Lighting

Lighting InstrumentsEllipsoidal Spot Light

One light fixture with a long barrel. This light projects light

out in parallel lines, like a human eye.

A light fixture with a spherical reflector (inside the instrument) and ability to change beam size. Light is soft and even.

Fresnel Light

Fresnel Lens – softens thelight source

Fresnel is pronounced:Fer - Nel

A large bowl shaped light open in front. It provides illumination over a large area.

Scoop Light

Use barn doors to shape light from a fresnel lighting instrument.

To change the color of the light, use a gel

To make your light source softer,use a diffuser.

Some diffusers are freestanding. Some diffusers attach to the

lightingInstrument.

A type of illumination used in the studio that creates sharp, distinct, and very dark shadows

Hard Light

Hard Light Examples

Light which has a soft edge and produces subtle shadows and tones

Soft Light

Soft Lighting

Examples of Hard and Soft Lighting

You will start with a KEY light.

Also known as the Main or Source Light. This is the primary source of illumination and is customarily set first. Positioned to one side of the camera, creates hard Shadows.

Setting Up Your Lights

KEY Light

The lighting instrument is placed at the twelve o'clock position above and behind the talent or object in a shot. This will separate the talent or object from the background.

Back Light

Back Light

The lighting instrument that is placed opposite the key light to provide illumination on the other side of the talent's face or object in the shot

Fill Light

Anything used to bounce and filter light onto the subject.

Reflector

Basic lighting configuration consisting of key, back and fill lights.

3 Point Lighting

A typical lighting composition using four lights; key light, fill light, hair light and backlight.

4 Point Lighting

A grid with light positions drawn in. This is a written plan for studio lighting.

Light Plot

The amount of light from fill light to key light. The proportional relationship between the amount of light falling on the subject from the main light and other lights, expressed in a ratio, such as 3:1.

Lighting Ratio

Reflected light meter measures the amount of light being reflected from (off of) subject matter. An incident light meter can tell you how bright the light is that's falling on a scene from a specific light source. The information is used to correctly set camera aperture and shutter speed.

Light Meter

The relative blueness or redness of white light, measured in Kelvin degrees. Bluish light has high color temperature; reddish light has a low one.

Color Temperature

The visible light spectrum is scientifically described in terms of color temperature, and is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The range for Kelvin on a pro digital camera is approximately 2,000-10,000.. These K settings are the scientific numbers behind the presets of WB on your camera.

Kelvin

Also known as the additive color principle. the process of combining the primary additive colors of red, green, and blue to create a new lighter color

Additive Color Theory

The primary colors of light (not of the inks used in printing) are red, green and blue, known by the acronym RGB.

RGB

Measurement for the amount of current in a circuit.When calculating power usage for a shoot, use the following formula.

Watts/100=Amps

Amps

If you have a 500 watt key light and a 500 watt back light, how many amps will you need?

500 + 500 = 1000 1000 / 100 = 10 The answer is 10 Amps

Try it:

A standard fuse or breaker is 20 amps. So plan accordingly or you could blow the fuse.

Running extension cords that are not heavy gauge wire from another room and breaker can lower voltage to lamps, resulting in drops in color temperature.