Three point lighting involves key, fill, and hair/edge lights. The key light is the primary light source and sets the mood. Fill light is used to lighten shadows created by the key. Hair/edge lights are backlights that create separation from the background. Background lights can provide overall lighting, highlights, or slashes/accents to the background for visual interest. Proper placement and balance of these three point lights allows photographers to sculpt lighting and reveal form.

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3 POINT LIGHTING
Photographic Imaging 1

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Introduction to Lighting
 These are the 4 types of lighting:
 Key
 Fill
 Hair
 Edge

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Window Lighting
 In window lighting, The north light window
concepts of contrast and light attempt to emulate a classic
angles were often influenced by look.
the light coming in a window.

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Key Light
 Key light is the primary or dominant source of light in a shot.
 It often suggests an out of frame source.
 Choice of fixture (hard or soft) and its position will help set the mood of the shot.

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Soft Key Light
 Key light is a very soft Rifa-
lite 88 fitted with a 1000-
watt bulb and a soft Egg
Crate to control its spill.
 Using this lighting in things
like movies photos and tv
shows you can change the
look of a person.

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Hard Key Light
 This is an example of a hard Key light, We are using a 250-watt
Pro-light. The transition between the light and dark areas is more
dramatic. If you move the key light until you see a light triangular
patch under the near eye, you've achieved what is referred to as
Rembrandt lighting.


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Key Light Techniques
 When you practice placing the Key Light on your subject, keep an
eye on the shadow it creates from the nose.
 Now try placing your light so the nose shadow is nearly gone.
 Bringing the key light “face on”

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KEY LIGHT
 The primary or dominant source of light
in a shot. It often suggests an out of
frame source. Choice of fixture (hard or
soft) and its position will help set the
mood of the shot.

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Simple Light Setups
 One light will do the work of both Key
and Fill. A second small light from behind to add
a little shine to the hair adds a finishing touch.
You Can adjuct Distance.

Single light (Omni-
light 500 W) with
umbrella, positioned
to function as Key
light, with enough
softness to also act as
Fill light.
Single light result

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Fill Light
 Fill light defined: Fill is used to lighten shadows and control
contrast ratios (the ratio of amount of Key to Fill light). Combined
with the Key light, Fill light helps define the mood by lighting the
shaded areas in a range of intensities. It can vary from none, to a
level equaling the Key light.

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Fill Light
 Fill light aloneRifa 44, 250W Soft light
 After setting the Key light, you may find that the
darker side of the face is too dark for your tastes. There are
several methods for adding Fill light to reduce the shadows.

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.

Generally you can most easily alter the mood of a shot by raising
and lowering the intensity of the Fill. In fact on some soap Fill light alone
operas the main difference in lighting between a daytime
interior scene and a night setting is they drop the Fill almost all Rifa 44, 250W Soft
together and light the background a darker than normal.
light

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Fill Light Techniques

 When the Fill is directly over the camera it adds to
the Key light's exposure so consider adjusting for it. The near-the-
camera position can be considered when you want to both fill
shadows and still maintain a little modeling on the subject. You will
most often need a less intense light for the Fill side.

A) Lower ratio of Key to Fill light
B) B) Higher ratio of Key to Fill light
C) C) Double Nose Shadow

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Reflected Fill Light
 Fill is by bouncing the Key light off of a
reflector. A specular reflector will kick back nearly as
much light as the Key light shining on it, in the same
degree of hardness that strikes it.

In the example shown, the soft Key light is being
reflected. A stippled reflector surface will soften the
reflected light more and give less chance of
secondary shadows.

Using a matte white card will provide a very soft Specular Reflector bouncing Soft
reflected fill at close range. You may have natural fill Key light to create Fill
already happening from light colored walls reflecting
back to the subject. Closeup detail

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Hair Light
 Hair light defined: A light
from behind the subject, often
weaker than the Key or Fill,
aimed at the head & shoulders.
It may also called a backlight. It
creates a sense of separation
between subject and
background

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Hair Light Techniques
 Along with the amount of Fill light you use, you can continue to add finesse to the
lighting to reveal the subjects form by using light from angles beyond what you use
for the Fill. Both Hair lights and Edge lights fall into this category.

Traditionally Hair lights are placed directly opposite the camera. It creates highlights
and gives a nice shine to the hair. Small hard lights will make small hard lines and
edges, which are appropriate if you are implying the motivation for the light is a hard
source. Larger sources provide an even, gentle wash.

With the advent of modern cameras there is less need for the really heavy use of hair
light unless it is to appear as motivated or logical in the scene. Watch for programs
done in film or HD and notice how natural these highlights are compared to older
video programming.
Hair light alone
Rifa 44, 250W Soft
light

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Edge Light
 Edge light defined: A light from behind the subject, often
weaker than the Key or Fill, is placed to create an edge of definition
between subject and background. Similar in practice to Hair light, it
is also a form of backlight normally used to define one dark object
from another, for example a dark jacket from a similarly dark
background.

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Edge Light Techniques
 Edge lights create subtle defining 'edges',
and line-like highlights, which can be added to your
setup to delineate the edge of your subject. You may
hear them referred to as kickers, liners or edge
lights.

If your subject's dark hair or jacket seems to blend
into a similarly dark background you can add an
'edge' to visibly separate,
Edge light alone
L-light, 100W

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Background Light
 Background Light defined:
Used for lighting the
background of a set, as a whole
or specific areas

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Background Light Techniques
 How you deal with backgrounds depends on whether
it is part of the story or just a neutral setting for your subject.
Either way you may notice the background level is usually down, or
less bright than the subject. However it is not unusual to highlight
something in the background for interest. A plant or dim lamp is a
common set dressing.

Setup with cookaloris
pattern
Pro-light, 250W

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Background Light Options
 Slash Accent
 It is also common to 'treat' the
background using a slash of light made by
putting two barndoors close together on
a hard light source.

Setup with Slash
Accent
Omni-light 500W
focusable

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Background Light Options
 Highlight Accent
 A more practical approach to
adding visual interest to the
background would be to add a
highlight to an object in the setting.

Setup with Highlight
AccentL-light with
100W lamp

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Background Light Options
 Color Background
 give the background a more
obviously changed effect.
 It provides a contrast of color
 feel between the environment
and the subject.
Setup with Color
 background
Omni-light 500W
focusable

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