Using a Main and Fill light - studio lighting beginners' guide

A reflector makes a useful fill light for a budget studio set-up but nothing beats adding a second light. In this set-up we have replaced our reflector with a “fill” light.

Our main or “key” light is fitted with the same silver umbrella and placed at the side position as before. In addition to this we have used our second head, fitted with a translucent, or “shoot through” umbrella. This fill light is placed close to the camera position slightly higher than the subject. It is set to give one f-stop less light than the main light onto the model.

This can be easily set up using a flashmeter and by taking readings from each head individually. e.g. if the main light is giving a reading of f/11, the fill should give a reading of f/8. Don’t forget to take another exposure reading with both lights and set that as your aperture.

By adding a third head as a background light set at half an f-stop more, we put that little extra depth and separation into our picture.