Tim Cragg on lighting documentaries
Posted on Mar 20, 2026 by Admin
Documentary DOP Tim Cragg tells us about the tools that let him bend light without breaking the bank
Top image Netflix
If you’re watching a TV documentary, there’s a decent chance that Tim Cragg had something to do with it. For over 20 years, he’s been behind the camera on feature-length projects such as Three Identical Strangers and The Deepest Breath, as well as series including Beckham.
“I tend to work on projects that rely on mood, emotion and tone,” Cragg begins. “They’re quite stylised; there is the story, but I need to juice it up. It’s important I can light quickly, move quickly and change things without needing a big team,” he continues. “For ten years, I’ve used Aputure lights on every project.”
What’s in his bag?
According to Cragg, “lighting used to be a lot more expensive,” with big-budget films turning to high-priced, pro gear. “Aputure came in as a more affordable product,” he recalls. Now, he owns all his lighting equipment – including Aputure’s INFINIBARs, an MC Pro, a Nova P600c and an amaran F22c.
“Because I’m doing documentaries,” Cragg explains, “I don’t have anybody helping me light. I’ve got a camera team of two or three people – and sometimes I get a gaffer – but most of the time, it’s just me.” Efficiency is paramount on any unscripted project, but for Cragg, playing with light – ‘cutting and shaping’ – is just as important.
“Aputure’s spotlight attachments allow me – especially because I’ve got four or five of them – to paint,” he shares. “I can create highlights – soft pools of light or a hard light if I want a high-contrast scene. I can pinpoint areas in the room I want to draw attention to. I can do anything.”
Generally using ‘about 25 lights’ to shoot an interview, Cragg estimates, his tech choices often depend on the project’s desired mood. For a more ‘sinister and dramatic’ production, such as The Carman Family Deaths or The Manhattan Alien Abduction, “I might decide to use a powerful key light and then have it drape down,” he describes. “It tends to bring out a stronger face – more shadows, more definition and it’s not quite as warm and pleasing.”
Conversely, for a creamier feel, Cragg will turn to the Aputure Nova P600c – “depending on how much power I need,” he clarifies – and using a softbox to diffuse the light source. For extra oomph, he might even employ the Aputure LS 300x point source lamp “and bounce that into anything. If I can’t fit a lamp above someone or don’t have the time, I can create a bright hot spot,” he states. “I often use it with the spotlight attachment, which is revolutionary for me – especially for documentaries.”
Looking good
Most documentaries consist of two segments: interviews and B roll footage. For Cragg, he wants the two “to be completely seamless. They need to feel like they are part of the same palette.”
So, sticking with Aputure products means maintaining consistency across the board. “As cameras have become more light-sensitive, we’re using lights at their lowest level. It is not about intensity,” he argues. “We are searching for shaping tools and good communication between each source.”
Cragg appreciates the ability to control his Aputure lights from his phone (through the Sidus Link mobile app) and that they don’t weigh a ton, either.
To add some extra sparkle to interviews and other people-centric scenes, Cragg turns to the Aputure MC Pro, a mini panel that he combines with the MC Pro Bubble Diffuser. “We always use an eye light,” he shares. “We want the reflection in the eye to be a round light, just to add a spark.” If he’s looking to illuminate the entire eyeline, he’ll ‘cut a blade of light and blow the focus to make it really soft’, keeping the intensity low. Thanks to Aputure, “I can paint with light,” he reiterates, “and quickly.”
For freelance filmmakers such as Cragg, owning their ideal kit collection is a luxury. “Lighting technology is changing so rapidly,” he observes, “and companies like Aputure have been able to introduce – at affordable prices – lots of practical lights,” all the while busying themselves with impressive research and development.
“It’s nice to have lights that don’t cost an arm and a leg,” Cragg continues – especially when they look that good.
This article appears in the February/March 2026 issue of Definition
