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3 POINT LIGHTINGPhotographic Imaging 1

+ Introduction to Lighting

These are the 4 types of lighting:

Key

Fill

Hair

Edge

+Window Lighting

In window lighting, concepts of contrast and light angles were often influenced by the light coming in a window.

The north light window attempt to emulate a classic look.

+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.

+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.

+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.

+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.

+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

+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.

+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 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.

Fill light aloneRifa 44, 250W Soft light

+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 lightB) B) Higher ratio of Key to Fill lightC) C) Double Nose Shadow

+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 reflected fill at close range. You may have natural fill already happening from light colored walls reflecting back to the subject.

Specular Reflector bouncing Soft Key light to create FillCloseup detail

+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

+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 aloneRifa 44, 250W Soft light

+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.

+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 aloneL-light, 100W

+Background Light

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

+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 patternPro-light, 250W

+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 AccentOmni-light 500W focusable

+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

+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 backgroundOmni-light 500W focusable

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