The green screen effect (sometimes known as "chroma keying") is a useful tool for making easy composites. However, getting a clean effect takes very careful and precise lighting. If you find yourself struggling to get it just right, check out this helpful video tutorial that will show you how to properly light a green screen along with some common mistakes and how to fix them.
Coming to you from Profoto, this great video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to properly light a green screen. If done correctly, a green screen can be tremendously useful, allowing you to change the background, add effects, or show information, which is why they can be found in so many applications. However, it takes careful lighting in order to produce a precise effect, as you need the screen to represent a very narrow color range in order to clearly separate it from the rest of the data in the frame. It seems easy enough to get relatively even lighting across the green screen, but the difficulty often enters when you add a subject to the frame, as you must then light them without adversely affecting the lighting on the screen behind them. It certainly takes a fair amount of careful work, but when you get it right, it is a very versatile tool. Check out the video above for the full rundown. Brandt VSM100 Oil Shaker Screen
Brandt Zs/z-2 Factory screen Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.