but all skin COLOR is the same. It is just the amount of pigment in the skin that is different. So other than having adequate light, you really don't need to do anything special for a specific skin type.

Matt, why don't you tell us the specific problem and perhaps that will set us on the right path.

I've had an issue with the HV 20 when filming people with darker pigmented skin. They come out looking like charcoal to be blunt about it. I'm shooting in well-lit rooms but the final project looks like I've been shooting in shadows.

I've narrowed it down to (but haven't had time to find the fix):
1) I need to do a better job white balancing. Everything else in the scene looks correct so I don't think that's it....but I could be wrong. Next time I shoot I need to whip out my Expodisc and balance.

2) I need a heap more light. Again everything else in the scene looks properly lit.

3) I need to color adjust in my NLE

Is this anything like what you're experiencing?

I have an olive complexion. So, I have observed many times underexposed pictures of myself.

.Fill light with DIFFUSION. A diffusion filter is very important to even out the lighting

ZEBRA STRIPES. That is the secret. You have them in the HV 30.

White caucasian faces are around 60% bright when correctly exposed.


Bring up your ZEBRA stripes to 80 or so for darker skin complexion.

I'll be in Africa doing interviews. I

have a couple in-laws who are black and whenever I shoot video of them it always turns out mediocre. I have this one shot of my brother-in-law carrying my daughter on his shoulders at the beach at sunset and what should be a fantastic shot looks like she's being carried by the invisible man. But right now I'm just looking for some hints for Africa. Diffused key light is a great idea. But I'm not sure I'll have much electricity around.

I'm bringing my reflector and some cheap battery powered LEDS and hoping for the best.