How To Shoot In A Dark Event - Borderlands 4 Fan Fest Game Announcement

Martin Wong ·

Key takeaways

  • Super dark venue. Fog and spotlights (from 0:00).
  • Spotlight as rim. Separate subject (from 3:00).
  • One handheld light. FIVERAY M20, Nikon Z 8 + 50mm.
  • Enjoy the event. Played the game too (from 2:00).

I was invited to the Borderlands 4 announcement event in the LA Arts District—and it was insanely dark. Fog, spotlights, and moody lighting everywhere made it a challenging environment to shoot cosplay photography… but I made it work with just one light: the Zhiyun FIVERAY M20.

In this video, I walk you through how I tackled the lighting, shot my friends (like @StellaChuu as Vex), and created pro-level portraits in the most chaotic conditions—plus a full BTS tour of the event itself.

Gear Used:

Camera - Nikon Z 8: https://geni.us/NikonZ8Mirrorless

Lens - Nikon 50mm Z: https://geni.us/NIKKORz50mm

Handheld Light - Zhiyun FIVERAY M20: https://geni.us/FIVERAYM20C

Glasses: Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: https://geni.us/RayBanMetaGlasses

FAQ

How do you shoot portraits at a very dark event?

I used the venue's spotlights as a rim light to separate the subject, plus one handheld light.

Keep reading

Questions? Ask me in the comments on the video on YouTube.