Tip #5: … But So Are Real Ones, Too
But to re-emphasize: just because you can add more lights and go buckwild with the colors, doesn’t mean you always should. Sometimes a moment is lit fine as-is, or maybe all you need to do is tweak the natural lighting to avoid an awkward shadow here and there. Other times where you do want to set an extra light up, consider using it as a chance to emphasize the natural lighting that’s already present in the scene.
Think about it: where is the sun or moon in your shot? Are there any other light sources you might want to amplify, like the haze of a streetlamp or passing cars? Matching the colors and positioning of those other sources lets you amplify the natural lighting already in a scene on your own terms, without making something that feels too artificial. In the meme-tastic shot above, for example, there are two extra light sources placed just off camera: behind Peter on a lamplight to accentuate its glow enough so it casts light on Miles too, and a white light near a car’s headlights passing by Miles to knock up the shadows.
