Lighting is one of my top concerns as a photographer. When placing my subjects, the first thing I think of is where my light sources are. There are three types of lights in the three point lighting system: a key light, a fill light and a back light.
The key light is the brightest source of light on the front of the subject. It should be at a 45 degree angle rather then straight on. If this is done well it gives your subject depth and definition. When you are outside you can use the sun as your key light.
The fill light is the secondary light source on the subject. It is usually at 45 degrees but on the opposite side of the key light. What makes the fill light different is the intensity of the light. It should always be less intense than the key light. You can see in the photo above my father is holding a gold reflector as my fill light. The reflector catches any light and bounces it back onto my subject's face to fill in really intense shadows.
The back light is the final light. It is the light that shines on the back of your subject to give it separation between the background and the back of your subject. The back light is 45 degrees above the center of your subject, it is also about the same brightness as the fill light.
When you use the three point lighting system your pictures will look great.
The key light is the brightest source of light on the front of the subject. It should be at a 45 degree angle rather then straight on. If this is done well it gives your subject depth and definition. When you are outside you can use the sun as your key light.
The fill light is the secondary light source on the subject. It is usually at 45 degrees but on the opposite side of the key light. What makes the fill light different is the intensity of the light. It should always be less intense than the key light. You can see in the photo above my father is holding a gold reflector as my fill light. The reflector catches any light and bounces it back onto my subject's face to fill in really intense shadows.
The back light is the final light. It is the light that shines on the back of your subject to give it separation between the background and the back of your subject. The back light is 45 degrees above the center of your subject, it is also about the same brightness as the fill light.
When you use the three point lighting system your pictures will look great.