Lighting

Lighting Fundamentals

8 guides, starting with Lighting Basics for Photography: Direction, Quality and Colour.

Clamshell Lighting Setup

Clamshell lighting places a key light above and a fill or reflector below the face. Learn the setup, settings, one-light version and common fixes.

3 min read

Colour Lighting in Photography

Learn how colour temperature, white balance, gels and RGB lights affect photos, and how to use colour lighting for mood and subject separation.

3 min read

Contrast Lighting in Photography

Understand contrast lighting in photography: how light shapes tonal contrast, what lighting ratios mean, and how to control high-contrast scenes.

2 min read

Direct Lighting in Photography

Direct lighting is uninterrupted light with no diffusion. Learn how it looks, how to expose it, and how to use or soften direct sun and direct flash.

3 min read

Fill Lighting in Photography

Fill light brightens shadows and lowers contrast without overpowering the key light. Learn sources, ratios, fill flash and common mistakes.

3 min read

Photography Lighting Setup Diagrams

Simple top-down photography lighting setup diagrams for one, two and three lights, showing where to place the light, subject and camera for common looks.

2 min read

Photography Lighting Types Explained

A clear guide to photography lighting types, grouped by source, quality, direction, pattern and colour, so you can choose the right light for each shoot.

3 min read

Related topics

More in lighting