From the course: Lighting for Photographers: Portraiture
Join today to access over 22,600 courses taught by industry experts or purchase this course individually.
Understanding lighting positions
From the course: Lighting for Photographers: Portraiture
Understanding lighting positions
We naturally know a lot about lighting already. Think about the last time you were outside enjoying a sunny day. You probably appreciated the sun on your face. The sun was the main or key light. It created a pattern of highlights and shadows on your face. Now you've moved to a white concrete driveway. The sun is still the key light, but there's lighter reflecting off the concrete and filling in the shadows, that's fill light. Let's bring it inside. It's a stormy November day in Seattle and you want to read a book, so you switch on the reading lamp. That lamp is now the key light, because it's the brightest light in the room. If you pull your book closer to your face, it reflects some of that light to show the shadows. In both of these scenarios there are two light sources. In almost every lighting setup there is a main or key light that reveals the form and shape. In both of our examples, light was bounced back into the subject by reflector, but you can also use lights to add fill…
Download courses and learn on the go
Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.