8. HISTORY
he original concepts of contrast and light angles were often influenced by the light
coming in from a window
ur modern soft light is an attempt to emulate the classic north-light window look
9. KEY LIGHT
rimary or dominant source of light in a shot
ften suggests an out of frame source
he choice of fixture (hard or soft) and its position will help set the
mood of the shot
10. Soft Key Light
reates the shadow line running
down the cheek
Full lighting with Soft Soft light Rifa with
KeyRifa 88, 1000W fabric egg crate
11. Hard Key Light
ramatic transition between light and dark areas
embrandt Lighting- when key light is positioned so there is a light
triangular patch under the near eye
as a slimming effect on the subject
Rembrandt van Rijn,
Portrait of a Lady with an
Ostrich-Feather Fan, c.
1658/1660
Full lighting with
Pro-light, 250W hard key
Focusing Hard
light
12. Key Light Techniques
he nose shadow is easier to see with hard light but blends more attractively with larger soft source
ind the angle and height for your Key light that places shadow along the crease between nose and corner of mouth
lace light so nose shadow is nearly gone
hen light is directly in front of the subject, the shadow line on cheek will disappear
ringing the Key light 'face-on' reduces wrinkles (makeup also effective)
• Slimming effect
Bad Nose Shadow Reduced Nose Shadow Hatchet Lighting
atchet lighting- when shadow line runs down center of face
• Can be dramatic effect when paired with little or no fill lighting or some edge lights
13. Simple Light Setups
ne light will do the work of both Key and Fill
second small light from behind adds a little shine to hair
and adds a finishing touch
small hard source can be used to see where the shadows
are
Single light (Omni-
y adding an umbrella increases the relative size of the light
source so softness increases light 500 W) with
umbrella, positioned
to function as Key
light, with enough
softness to also act
as Fill light. Result of One light Source
14. Fill Light
ightens shadows and controls contrast ratios (the ratio of amount
of Key to Fill light)
ombined with the Key light, Fill light defines the mood by lighting
the shaded areas in a range of intensities
an vary from none, to a level equaling the Key light
15. Fill Light
Anytime you are treating the
side left shaded by the Key light
you are working on the Fill
You can most easily alter the
mood of a shot by raising and
lowering the intensity of the Fill
Fill light alone Rifa 44, 250W Soft light
16. Fill Light Techniques
he Fill adds to the key light when directly over the camera
• Fills shadows and still maintains a little modeling on the subject
• A less intense light on the fill side is needed
ays to lessen light intensity
• Adjust key light distance
• Add scrims or neutral density gels to the light
A
ill light is usually a soft source- use an umbrella or a softbox B C
- A looks more fully lit, while still maintaining
the Key as the dominant light source. visible shadows to the camera
ill shouldn’t add another set of
-Reduced Fill in image B increases dramatic
effect.
- C has a Fill light that is almost as strong as
the Key, placed in a position so that the
shadow the nose throws on the opposite
side of the face, visible to the camera.
lower ratio of key to fill Higher ratio of key to Double nose shadow
light fill light
17. Reflected Fill Light
stippled reflector surface will soften the reflected light more and give less chance of
secondary shadows.
sing a matte white card will provide a very soft reflected fill at close range.
egative fill- used in highly reflected rooms
• done by hanging a dark cloth or piece of black foamcore on the fill side to prevent stray light
from providing too much fill
Specular reflector
bouncing soft key
light to create fill
18. Hair Light
light from behind the subject, often weaker
than the Key or Fill, aimed at the head &
shoulders
ay also be called a backlight
eparates subject and background
dds highlights & shine to hair
19. Hair Light Techniques
laced directly opposite camera
Hair Light
reates highlights and gives shine to hair Alone
mall hard lights will make small hard lines and edges
arger sources provide an even, gentle wash Rifa 44, 250W
Soft light
strong back light blasted directly at the back of the head
causes hair to glow
on’t shine any in front of the lens, causing lens flare
20. Edge Light
ight from behind the subject
eaker than Key or Fill
reates an edge of definition between subject and background
orm of backlight normally used to define one dark object from
another
21. Edge Light Techniques
reates subtle defining 'edges', and line-like highlights
elineate the edge of your subject
eparates subject's dark hair or jacket from a similarly dark background
imed in the direction of the camera
Edge Light L-light, 100W
Alone
22. Background Light
sed for lighting background of set as a whole or specific
areas
ights objects in background of set significant to image
eparates subject and background
ossible to use multiple background lights
23. Background Light Techniques
or the setup used above, a mottled shadow pattern on the background was created by
shining a hard light through a cookaloris (a random pattern cut into wood, foamcore, or
black foil).
