The key light is the primary light source that helps set the mood. It can be soft or hard. A soft key light uses a large, diffused source like a Rifa-lite, while a hard key light has a more direct, dramatic effect. The fill light is used to lighten shadows created by the key light. Additional lights include a hair light to separate the subject from the background, an edge light to define edges, and a background light to illuminate the setting. Simple setups can use a single omni-directional light for both key and fill, with an additional small light behind for hair light effects. Proper placement and intensity of each light contributes to the overall look.

1. 3 Point Lighting
Photographic Imaging 1

2. Key Light

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

4. Soft Key Light
 The key light is a very soft
Rifa-lite 88 fitted with a 1000-
watt bulb and a soft Egg
Crate to control its spill
 The cheek closest to the
camera has the shadow line
running down the cheek.
Begin to notice how often
you see this in
movies,television and
photographs.
Full lighting with soft KeyRifa 88,
1000W Soft lightRifa with Fabric
Egg Crate

5. Hard Key Light
 250-watt Pro light. The
transition between the light
and dark areas is more
dramatic.
 REMBRANDT: move key
light until you see a light
triangular patch under the
near eye.
 Both soft and hard key lights
are approaching the face
from the far side of the face,
from the camera.
Full lighting with hard key
Rembrandt van Rijn, portrait of a Lady with an Ostrich-Feather
Fan, c. 1658/1660 Pro-light, 250W Focusing Hard light

6. Key Light Techniques
 Keep eye on the shadow it creates from the nose.
 Nose shadow is easier to see with hard light but blends more
when you use a large soft source. Find an angle and height for
your key light that places a shadow along the crease between the
nose and corner of the mouth.
 Placing your light directly in front of the subject, slightly away from
lens takes away the nose shadow.
 Key light “face-on” is effective for lightening the shadows from
wrinkles. This position is very flat light so you need to balance the
needs of filling wrinkles or a slimming effect.
 Hatchet lighting- adjust the height of the key light to a better fill
deep set eyes.

7. Bad nose shadow/Reduced
nose shadow
Hatchet lighting

9. Fill Light

10. Definition:
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.

11. Fill Light
 Rifa 44, 250W Soft light
 Anytime you are treating the
side left shaded by the key
light you are working on the
fill.
 Keep in mine the “look” you
are attempting
 Alter the mood of a shot by
raising and lowering the
intensity
Fill light alone
Rifa 44, 250W Soft light

12. Fill Light Techniques
 Consider light placement
positions near the camera to
hide the shadows behind the
subject.
 Near-the-camera position is
when you want to fill
shadows and still maintain a
little modeling.

13. A. A. Lower ratio of Key to Fill light
B. B. Higher ratio of Key to Fill light
C. C. Double Nose Shadow

14. Reflected Fill Light
-Bounce the Key light off of a reflector.
-Using a matte white card will provide
a very soft reflected fill at close range.
Note: In highly reflective rooms, if your
lighting is too flat, you might consider
a technique called negative fill. This is
often done by hanging a dark cloth or
piece of black foamcore on the fill side
to prevent stray light from providing
too much fill.
Specular Reflector bouncing
Soft, Key light to create Fill
close up detail.

16. Hair Light

17. Definition:
A light from behind the subject, often weaker than the Key or Fill, aimed at the
head & shoulders. It may also be called a backlight. It creates a sense of
separation between subject and background, and adds of highlights & shine
to hair. Often widened to include a subjects shoulders.

18. Hair Light Techniques
 Rifa 44, 250W soft light
 Hair lights are placed directly
opposite of the camera.
Gives it a nice shine.
 Play with adding subtle edge
to the side of the head and
neck.
Hair light alone
Rifa 44, 250W Soft light

20. Edge Light

21. Definition:
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.

22. Edge Light Techniques
 Creates subtle defining
edges and line like
highlights.
 Light edge along the jaw line.
 Be careful to keep any liht
from shining into the front of
the lens
Edge light alone
L-light, 100W

24. Background Light

25. Definition:
Used for lighting the background of a set, as a whole or specific areas, Or
lighting objects in the background of the set that are significant to the image.
It also contributes to creating separation between subject and background.
Often the function of the light is fulfilled by more then one fixture at a time.

26. Background Light Techniques
 Less bright then the subject
 Setup with cookaloris
patternPro-light, 250W
 Other lights should all have
barndoors to direct light only
where its wanted.
Setup with cookaloris pattern
Pro-light, 250W

27. Background Light Options

28. Background Options
 Highlight Accent
 Add light to the object in the
setting
 Color background
 A popular technique in news
magazine format TV over the
past 10 years has been to
give the background a more
obviously treated effect.

29. Simple Light Setups

30. Simple Light Setups
 500-watt Omni-light
 One light will work for both key and fill. A second small
light from behind to add a little shine to the hair adds a
finishing touch.
 Make necessary changes: height of stand exposure

31. Single light (Omni lgiht 500W) with umbrella,
positioned to function as key light, with enough
softness to also act as Fill light.

32. http://www.lowel.
Com/edu/foundations of
lighting.html