Nick Ndoole

Lighting Methods Research Project

When it comes to lighting a scene or a subject, it is often common to see an application of

the three point lighting method. This technique has been the standard way of lighting and

has been utilised throughout the course of visual media. The three point lighting technique

is applied by using three separate lighting positions, which include the key light, fill light

and back light. Are there other methods of lighting other than the three point lighting

method?

The three point lighting method is the placement of three lights that act as a key light, fill

light and back light for a subject. The placement of these three lighting components are

crucial to transform a two dimensional image into a three dimensional subject. Ben Si-

monds states that three point lighting “is considered the “standard” lighting setup for a lot

of portraiture and cinematography…[it] is the use of three different lights to achieve a

pleasant, natural look that is adaptable  to a wide variety of circumstances, and gives good

results with most subjects when set up correctly” (2010, p.1). Furthermore, this lighting

method adds definition and controls or at times completely eliminates shadows.

The first component of the three point lighting method is the key light. This is usually called

the source light, which show the direction in which the main light is coming from. “ This is

the main light source. It shines directly on the subject, usually from the front right or front

left, and it establishes the overall look and feel of the shot.” (Niebauer, 2012, p.1). The key

light is the area that is mostly lit on a face or a subject, for instance in the image below the

key light can be seen on the subject’s left side. The light is placed at a 45 degree angle

tilted down towards the subject.

Nick Ndoole

The fill light is the second component of the three point lighting method. This light is mostly

known as the ambience light that occupies the whole space and according to Hyman, the

fill light also defuses the dramatic shadows caused by the key light (2011). The application

of the fill light is illustrated in by the two images below. The image on the left shows the

use of the key light on the right side of the talent, whereas the image on the right show-

case the effect of the fill light as it has refused the shadow created by the key light.

Backlight can be explained as the light that aids in the formation of a three dimensional

subject due to the highlight often seen on the subjects shoulders, hair and back. Simonds

further explains that “…this light is used to pick out the outlines of the the subject and thus

separate it from the background. Rim lights can be very useful in darker scenes where the

subject might otherwise fade into the background (of course this may well be the effect you

desire, in which case carry on).  Rim light is also quite dramatic, and works well in both

high and low key lighting” (2010, p1). In the image below the back light can be seen light-

ing the talents head and shoulders.

Nick Ndoole

After searching for different ways and methods of lighting, it is apparent that the three point

lighting technique acts as a blueprint when it comes to lighting visual media. However, the

four point lighting method is seen to be the more advanced approach to lighting. This

method builds onto the traditional three point lighting by incorporating a background light.

According to The Film Makers Workshop, the background light is introduced to completely

separate the subject from the background. This is done by putting a light directly on the

background to avoid the subject from blending in, especially if the talent is wearing clothing

that matches the background (2015).

This method does not change, however many cinematographers tend to make slight varia-

tions of the method in order to achieve their desired look. These variations are applied

when one, two, or three lighting components are used instead of the combination of all four

(key light, fill light back light and background light). This is when one may choose to apply

the key light alone for a dramatic effect or utilising a combination of the key light and back

light only. The Filmmaker IQ further explains that, “in Film Noir, the most prominent lights

are going to be strong keys and back light. Fill light is not as dominant as we want to exag-

gerate the contrast and get that low key look”. An example of this variation can be seen in

the image below. This screenshot was taken from a noir portrait which clearly showcases

the use of only two lighting components, key light and back light.

Nick Ndoole

It is possible to create an image that has the three point lighting aesthetic look without us-

ing actual lights. According to Izzy Hyman, this method can be created by placing the sub-

ject’s back against the sun (when it is 45 degrees up in the sky) and this acts as the back

light. A key light can be created by bouncing off sunlight off a reflector onto the subject and

the ambiance of daylight is the fill light (2011). An example of this can be observed in the

image below that was taken in the evening with the sunset as the back light and the day

light as the fill light. A reflector was used to bounce the sunlight onto the subjects face as a

key light.

Nick Ndoole

Following my research, I have come to the conclusion that the three point lighting method

plays a crucial part in lighting a scene or an object. Therefore by mastering the application

of the key light, fill light and back light, one can transform an image that would otherwise

be flat and unrealistic, into a three dimensional subject. The addition of a fourth light

changed the concept to four point lighting. This background light only enhances the image

to distinguish the subject from their background. However, the application of this technique

is not strictly limited to the four lighting positions. It is also possible to work with only one or

two of the positions depending on the desired look. Further research revealed that this

technique can be accomplished without the use of actual lights. In actual fact, if an image

is captured at the right time of day, it is possible to use the sunlight as the source of light

for all three components of the three point lighting method.

Nick Ndoole

REFERENCES

Hyman, I. (2011). Three Point Lighting: learn how to use the key, fill, and back lights. Re-trieved September 19, 2015, from

http://www.izzyvideo.com/three-point-lighting/#more-3561

Niebauer, S. (2012). An Introduction to Three Point Lighting. Retrieved September 18, 2015, from

https://vimeo.com/blog/post/an-introduction-to-three-point-lighting

Simonds, B. (2010). Lighting Tips From The Masters. Retrieved September 18, 2015, fromhttp://bensimonds.com/2010/06/03/lighting-tips-from-the-masters/

The Film Makers Workshop. (2015). Retrieved September 20, 2015, fromhttp://www.thefilmmakersworkshop.com/3-point-lighting/