3 POINT LIGHTING3 POINT LIGHTINGPhotographic Imaging 1 Photographic Imaging 1 Casey O’BrienCasey O’Brien

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All of the lights are on here, lighting every angle.

Only the Key Light is on here. This is the primary or dominant source of light in a shot. There are two types of Key Light, as shown in the following slide.

Types of Key LightTypes of Key LightHard Key Light

It creates a darker shadow, making the

photograph more dramatic.

Soft Key LightIt portrays a soft shadow on the

subjects face, drawing your eye to the

brighter part of the face.

When you’re practicing, keep an eye on When you’re practicing, keep an eye on the shadow it creates from the nose.the shadow it creates from the nose.

It’s easier to create a shadow from the It’s easier to create a shadow from the nose with hard Key light.nose with hard Key light.

Soft Light blends betterSoft Light blends better

When the light is directly facing the When the light is directly facing the subject, the nose shadow will disappear.subject, the nose shadow will disappear.

You can make the Key light seem more You can make the Key light seem more effective by making a dramatic face and effective by making a dramatic face and wearing makeup with the hard Key light.wearing makeup with the hard Key light.

Hatchet Lighting: When the shadow runs Hatchet Lighting: When the shadow runs right down the center of the face.right down the center of the face.

Key Light TechniquesKey Light Techniques

Harsh Nose Light

Reduced Nose Light

Hatchet Lighting

Only the fill light is on here. Fill light is used to lighten shadows.

Fill light Fill light lights the shaded areas of the subjects face lights the shaded areas of the subjects face in a photograph.in a photograph.

What is Fill Light?What is Fill Light?

Fill Light TechniquesPlacement positions near the camera to hide the shadows behind the subject or more off to the opposite side from the Key light.

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

Using an umbrella or a softbox is common.

Only the hair light is on.

• Hair light is a light from behind the subject aimed at the head & shoulders. Hair light is a light from behind the subject aimed at the head & shoulders.

• It creates a sense of separation between subject and background, and adds 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 highlights & shine to hair, and is often widened to include a subject's shoulders.shoulders.

Hair LightHair Light

Hair LightHair Light

Techniques•Traditionally Hair lights are placed directly opposite the camera. It creates highlights and gives a nice shine to the hair.

•For 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.

•For shiny heads you 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.

•You may just need an edge on the shoulders of a dark garment that is blending into the background.

Only the edge light is on.

• Edge light is a Edge light is a light from behind the subject, often weaker than the light from behind the subject, often weaker than the Key or Fill, is placed to create an edge of definition between subject Key or Fill, is placed to create an edge of definition between subject and backgroundand background

• Similar in practice to Hair light, it is also a form of backlight normally 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 used to define one dark object from another, for example a dark jacket from a similarly dark background.jacket from a similarly dark background.

Edge LightEdge Light

Edge LightEdge 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.

•If your subject's dark hair or jacket seems to blend into a similarly dark background you can add an 'edge' to visibly separate, or cut them away, from the background.

•To experiment with these effects start with small fixtures and keep an eye on the shadow from the subjects ear.

•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.

This is the setup.

• Background Light is used for lighting the background of a Background Light is used for lighting the background of a set, as a whole or specific areas. Or for lighting objects in set, as a whole or specific areas. Or for lighting objects in the background of the set that are significant to the image. the background of the set that are significant to the image. It also contributes to creating separation between subject It also contributes to creating separation between subject and background. and background.

Background LightBackground Light

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

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

• By the time you've put up your Key, By the time you've put up your Key, Fill, Hair and Edge lights you might Fill, Hair and Edge lights you might have light bouncing off the walls and have light bouncing off the walls and ceiling lighting up the background ceiling lighting up the background too much.too much.

Background Light TechniquesBackground Light Techniques

• It is also common to 'treat' the It is also common to 'treat' the background using a slash of light background using a slash of light made by putting two barndoors made by putting two barndoors close together on a hard light close together on a hard light source.source.

• Slash AccentSlash Accent

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

Background Light OptionsBackground Light Options

A more practical approach to A more practical approach to adding visual interest to the adding visual interest to the background would be to add a background would be to add a highlight to an object in the highlight to an object in the setting.setting.

• In this setup, the hard light In this setup, the hard light character of the lamp created a character of the lamp created a sharp shadow.sharp shadow.

•

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

Background Light OptionsBackground Light Options

• A popular technique in news A popular technique in news magazine format TV over the past magazine format TV over the past 10 years has been to give the 10 years has been to give the background a more obviously background a more obviously treated / theatrical effect. It treated / theatrical effect. It provides a contrast of color and feel provides a contrast of color and feel between the environment and the between the environment and the subject.subject.

•

Use barn doors on the fixture to trim Use barn doors on the fixture to trim any spill that may fall on the subject, any spill that may fall on the subject, as its color will make it very as its color will make it very noticable.noticable.

Background Light OptionsBackground Light Options

• A second small light from behind to add a little A second small light from behind to add a little shine to the hair adds a finishing touch.shine to the hair adds a finishing touch.

•

This setup is providing the shine on the hair and This setup is providing the shine on the hair and shoulders. shoulders.

• Get the feel of working with a small hard source Get the feel of working with a small hard source (you can really see where those shadows are) (you can really see where those shadows are) and then perhaps add an umbrella and see that and then perhaps add an umbrella and see that by increasing the relative size of the light source by increasing the relative size of the light source you increase its softness.you increase its softness.

Simple Light SetupsSimple Light Setups

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

• A specular reflector (the shiny hard side) will A specular reflector (the shiny hard side) will kick back nearly as much light as the Key light kick back nearly as much light as the Key light shining on it, in the same degree of hardness shining on it, in the same degree of hardness that strikes it.that strikes it.

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

Reflected Fill LightReflected Fill Light