What You See Is What You Get
Light surrounds us all the time and we rarely think about it. Our brains are continuously adjusting to the illumination of each scene that makes up a day. Our eyesight is capable of compensating for a wide range of darks, brights and colors. The camcorder, on the other hand, needs to be told how to record incoming light to match common perceptions.
Point-and-shoot technology, found in most camcorders, takes a lot of the lighting guesswork out of videography. This technology also makes us lazy. Automatic control of exposure and white balance often encourages you to take what you get. And what you get is many times vastly different from what you see. How can you eliminate this difference between real life and reel life? By thinking about light. Question not only if there is enough light, but also consider the source, direction and color of it as well.
Our eyes usually see light as white, whether it's coming from the sun, a table lamp, the overhead fluorescent in an office or a combination of all three. Our eyes detect little difference in the color of light coming from these various …
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