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3 POINT LIGHTINGPhotographic Imaging 1

+Interview Lighting

In the course of developing skills in the craft of lighting, this lesson may be among the most important. Sometimes they are there on a subtle level, but they are almost always there.

The more you understand the concepts, both individually and in the way they work together to create an effective image, the easier it will be for you to adapt them as needed in a variety of situations.

Using this interactive player, you can turn on each light in the setup individually to see its effect. You can also view the entire setup to see placement & choice of fixtures. These 4 lights: Key, Fill, Hair, & Edge, form the basics of a well lit portrait

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+KEY LIGHT

Key Light defined: 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

In the setup shown in the viewer, 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.

Look at the cheek closest to the camera. Notice the effect; the shadow line running down the cheek. This is effective in tv shows, movies, and interviews

Full lighting with Soft KeyRifa 88,

1000W Soft lightRifa with

Fabric Egg Crate

+Hard Key Light

This is an example of a hard Key light, instead of soft. 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.

Rembrandt actually experimented with having the main light coming from many directions but this is the look that stuck to his name.

Full lighting with hard Key

Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of a

Lady with an Ostrich-Feather

Fan, c. 1658/1660Pro-light, 250W

Focusing Hard light

+Key Light Techniques

When you practice placing the Key light on your subject, keep an eye on the shadow it creates from the nose. As a start, find the angle and height for your Key light that places that shadow along the crease between the nose and the corner of the mouth. This will happen when your light is anywhere from directly in front of the subject, assuming they are facing slightly away from the lens, to directly over the camera.

Bringing the Key light 'face-on' is effective for lightening the shadows from wrinkles. While this position tends to allow light to spill onto the background it is usually more important to have the subject look good.

Another look is what is sometimes called Hatchet lighting. Here the shadow line runs right down the center of the face. You may also have to adjust the height of the key light to better fill deep set eyes.

Bad nose shadow Reduced nose shadow Hatchet lighting

+Simple Light Setups

Sometimes when power or time limitations are factors, 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. Experiment by adjusting the distance

between the light and your subject to achieve the balance between your key light and the ambient light.

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 is used to lighten shadows and control contrast ratios. Combined with the Key light, Fill light helps define the mood by lighting the shaded areas in a

range of intensities.

+Fill 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.

In the setup shown in the viewer at the beginning of this lesson, we have chosen 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.

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.

Images A & B to the right show differing levels of

Fill light. Notice how image A looks more fully lit, while still maintaining the Key as the dominant

light source, and the reduced Fill in image B increases its dramatic

effect. Double Nose Shadow

Lower ratio of Key to Fill

Higher ratio of Key to Fill light

+Reflected Fill Light

Another method of providing Fill is by bouncing the Key light off of a reflector. A

specular reflector (the shiny hard side) will kick back nearly as much light as the Key light

shining on it, in the same degree of hardness that

strikes it.

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. Indeed you might even plan such a situation.

Specular Reflector bouncing Soft Key light to create FillCloseup detail

+Hair Light

Hair light is a light from behind the subject, often weaker than the Key or Fill, aimed at the head & shoulders. It creates a sense of

separation between subject and background, and adds highlights & shine to hair, and is often widened to include a subject's

shoulders..

+Hair Light Techniques 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.

If you are dealing with thinning hair or bald heads, you probably already have

enough separation from the background; either because of the contrast or color differences, and only want to play with adding a subtle edge to the side of the

head and neck

Since all backlights are aimed in the direction of the camera 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.

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.

+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.

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

+Background Light

Used for lighting the background of a set, as a whole or specific areas. It also contributes to creating separation between subject

and background. Often the function of the light is fulfilled by more than one fixture at a time.

+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.

The image to the left shows a slash created by a focusable Omni-light. Focusing the light to flood will give a larger and

more consistent output level to the slash.

Setup with Slash AccentOmni-light 500W

focusable

+Background Light Options

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 / theatrical effect. It provides a contrast of color and

feel between the environment and the subject.

Setup with Color backgroundOmni-light 500W focusable