The Standard 3-Point Lighting Technique

The Standard 3-Point Lighting Technique

The Three Point Lighting Technique is a standard method used in visual media such as video, film, still photography and computer-generated imagery. It is a simple but versatile system which forms the basis of most lighting. Once you understand three point lighting you are well on the way to understanding all lighting.
The technique uses three lights called the key light, fill light and back light. Naturally you will need three lights to utilise the technique fully, but the principles are still important even if you only use one or two lights. As a rule:

• If you only have one light, it becomes the key.
• If you have 2 lights, one is the key and the other is either the fill or the backlight.

	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. To acheive this, you could move the light further away or use some spun. You might also want to set the fill light to more of a flood 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.
If you have a fourth light, you could use it to light the background of the entire scene.

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Types of Lighting

Types of Lighting

These are some common types of light you'll often hear about in film, video and photography. Note that these definitions are not always rigid and some people may interpret them a little differently.

Blonde	1000-2000w, used as a key flood light for large areas.
Redhead	650-1000w, used as a key flood light for large areas.
Pepper Light	100-1000w, small light used as a more focused key or fill light.
HMI	A high-quality type of light which uses an arc lamp instead of filament bulb.
Halogen Work Lamp	150-500w, used as a key flood light for lighting large areas. This is a low-budget lighting solution.
Other Lights	Domestic light bulbs can be used at a pinch, ideally as a secondary light such as fill or backlight. Many video cameras have built-in lights or the ability to mount a light — these are useful in emergencies but provide poor quality lighting.
Chinese Lanterns	A low-cost light, useful in some situations.
Instruments / Housing
Fresnel	A light which has a lens with raised circular ridges on its outer surface which are used to focus the light beam.

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