3 POINT LIGHTING3 POINT LIGHTINGPhotographic Imaging 1Photographic Imaging 1

Interview LightingInterview Lighting

The concepts covered here will reappear in many other lighting setups.

Pay attention to how often these concepts reappear.

Using the following interactive player, you can turn on each light in the setup individually to see its effect. The 4 lights: Key, Fill, Hair, & Edge, form the basics of a well lit portrait. Pay attention to the affects of each in the whole picture.

ConceptsConcepts

Contrast and light angles

The north-light window in old photo studios and our modern soft lights attempt to emulate this classic look.

KEY LIGHTKEY LIGHT

Key Light: The primary or dominant source of light in a shot.

example

Soft Key LightSoft Key Light

Key light: very soft Rifa-lite 88, 1000-watt bulb, soft Egg Crate to control its spill.

Notice the effect cheek; shadow line running down the cheek.

Full lighting with Soft Key Rifa 88, 1000W Soft light Rifa with Fabric Egg Crate

Simple Light Setups

Hard Key LightHard Key Light

Hard Key Light example: 250-watt Pro-light. Transition between the light and dark

areas more dramatic. Rembrandt lighting: move the 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, the short side.

This is a very common and a safe place to start. It might be so popular because it has a slimming effect on the model.

Full lighting with hard KeyRembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of a Lady with an Ostrich-Feather Fan, c. 1658/1660Pro-light, 250W Focusing Hard light

Key Light TechniquesKey Light Techniques

Start: find angle and height for your Key light that places shadow along the crease between the nose and the corner of the mouth.

Next: try placing your light so the nose shadow is nearly gone

Bringing Key light 'face-on' is effective for lightening the shadows from wrinkles

Hatchet lighting: here the shadow line runs right down the center of the face. Can be a dramatic effect when

paired with little or no fill lighting or some edge lights.

Use larger softer light.

Concepts:Bad nose shadowReduced nose shadowHatchet lighting

• When practicing with Key light, keep an eye on the shadow it creates from the nose.

• Hard light: easier to see nose shadow • Larger soft light: blends the nose

shadows more attractively.

Simple Light SetupsSimple Light Setups

Sometimes 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.

Adjusting distance between the light and your subject to experiment.

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

Fill LightFill Light

Fill light: 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.

Fill LightFill Light

Several methods exist for adding Fill light to reduce the shadows.

In the viewer at the beginning, 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).

You can easily alter the mood of a shot by raising and lowering the intensity of the Fill.

Fill light aloneRifa 44, 250W Soft light

Fill Light TechniquesFill Light Techniques

Light placement positions near camera hide shadows behind subject

When Fill is directly over the camera adds to the Key light's exposure.

Near-the-camera position: when you want to both fill shadows and still maintain a little modeling on the subject. You will need a less intense light for the Fill side.

Adjust the distance to lessen the intensity as well as by adding scrims or neutral density gels to the light. Using an umbrella or a softbox is common.

Only wrong way to do Fill is if it adds another set of visible shadows.

Always look closely at your shot to see if your lights are creating unintended consequences.

Fill Light TechniquesFill Light Techniques

Images A & B to the left show differing levels of Fill light..

Image C shows a closer view with a double nose shadow.

A) Lower ratio of Key to Fill light

B) Higher ratio of Key to Fill light

C) Double Nose Shadow

A B C

Reflected Fill LightReflected Fill Light Another method of providing Fill

is by bouncing the Key light off of a reflector.

Specular reflector

In the example shown, the soft Key light is being reflected.

Using a matte white card will provide a very soft reflected fill at close range.

Specular Reflector bouncing Soft Key light to create FillClose up detail

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. Experiment with different amounts of fill and see if you can manipulate the effect to change the feel of the lighting.

Hair LightHair Light

Hair light: A light from behind the subject, often weaker than the Key or Fill, aimed at the head & shoulders. (A.K.A backlight).

Creates a sense of separation between subject and background, and adds highlights & shine to hair.

