the main light on a subject, usually 45° to camera-subject axis
high key lighting
provides all or most of the light in the scene
low key lighting
provides much less of the total illumination
fill light / fill
an auxiliary light, usually from the side of the subject that can soften shadows and illuminate areas not covered by the key light, reduces the contrast of a scene to match the dynamic range of the recording media, influences environment / mood by changing shadows
background light
used to illumiate the background area of a set, provides separation between the subject and the background
back light / rim light / hair light / shoulder light
shines on the subject from behind, often to one side or the other, gives the subject a rim of light, separates subject / background
three-point lighting
a setup of key light(s), fill light(s), and back light(s)
four-points lighting
additional background light(s)
cameo lighting
a spotlight accentuating a single person (and maybe a few props), can create an 'angelic shot' (God shines down light on the person), it can lead to color distortion and noise in the darkest areas
lens flare
light scattered in lens systems through generally unwanted image formation mechanisms (e.g. internal reflection), manifests itself in two ways:
visible artifacts
haze across the image
Rembrandt lighting
used in studio portrait photography, capable of producing images which appear both natural and compelling with a minimum of equipment
key light: high & to one side at the front
fill light / reflector: half height & half power of key light & to the other side at the front
if subject is at an angle to the camera: key light illuminating the far side of the face, on the side of the face not well-lit by the key light there has to be a triangle / diamond-shape of light underneath the eye (no longer than the nose and no wider than the eye)
soft light
light that tends to "wrap" around objects, casting diffuse shadows with soft edges
the larger the source relative to the object & the closer the source is to the object → the softer the light
uses:
cast shadowless light
fill lighting
make a subject appear more beautiful & youthful (wrinkles less visible)
"motivated" lighting: all light appears to come from practical light sources in the scene → soft light supplements these lights without shadows
reflector
improvised or specialized reflective surface used to redirect light
lamp reflector
fixed to a light source (shape: spherical, parabolic, etc.)
a parabolic lamp reflector with an opaque cover in front of the light source, making all the light bounce off the interior wall of the beauty dish, resulting in a softer light than a standard reflector, but not as soft as a soft box, giving the image a wrapped, contrasted look, which adds dramatic effects
soft box / softbox
creates even and diffuse light by directing it through some diffusing material of by "bouncing" it off a second surface
best known form: umbrella light (bounce off the inside of a metalized umbrella)