8. • The original concepts of contrast and light angles
were often influenced by the light coming in from a
window
HISTORY
9. KEY LIGHT
• Primary or dominant source of light in a shot
• Often suggests an out of frame source
• The choice of fixture (hard or soft) and its
position will help set the mood of the shot
10. Soft Key Light
• Creates the
shadow line
running down
the cheek
Full lighting with Soft
KeyRifa 88, 1000W
Soft light Rifa with
fabric egg crate
11. Hard Key Light
• Dramatic transition between light and dark areas
• Rembrandt Lighting- when key light is positioned so there is
a light triangular patch under the near eye
• Has a slimming effect on the subject
Rembrandt van Rijn,
Portrait of a Lady with an
Ostrich-Feather Fan, c.
1658/1660
Full lighting with
hard key
Pro-light, 250W
Focusing Hard
light
12. Simple Light Setups
• One light will do the work of both Key and Fill
• A second small light from behind adds a little shine to hair and adds a finishing
touch
• A small hard source can be used to see where the shadows are
• By adding an umbrella increases the relative size of the light source so softness
increases
Single light (Omni-
light 500 W) with
umbrella, positioned
to function as Key
light, with enough
softness to also act
as Fill light. Result of One light Source
13. Fill Light
• Lightens shadows
• Combined with the Key light, Fill
light defines the mood by lighting
the shaded areas in a range of
intensities
• Can vary from none, to a level
equaling the Key light
14. Fill Light
You can most
easily alter the mood
of a shot by raising
and lowering the
intensity of the Fill
Rifa 44, 250W Soft lightFill light alone
15. Hair Light
• A light from behind the subject, often weaker
than the Key or Fill, aimed at the head &
shoulders
• May also be called a backlight
• Separates subject and background
• Adds highlights & shine to hair
16. Background Light
• Used for lighting background of set as a whole or
specific areas
• Lights objects in background of set significant to image
• Separates subject and background
• Possible to use multiple background lights
17. Color background
• In this shot, we added red gel to an Omni-
light, focused wide enough to cover the
background area of the shot
Omni-light 500W
focusable
A popular technique used in media to give the background a more theatrical
effect. It provides a contrast of color and feel between the environment and the
subject.
barn doors were used on the fixture
to trim any spill that may fall on the
subject
Editor's Notes
Sometimes when power or time limitations are factors, one light will do the work of both Key and Fill. Experiment by adjusting the distance between the light and your subject to achieve the balance between your key light and the ambient light. Necessary height of your stand and possibly an exposure change to your camera as you adjust position of the lights. Perhaps your situation calls for a more or less powerful bulb or a different fixture.
After setting the Key light, you may find that the darker side of the face is too dark for your tastes. In the setup shown in the viewer at the beginning of this lesson, we chose a Rifa-lite 44 soft light, with a 250-watt bulb, with a soft Egg Crate to control the spill. The amount of Fill that is added depends on your taste (or the preference of the person who hired you). Keep in mind the 'look' you are attempting; especially if you are shooting something that is dramatic. In fact on some soap operas the main difference in lighting between a daytime interior scene and a night setting is they drop the Fill almost all together and light the background a darker than normal.
, and is often widened to include a subject's shoulders. Working with Hair light gets trickier with receding hairlines, and may be done without in that situation. , and is often widened to include a subject's shoulders
Often the function of the light is fulfilled by more than one fixture at a time.
