Figure 1-4. The fill light
c. The Background Light (figure 1-5). The background light is a small lamp on a short stand
placed close behind the subject and the background. This lamp lights the background and provides good
tonal separation between the subject and the background.
d. The Hair Light (figure 1-6). This small lighting unit, generally used on a boom from above
and behind the subject, is almost a necessity. It not only adds detail to the reproduction of the hair but
also provides a useful means of subject background separation. In any case, the hair light should not be
allowed to spill over onto the face or ears, since this may cause small but distracting highlights and
refute the basic principle of a single light source. A suggestion for placing the hair light properly is to
bring it forward gradually until its illumination just strikes the forehead or the cheeks, and then move it
back until the highlights on the skin disappear.
e. The Back Light. This is a spotlight aimed at the back of the subject to outline the shoulders
and separate the subject from the background.
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