When it comes to creating a stop motion animation one of the most important things you have to consider is lighting. Yup! It is a critical thing that will make a big difference in the look and the quality of your animation.

Let me give you some solid advice on what to look for and what to avoid when it comes to lighting.

This is a test shot from my Library Animation

1. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to shoot test images! And not just a few images. You should also shoot a test series that you put together into a short animation.

-- About the picture above: This animation is a dream sequence. I thought it would add to the "dream-like" quality if I added some blue lighting to the set. And that was definitely a disaster. It doesn't look right. So I removed all the blue LED lights and have opted for a darker set.

2. Consistent lighting is very important! What this means is that if you are doing long shooting sessions that take hours you should seal off your windows! Yes. If you are relying on natural sunlight you are going to get changes in the lighting as the sun shifts and the lighting through your window changes.

So, pull the blinds, and draw the curtains, or block off the windows. Go with all artificial lighting.

3. Your animation will be darker than any single picture: Taking a few pictures will not give you an accurate idea of how the light will come out in your animation. When stitching together all the pictures you will lose some light. The animation will be darker than any single picture. Be aware of this. Sometimes it is necessary to go a little brighter than expected with your lighting. This is why you should do a test series that you stitch into an animation - just a few seconds, so you can see how light or dark it turns out.

I use photography umbrella lighting. It gives a nice and even lighting. You can get them pretty cheap on Amazon. Here is an affiliate link if you want to check them out: Cheap umbrella lights on Amazon

In this next picture you can see my umbrella in action for the dream in the library animation. And also note that in the background you can see a large piece of cardboard against the wall. That is actually blocking off the window so I can control the lighting.

If you don't have umbrella lights, or can't afford to get them that is okay. Just do the best you can with whatever lights/lamps that you have. Just focus on it being very consistent over time.