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Step 1
Check the weather before you go out on your video shoot. This is very important, because the weather can have a significant effect on your finished video production.
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Step 2
Determine in advance which type of key light you want for your video. On a sunny day, your key light will be both high key and hard key; that is, it will produce a brightly illumined scene which has high contrast and sharp shadows. A cloudy day, on the other hand, will create a soft key or diffuse lighting effect. The best time of day to shoot outdoors is mid-morning or mid-afternoon when the sun is shining at a diagonal angle. Early morning and late afternoon can also create a desirable lighting effect in your video.
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Step 3
Position your subject and the camera in relation to the sun so that the light is hitting the subject at about a 45 degree angle. Depending on your desired effect you may want to widen or tighten this angle.
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Step 4
Use the sun as your fill light by using a reflector on the opposite side of the subject. You may need a stand or a person to hold the reflector in the correct position. A white board or a silver reflector works very well to create this type of fill light. A silver car windshield reflector is the perfect tool for creating this type of fill light.
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Step 5
Check your shots for continuity. For example, if the clouds pass by the sun as you are shooting, certain shots will be brightly illumined with harsh shadows, and others will be dimmer with more diffuse shadows. When you go to edit your video you will not be able to get a consistent lighting effect in all shots, and will be forced to go back for a re-shoot. The best way to prevent this is simply never to go out on days which are partly cloudy. Instead, try to favor bright cloudless days or days when there is a thick, even blanket of clouds stretching across the sky.
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Step 6
Use a bright, artificial light with a blue filter to supplement the outdoor lighting. This can work well as a fill light or a backlight, especially on cloudy days.
