Lighting techniques

In preparation for our thriller opening, my group and I have done some practicing in lighting as we've just learnt a couple of different lighting techniques used in all types of productions: these are...

3-point fill lighting- this technique provides natural lighting across an entire object, e.g. a person, this is the exact opposite of chiaroscuro lighting.

Picture example

Chiaroscuro lighting- This is a technique using harsh and little lighting, it makes the frame fade and can be done rather commonly done with black and white or dampened colour. This technique is typically used in horrors.

High key lighting- This uses bright light, usually white, which reduces contrast and gives the scene/picture a white wash over it and gives no shadow in the frame.

Backlighting- This technique is in its name, the source of light (which is generally natural light) to create a silhouette, this can be used romantically- in front of a sunset- or horror- to hide the identity of the villain.

Natural lighting- This is also in the name, natural lighting consisting of sunlight or possibly snow, or the use of a light filter of yellow/white hue.

Artificial lighting- Man made lighting such as light bulbs, street lights, etc. 

After learning about these techniques me, Amy and Beth went out to take some practice shots of these techniques and then later after school I uploaded them on to my computed and used Photoshop to edit them adding different filters to give examples of the techniques above.

Desaturation



Blue/cool filter, shadow

Night vision filter 

Natural bright light

Backlighting

Warm filter

Blue/cool filter, face on

Contrast increase

After mesing around with a few filters I got lots of different effects on my pictures which I feel came out well. I got some of these filters by increasing contrast, desaturation, increasing primary colours i.e. blue to form the cool look. Hopefully when coming to edit my thriller opening I'll be able to use these to give it more of an affect.