Lighting

KEY LIGHT
The key light is the first and usually most important light that a photographer, cinematographer, or other scene composer will use in a lighting setup. The purpose of the key light is to highlight the form and dimension of the subject. The key light is not a rigid requirement; omitting the key light can result in a silhouette effect. Many key lights may be placed in a scene to illuminate a moving subject at opportune moments.

BACKLIGHTING
The background light is used to illuminate the background area of a set. The background light will also provide separation between the subject and the background. In the standard 4-point lighting setup, the background light is placed last and is usually placed directly behind the subject and pointed at the background. In film, the background light is usually of lower intensity. More than one light could be used to light uniformly a background or alternatively to highlight points of interest.


FILL LIGHT
In television, film, stage, or photographic lighting, a fill light may be used to reduce the contrast of a scene and provide some illumination for the areas of the image that are in shadow. A common lighting setup places the fill light roughly perpendicular to the key light. The fill light is often softer and usually less intense than the key light. The ratio between light and shadow depends on the desired effect. For example, a fill light that is a small fraction of the power of the key light will produce very high-contrast or low-key lighting, while filling with half or more of the key light power will produce a high key, low-contrast tone.

CAMEO LIGHTING (SPOTLIGHT)
Cameo lighting in film is a spotlight that accentuates a single person in a scene. It helps focus on the subject and not its environment.

UNDER LIGHTING
This helps create a shadow on the top of the subject’s face. This lighting is used in some horror films, to build suspense; as only part of the subject is revealed while the rest is cast in a ominous-looking shadow.

HIGH-KEY LIGHTING
High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This was originally done partly for technological reasons, but now is used to suggest an upbeat mood. It is often used in sitcoms and comedies. High-key lighting is usually quite homogeneous and free from dark shadows.
The advantage to high-key lighting is that it doesn't require adjustment for each scene which allows the production to complete the shooting in hours instead of days. The primary drawback is that high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain parts more prominently than others.


LOW-KEY LIGHTING
Low-key lighting is a style of lighting for photography, film or television. It attempts to create a chiaroscuro (a contrast between light and dark) effect. In traditional photographic lighting, three-point lighting uses a key light, a fill light, and a back light for even illumination. Low-key lighting requires only one key light, optionally controlled with a fill light or a simple reflector.
Low key light accentuates the contours of an object by throwing areas into shade while a fill light or reflector may illuminate the shadow areas to control contrast. It tends to heighten the sense of alienation felt by the viewer, hence is commonly used in film noir and horror genres.

SOFT LIGHT
Soft light refers to light that tends to "wrap" around an object, casting shadows with soft edges. The softness of the light depends mostly on the following two factors:
+Distance - The closer the light source, the softer it becomes.
+Size of light source - The larger the source, the softer it becomes.