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<title>Key light</title>

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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Key light</span></span>

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<p>The <b>key light</b> is the first and usually most important light that a <a href="Photographer" title="Photographer">photographer</a>, <a href="Cinematographer" title="Cinematographer">cinematographer</a>, lighting cameraman, or other scene composer will use in a lighting setup.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> 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 <a href="Silhouette" title="Silhouette">silhouette</a> effect. Many key lights may be placed in a scene to illuminate a moving subject at opportune moments.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Position_of_camera">Position of camera</h2></div>

<p>The key light can be "<a href="Hard_and_soft_light" title="Hard and soft light">hard</a>" (focused) or "soft" (<a href="Diffuser_(optics)" title="Diffuser (optics)">diffused</a>), and depending on the desired setup can be placed at different <a href="Angle_of_incidence_(optics)" title="Angle of incidence (optics)">angles</a> relative to the subject. When part of the most common setup—<a href="Three-point_lighting" title="Three-point lighting">three-point lighting</a>—the key light is placed at a 30–60° angle (with the <a href="Camera" title="Camera">camera</a> marking 0°). In addition to the horizontal angle, the key light can be placed high or low, producing different effects. The most common vertical angle for the key light is 30° above eye level, so that the nose would not cast a shadow on the lips.

</p><p>A key light positioned low appears to distort the actor's features, since most natural or <a href="Available_light" title="Available light">ambient light</a> is normally overhead. A dramatic effect used in horror or comedy <a href="Cinematography" title="Cinematography">cinematography</a> is a key light illuminating the face from below. A high key light will result in more prominent cheek bones and long nose shadows. <a href="Marlene_Dietrich" title="Marlene Dietrich">Marlene Dietrich</a> was famous for insisting that her key light be placed high.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Lighting_a_scene">Lighting a scene</h2></div>

<p>Using just a key light results in a high-contrast scene, especially if the background is not illuminated. A <a href="Fill_light" title="Fill light">fill light</a> decreases contrast and adds more details to the dark areas of an image. An alternative to the fill light is to reflect existing light or to illuminate other objects in the scene, which in turn further illuminate the subject.

</p><p>The key light does not have to directly illuminate the subject: it may pass through various filters, screens, or reflectors. Light passing through tree leaves, window panes, and other obstacles can make a scene more visually interesting, as well as cue the audience to the location of the subject. The key light also does not have to be white light—a colored key (especially when used with fill or back lighting of other colors) can add more emotional depth to a scene than full white alone. In mixed indoor/outdoor daytime scenes, sunlight may appear to be a <i>warm</i> white, and indoor lighting to be a <i>neutral</i> or artificially-toned white. By contrast, moonlight appears to be <i>cooler</i> than indoor lighting.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Lighting_choices">Lighting choices</h2></div>

<p>In many cases, the key light is a <a href="Stage_light" class="mw-redirect" title="Stage light">stage light</a> for indoor scenes, or <a href="Sunlight" title="Sunlight">sunlight</a> for outdoors. A lighting instrument may also be used outdoors to supplement sunlight or as the primary light source with sunlight or skylight serving as fill lighting. <a href="Lamp_(electrical_component)" class="mw-redirect" title="Lamp (electrical component)">Lamps</a> and light fixtures that are visible props on the set (called “practicals”) can serve as key lights if they are of sufficient brightness. Similarly, <a href="Fire" title="Fire">fire</a>, candles and other natural sources of light can be used.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFMasterClass2021" class="citation web cs1">MasterClass (7 September 2021). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-key-light-learn-how-key-light-creates-different-cinematography-effects">"What Is a Key Light? Learn How Key Light Creates Different Cinematography Effects"</a>. <i>MasterClass</i>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHaraWaltz" class="citation web cs1">Hara, Hiroshi; Waltz, Kenton. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/low-key-vs-high-key-lighting.html">"What is low-key lighting & high-key lighting in film"</a>. <i><a href="Adobe_Inc." title="Adobe Inc.">Adobe</a></i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-02-03</span></span>.</cite></span>

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<ul><li><a href="High-key_lighting" title="High-key lighting">High-key lighting</a></li>

<li><a href="Low-key_lighting" title="Low-key lighting">Low-key lighting</a></li>

<li><a href="Low-key_photography" title="Low-key photography">Low-key photography</a></li>

<li><a href="Stage_lighting_instrument" title="Stage lighting instrument">Stage lighting instrument</a></li>

<li><a href="McCandless_method" class="mw-redirect" title="McCandless method">McCandless method</a></li>

<li><a href="Top-left_lighting" title="Top-left lighting">Top-left lighting</a></li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2024-10-14" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Key_light&oldid=1251126950">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

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