Three Point Lighting Starring TK!

 

In my TV Production class we have been covering different lighting techniques. 

This exercise covers three point lighting, long a mainstay of video and still-shot photography. 

Three strategically placed lights can help produce a high quality, flattering look for someone at the center of it, whether in a video interview, a modeling scenario or a professional head shot for Linkedin or a newspaper or magazine placement. 

Ryan Stubblefield is in this image. 

Makayla Dotson sits for the three-point spotlight. 

Next in this post, I'll break down the steps needed to get the most out of the three-point lighting setup. 

Two years ago I wrote a similar post. Check it out here.

Full Sail University has on YouTube this tutorial on this popular and widely used lighting technique. 

TK Ayinmide is the model for this presentation. First we see her with the three lights turned off. You see the three lights: the key light (front right), the fill light (left) and behind TK is the backlight. 

Here's a close up of TK with none of the lights being used. As each light is turned on one by one you will see improvements in the photographs and how TK looks- though she always looks good lights or no lights! 

Now the key light is on. Is is positioned behind the camera and to the right. See how it lights up the left side of TK's face. 

Generally, the key light is positioned at a 45 degree angle from the camera, is raised high on its stand and should be the most powerful of the three cameras. 

Notice how the right side of her face is a bit in the shadows. 

This is where the fill light comes into play. It is positioned on the opposite side of the axis from the key light. The fill light should be half as bright as the key light, so move it back if necessary because you don't want the same level of light as the key. 

Now we have activated the backlight. It should be on the same side as the key light, pointing down on the subject and is the weakest of the three lights, about 20 percent of the key light's illumination strength. 

The backlight should provide separation from the setting's background and should light the subject's hair on that side of her face. 

We think TK looks even better in this final shot! 

Here's the big picture perspective showing how three-point lighting should look.