This technique uses three lights in order to create a perfectly illuminated image. Three lights need to be used in order to utilise the technique fully, but the principles are still important even if only one or two lights are used. The three types of lights are: key light, fill light and back light.

Key Light

This is the main light. It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.

Fill Light

This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key.

Back Light

The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject's outlines. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it comes to organising our own photo shoot we will need to consider the lighting of not only the subject but also the background. This is especially important as we want the background for both our digipak and our magazine advert to be white. Subsequently we will have to ensure that there is no shadows present in the photo in order to make the photos look more professional. This is where the fill light is important as it eradicates the shadows created by the use of the key light.