Fill Light

[joel222]

I've just watched a tutorial on youtube about lighting white backgrounds starring Garry off here. He set up the main light then said ''the fill light is where it always should be, right next to the camera''. I have been shooting portraits with the fill at 45 degrees opposite the main, and just wondered why this is deemed as wrong or not the done thing. Obviously Garry will be right I would just like to know the reasons.

 

[HoppyUK]

I've just watched a tutorial on youtube about lighting white backgrounds starring Garry off here. He set up the main light then said ''the fill light is where it always should be, right next to the camera''. I have been shooting portraits with the fill at 45 degrees opposite the main, and just wondered why this is deemed as wrong or not the done thing. Obviously Garry will be right I would just like to know the reasons.

The sole purpose of a fill-in light is to lighten the shadows of the key-light, as seen by the camera. To do that job properly, it should be as close to the lens axis as possible, and less bright than the key-light so it doesn't produce conflicting shadows of its own.

Personally, I never use a fill-in, not since I used tungsten lights back in the day that are smaller and much harder. With the popular and softer light from softboxes these days it's much less necessary and I just use a white reflector. I also don't like the double catch-lights you get with fill-in, but it's certainly a technique to know and use with harder key-lighting.

 

[joel222]

Thanks, that makes sense.