1. Basic terms and concepts
Photography is …
Inverse Square Law
Color Temperature
Mixing light sources
Filters (in camera, light mounted, window mounted)
Needs of camera / mood of shot / invisible
3 point lighting (background, kicker)
Flat lighting, 2-point?, bounce?
Typical equipment
Spot or flood
Quartz, HSF or LED
Grid or light stands

2. Key to Effective Lighting: Shadow
Shadow gives images form, weight, texture, mood, depth. Also reveals spatial relationships.

3. 3 considerations before lighting
Key light placement – 180 degrees around subject
Quality of light – hard or soft
Shadow treatment – low key or high key

4. Try to separate subject from background

5. 3 results of light hitting object

6. Typical 3 point lighting diagram

7. 3 Attributes of Key Light
Primary source of illumination
Primary factor of overall exposure
Determines placement and quality of shadow

8. Quality of Light Refers to hard or soft quality of light
“Pin” or undiffused sources create hard shadows that fall off sharply (fresnel)
Soft light is created by using large sources of diffused light.
Determined by two attributes
Large source
Relatively close to subject

9. Floor plan of Portrait Key Light Possibilities

10. Subject lit from 3:00 Position

11. Subject lit from 4:00 Position

12. Subject lit from 5:00 Position

13. Subject lit from 6:00 Position

14. Diffused Lighting

15. See textbook example Catch lights to show proper placement
Broadlighting: when the key light shines of the side of the face closest to the camera
Short lighting: when the key light is on the side of the face opposite the camera; the camera is on the fill or shadow side

16. Short lighting
Side of face toward camera is shadow

17. Broad lighting – side of face toward camera is lit

18. Functions of Fill Light
Fills shadows created by key light
Does not create new shadow

19. Adding Fill for Portrait Lighting

20. Fill Light
Without Fill With Fill

21. Backlight
Hard backlight Soft Backlight

22. Background
With Background Without Background

23. Hard vs. Soft Key Light
Hard Soft

24. Relative Distance of Soft Light Source: Inverse Square Law
Close Far

25. Lighting Dark Skin with Large Sources of Light
Pin Light Source Large Diffused Source

26. Don’t shoot like this – why?
One Light Setup
Use available Light from existing window—
Don’t shoot like this – why?

27. One-Light Setup
Available Light One-Light Setup

28. One-Light Setup
Light directly in front Short Side of Face

29. Color Balance Color Temps Mixing Key light with correct
white balance set correction

30. Warming the Scene
Normal Color Balance Tricking Camera to Produce Warmer Tones

31. Using Backlight as Key

32. Use Large sources for Specular Reflections

33. Backlight as Key Creates Form, Depth, Dynamic Images

34. Camera Indoor, outdoor, automatic Manual vs. automatic (of anything)
Size of chip
Camera to subject distance
Light to subject distance

35. Lighting effects
Silhouette – back lit

36. Lighting effects
Cameo: spot on subject, dark background

37. Lighting effects
Limbo: softly lit (white) background (cyc)