Lighting Training

Three-Point Lighting

There are three lights on the subject, the back light, the fill light and the key light.

Key Light

This is the main light and is to be placed to one side of the subject. It is usually the first and most important light. To create a silhouetted effect the key light must be removed. This light could be either focused or diffused and can be placed in a variety of angles depending on the position of the subject. In many cases the key light is used for staging or as sunlight.

Fill Light

The Fill Light fills in the shadows that are created by the Key Light. The fill light is softer and less intense than the Key Light.

Back Light

The back light provides definition.

A Bounce Board

A bounce board is a board used to reflect light on a subject. It is made of material that can reflect light from any source, i.e The sun, a light bulb. It also comes in a variety of sizes.

All three would look like this: