The Main Light: The Dominant Source
Where do you start when making a photograph with artificial light? Using lights
like photofloods or electronic flash that you bring to a scene and arrange yourself
requires a bit more thought than making a photograph by available light where
you begin with the light that is already there and observe what it is doing to the
subject.
The most natural-looking light imitates that from the sun (see Figure 21.10): One
main light source casting one dominant set of shadows—so usually the place to
begin is by positioning the main light. This light, also called the key light, should
create the only visible shadows, or at least the most important ones, if a natural
effect is desired. Two or three equally bright lights producing multiple shadows create
a feeling of artificiality and confusion. The position of the main light affects the
appearance of texture and volume, as seen in Figures 21.10–15. Flat frontal lighting
(see Figure 21.11) decreases both texture and volume, while lighting that