t was lit by a 250W focusable Pro-light, a hard source
y the time you've put up your Key, Fill, Hair and Edge lights you might have light bouncing off
the walls and ceiling lighting up the background too much. You can try turning off any room
lights, or by adding distance between the subject and the background. In combination with
these is the ability to control the lights you've placed in the setting.
Setup with cookaloris patternPro-light, 250W Setup with cookaloris
ince large broad sources tend to spill on the background consider using an Egg Crate on any pattern
softlights you use. Other lights should all have barndoors to direct light only where it's
wanted. You can finesse more by specifically flagging spilled light from where you don't want Pro-light, 250W
it.
24. Slash Accent
lash of light made by putting two barndoors
close together on a hard light source
ocusing the light to flood will give a larger
and more consistent output level to the
slash
Set up with slash accent
ou can mix the slash with general
background fill, making it less prominent, or
use the slash accent alone in a darker
background to increase effect Omni-light 500W focusable
oloring the slash with a gel is also common
25. Highlight Accent
Highlights and object in the setting
n this shot, a tiny L-light with 100 Watt
lamp is directed to place a small pool of
light on the flowers and the picture frame
he result looks like it have could come
from track lighting or a recessed ceiling
light, adding to the natural feel of the
effect.
AccentL-light with 100W lamp
26. Color background
popular technique used in media to give the background a more theatrical effect.
It provides a contrast of color and feel between the environment and the subject.
barn doors were used on the fixture
n this shot, we added red gel to an Omni-light, to trim any spill that may fall on the
focused wide enough to cover the background subject
area of the shot
Omni-light 500W
focusable
Editor's Notes
The height of the key light may need to be adjusted to better fill deep set eyes Larger softer light will be able to do this without causing the nose shadow to become distracting.
Sometimes when power or time limitations are factors, one light will do the work of both Key and Fill. Experiment by adjusting the distance between the light and your subject to achieve the balance between your key light and the ambient light. Necessary height of your stand and possibly an exposure change to your camera as you adjust position of the lights. Perhaps your situation calls for a more or less powerful bulb or a different fixture.
After setting the Key light, you may find that the darker side of the face is too dark for your tastes. In the setup shown in the viewer at the beginning of this lesson, we chose 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. 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.
More commonly, you may begin to consider light placement positions near the camera to hide the shadows behind the subject or more off to the opposite side from the Key light. (you only need to worry about what's in your frame). Always look closely at your shot to see if your lights are creating unintended consequences.
. 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. . 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.
, and is often widened to include a subject's shoulders. Working with Hair light gets trickier with receding hairlines, and may be done without in that situation. , and is often widened to include a subject's shoulders
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. In the nineteen seventies the extreme backlight was the rage. Find a glamour photo from the era and it will likely have a . If this is what you're after, just try to keep the light far enough back so it doesn't start your subject's hair on fire. and only want to play with adding a subtle edge to the side of the head and neck. . Wave your hand in front of the light and see if a shadow falls on the camera. 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.
Similar in practice to Hair light, it is , for example a dark jacket from a similarly dark background.
You may hear them referred to as kickers, liners or edge lights. . You provide a clue to the viewer where the subject leaves off and the background begins. If you have decided to use little or no fill an edge of some sort can enhance the dramatic effect. To experiment with these effects start with small fixtures and keep an eye on the shadow from the subjects ear. It is popular to have a light edge along the jaw line. Try hard sources at different distances and angles. Try using a small light with an umbrella or with a diffusion gel.
Often the function of the light is fulfilled by more than one fixture at a time.
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. If you look at the Setup shot in the Viewer, you will see the cookaloris, tho' the Pro is hidden from view by the Rifa Key light.
The hard light character of the lamp created a sharp shadow.