Often widened to include a subject's shoulders.

Hair Light TechniquesHair Light Techniques

Add finesse to the lighting to reveal the subject’s form by using light from angles beyond what you use for the Fill: i.e. Hair lights and Edge lights.

Hair lights: placed directly opposite the camera. Small hard light: make small hard lines and edges. Larger sources: provide an even, gentle wash.

Thinning hair or bald heads: only want to add a subtle edge to the side of the head and neck. Use an Edge Light.

Shiny heads: could have separate lights for each shoulder or put up a traditional hair light and block, or flag, the part of the light falling on the head.

Be careful to keep any light from shining into the front of the lens, causing lens flare. Wave your hand in front of the light and see if a shadow falls on the camera.

With the advent of modern cameras there is less need for the really heavy use of hair light.

Hair light aloneRifa 44, 250W Soft light

Hair Light TechniquesHair Light Techniques

In the 1970s the extreme backlight was the rage. Find a glamour photo from the era and it will likely have a strong back light blasting directly at the back of the head causing the lion's mane hair style in fashion at the time to glow. If this is what you're after, just try to keep the light far enough back so it doesn't start your subject's hair on fire.

Edge LightEdge Light

Edge light: A light from behind the subject, often weaker than the Key or Fill

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,

Example: a dark jacket from a similarly dark background.

Edge Light TechniquesEdge Light Techniques

Edge lights create subtle defining 'edges’ which can be added to your setup to delineate the edge of your subject. A.K.A. kickers, liners or edge lights.

Used to visibly separate the subject from the background. If you have decided to use little or no fill an edge of some sort can enhance the dramatic effect.

Start with small fixtures and keep an eye on the shadow from the subjects ear. Try hard sources at different distances and angles. Try using a small light with an umbrella or with a diffusion gel.

Edge lights are also aimed in the direction of the camera, so be careful to keep any light from shining into the front of the lens, causing lens flare. Wave your hand in front of the light and see if a shadow falls on the camera.

Edge light aloneL-light, 100W

Edge Light ExamplesEdge Light Examples

Background LightBackground Light

Background Light: Used for lighting the background of a set, as a whole or specific areas; or for lighting objects in the background of the set that are significant to the image.

It also contributes to creating separation between subject and background.

Background Light Background Light TechniqueTechniquess

How you deal with backgrounds depends on whether it is part of the story or just a neutral setting for your subject

For setup used in Viewer, we created a mottled shadow pattern on the background by shining a hard light through a cookaloris (a random pattern cut into wood, foamcore, or black foil).

You try turning off any room lights, or add distance between the subject and the background. In combination with these is the ability to control the lights you've placed in the setting.

Consider using an Egg Crate on any softlights. Other lights should all have barndoors to direct light only where it's wanted. You can finesse more by specifically flagging spilled light from where you don't want it.

Setup with cookaloris patternPro-light, 250W

Background Light Background Light OptionsOptions

Slash Accent

Use a slash of light by putting two barndoors close together on a hard light source.

The image to the left shows a slash created by a focusable Omni-light.

You can mix the slash with general background fill, making it less prominent, or use the slash accent alone in a darker background to increase its effect.

Coloring the slash with a gel is also a common approach.

Setup with Slash AccentOmni-light 500W focusable

Background Light Background Light OptionsOptions

Highlight Accent

More practical approach: add a highlight to an object in the setting.

In this shot: the hard light character of the lamp created a sharp shadow.

The result looks like it have could come from track lighting or a recessed ceiling light, adding to the natural feel of the effect.

Setup with Highlight AccentL-light with 100W lamp

Background Light Background Light OptionsOptions

Color Background

Gives the background a more obviously treated / theatrical effect. It provides a contrast of color and feel between the environment and the subject.

In this shot, we added red gel to an Omni-light, focused wide enough to cover the background area of the shot.

Use barn doors on the fixture to trim any spill that may fall on the subject.

Setup with Color backgroundOmni-light 500W focusable