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< Product Resources < Lighting Resources
Introduction to Lighting
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Lighting Placement and Definitions
Key Light
The principal or main light source that defines the overall look and the mood of the subject.
Fill Light
If you place a light source at a 45-degree angle from the camera position and slightly above the subject, you will create a shadow on the other side of the subject. The function of the fill light is to reduce this shadow creating a flatter more balanced exposure on both sides of the subject.
Background Light
These lights are directed at the background to add a sense of separation between the subject and background.
Back Light (Separator Light)
Back lights are directed towards the subject from behind, adding separation between the subject and background. These lights tend to give a fringe of light that surrounds the subject. Back lights are also used to highlight a subjects hair.
Rim Light
This light is usually used for lighting objects instead of people.
Kicker
The kicker is used to light the side of a subject usually from a low angle located behind and towards the side of the subject.
Three Point Lighting
The traditional starting point to light a subject is three-point lighting.
Basically, one light is located at 45 degrees to the camera, this is the main or key light. The fill light is positioned 45 degrees to the camera on the other side, and the backlight is placed on a boom just slightly behind and above the subject’s head.
The diagram illustrates the basic positioning of three-point lighting |
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Three-point lighting is only the starting point, but by no means must you light your subjects in this manner. It is always good to start with a proven method to get the feel of things. Once you feel comfortable with the results you are getting, you can become more creative with your lighting set ups. The beautiful thing about lighting is that you can see your results as you set up your lights.
Most strobes also include modeling lights to provide a preview of your lighting effects. The main thing to concentrate on is exposure and controlling the lighting ratio of the different luminaires.
Lighting Ratios
Ratios are commonly used to express the difference between the amounts of light on one side of the subject and the other. This ratio is usually expressed in numerical form starting with the key light in proportion to the fill light.
For example:
If a ratio is 1:1, it means that the fill light is the same intensity as the main light.
This type of lighting will produce a very flat light that is very clean
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Ratio Table - F-Stops |
Key |
Fill |
Ratio |
F11 |
F11 |
1:1 |
| F11 |
F8 |
2:1 |
| F11 |
F5.6 |
4:1 |
| F11 |
F4 |
8:1 |
| F11 |
F2.8 |
16:1 |
| F11 |
F2 |
32:1 |
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| without much drama. If the ratio is 2:1, the key light will give you twice the amount of light as the fill, creating a slight shadow on the fill side of the subject. This is one of the most commonly used ratios. |
When in doubt, start with a 2:1 ratio to see how it looks on your subject. If the ratio were 4:1 you would have a main light with four times the amount of light as the fill, creating a greater shadow on the fill side of the subject.
As you increase the ratio between your key and fill lights, you will be adding more shape, and produce more dramatic results.
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