Three point lighting

Three-point lighting is a standard method used in visual media such as film and photography.

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.

 

The Key light, as the name suggests, shines directly upon the subject and serves as its principal illuminator more than anything else.It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.

In indoor shots, the key is commonly a specialized lamp, or a camera’s flash.

In outdoor daytime shots, the Sun often serves as the key light.

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.