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Lighting Setup Guide

Professional lighting setups for every budget

thesimplestream.com

Why Lighting Matters

Good lighting is the single most important factor for professional-looking streams. It affects how your products appear, how you look on camera, and ultimately, how much your viewers trust and buy from you.

Good Lighting

  • • Products look vibrant and appealing
  • • Your face is clearly visible
  • • Colours appear accurate
  • • Professional appearance

Poor Lighting

  • • Products look dull and unappealing
  • • Harsh shadows on face
  • • Colours look wrong
  • • Unprofessional appearance

Setup Options by Budget

Free: Natural Light

£0

The best free option is to use natural daylight from a window.

Position yourself facing a window - The light should hit your face, not your back
Avoid direct sunlight - Diffused light on cloudy days is ideal
Stream during daylight hours - Best between 10am-4pm
Limitation: Only works during daylight, inconsistent on cloudy days

Budget: Ring Light

£20-50

A ring light provides even, flattering illumination and often includes a phone mount.

Look for 10" or larger - Bigger = softer, more flattering light
Adjustable colour temperature - Match warm or cool lighting
Dimmable brightness - Control intensity for different settings
Position at eye level - 60-90cm from your face
Recommended: Neewer 10" Ring Light, ELEGIANT Ring Light with Tripod

Mid-Range: LED Panel + Ring Light

£75-150

Two-light setup for more professional results with better depth.

Key light (LED panel) - Main light source at 45° angle
Fill light (ring light) - Reduces shadows on face
CRI 95+ - Higher CRI = more accurate colours
Recommended: Neewer 2-Pack Dimmable LED Panels, Elgato Key Light Mini

Professional: Softbox Kit

£150-300

Studio-quality lighting with softboxes for the most professional results.

Softbox creates diffused light - No harsh shadows
Two-point or three-point setup - Key, fill, and optional backlight
Consistent results - Works regardless of ambient light
Recommended: Neewer 700W Softbox Kit, Godox SL60W with Softbox

Quick Setup Positions

One Light (Ring Light)

You
📷

Ring light directly in front, camera in centre of ring

Two Lights (Key + Fill)

You
📷

Key light at 45° (brighter), fill light opposite (dimmer)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Window behind you

Creates silhouette effect - always face the light source

Overhead lighting only

Creates unflattering shadows under eyes and chin

Mixed colour temperatures

Don't mix warm (yellow) and cool (blue) lights

Light too close or too far

Too close = harsh; too far = dim. Test and adjust.

Quick Tips

Test your lighting before every stream
Match all lights to same colour temperature
Position lights at or slightly above eye level
Use diffusion for softer, more flattering light
Check how products look on camera
Record a test video to review

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