In Chapter 3, Controlling the Lamp, the Camera, and Animating Objects, and the bonus chapter Chapter 5A, Lighting a Small Boat, we looked at the lights, and you got a chance to play around with them. Now, we will take a more in-depth look at using light.
The three-point lighting method provides a simple and easy-to-use method to light a scene. It's the basis for many professional lighting setups, and when you understand it, you will have a solid foundation for creating more complex lighting setups.
The three lights represent the three stages of setting up the lighting, listed as follows:
Setting up the general brightness.
Controlling the shadows so everything is well lit. This does not mean bright, but rather that critical details are not lost in shadows.
Adding in highlights to pop the subject of the shot out from the background.
Each of the three lights has a specific name and function. These three lights are as follows: