Basic Lighting & Metering / Key Fill

This video is a tutorial for professional photography students on the use of key and fill lights. The tutorial explains how to compress the dynamic range of an image for capture without sacrificing the integrity of the key or main lighting.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• studio
• lighting+
• photography+key
• light+
• Fill
• light+Large
• Format+light
• meter+
• toyo+
• sekonic+
• 4x5
• camera+
• photography
• tutorial+
• incident

[tomonator60]

No, point the dome at the lens. The reason for the dome is to average the light and the shadow. If you want to put the dome down you can read each source independently but that's not to get an exposure reading. That is to compare source intensity.

Yes, you are correct if you don't cross the axis you won't fill 100% the shadow just 99% that's is what a kicker or accent is for but that's another video.

[Mpathize]

Tom, we need lots more of these vids, i've chkd ur website and its great.(.you need to set up a paypal donation tho').

Regarding the fill light, would it not be best to always have the fill on camera (then it's always goina be on axis) i was at at photo show recently and a guy was trying to sell little LED units,rather like a flash/strobe, i tried one on my camera and of course it was seriously unerpowered,,but after watching your vids i figured this might be just the ticket for portrait fill

[tomonator60]

Donate on the landing page brother $5 thanks

[tomonator60]

I really like LEDs but on Camera isn't always practical but if you can go for it, more movie crews are going that way. Your observation is right on.

[tomonator60]

@SmaddySmidgette That's what I said thanks!

"point the dome at the lens. The reason for the dome is to average the light and the shadow."

[SmaddySmidgette]

@meltdownman1 You point your meter at your camera not the light source.

[Anquav]

face in the pear at 2:35

[Supiripanto]

great tip!! Thanks!

[meltdownman1]

Newbie:

When you are taking the meter reading with the meter, isn't it suppose to be pointed at your light source vice at the camera since the incident light is what is falling on the object?

By not "crossing the axis", are you saying that the beam from the fill light need to be less than or equal to 90 degrees from the key light? A fill light beam at less than 90 degrees to the key light will not fill in all the shadow areas will it?

[robvideomaker5823]

Nicely done I especially like the explanation of the axis and why to keep the fill light on the key side.