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Photography vocabulary · Light & Lighting

Fill light

Meaning in photography, with examples

nounCommon term

In photography, fill light means: A weaker, secondary light used to brighten the shadows created by the key light without removing them completely.

In Turkish: dolgu ışığı, fill ışık

How it is used

It can come from a second lamp, a reflector or a low-power flash (fill flash). The balance between key and fill, the lighting ratio, controls how dramatic a portrait looks. You add, reduce or bounce in fill.

Example sentences

  1. Without fill light, the right side of his face disappears into shadow.

  2. I used a white reflector as fill light instead of a second strobe.

Common collocations

  • add fill light
  • fill flash
  • soft fill light
  • lighting ratio
  • key lightThe main and usually strongest light in a lighting setup, which sets the direction and mood of the light on the subject.
  • reflectorA flat, usually foldable surface in white, silver or gold that bounces light back onto the subject to fill in shadows.
  • flashA device that gives a very short, bright burst of light at the moment the picture is taken. It can be built into the camera or attached on top.
  • backlightLight that comes from behind the subject, toward the camera. It can create a glowing outline, a silhouette or lens flare.

More terms: Light & Lighting

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