THREE POINT LIGHTING: VISUAL TECHNIQUE

THREE POINT LIGHTING

KEY LIGHT:

The key light is the main light used, it is usually the strongest of all three therefore having the most influence on the subject. It is placed to one side of the subject so one side of the object has shadows essentially causing dimension. 

FILL LIGHT:

This is the secondary light used placed directly opposite the key light, this is used to fill/eliminate the shadows caused by the key light. The fill light will usually be a lot softer and less harsh than the key light, to achieve this you can either move the fill light further away from the object or use some spun. You may 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 shone from the rear. Rather than providing direct light to the object (like the key and fill does) its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the objects outlines, this helps to separate the subject from the background and provide a 3-D look instead of a flat 2-D one.