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Lighting diagram for an interview

The classic shape: a soft key high and 45 degrees off the camera-subject line, a bounce on the other side doing a third of the work, and a rim from behind the shoulder to cut her from the background. The key goes through diffusion, not because rules say so but because a face in an interview holds the frame for minutes at a time and hard light gets tiring to watch. The background light is a practical decision, not an afterthought: without it the wall goes to mud two stops down.

1.3 mSubject50mmA cam2.1 m · SBKey1.5 mFill2.3 mRim1.8 mBackground

Chair, not a stool: forty minutes of posture.

1 m
  • Subject3.0 m × 2.2 m
  • A cam· Eyeline just off the lens3.4 m × 4.2 m
  • Key45°5600K· Through a 90cm softbox1.5 m × 3.3 m
  • Fill100°30%· 4x4 bounce, a third of the key4.7 m × 3.3 m
  • Rim25°5600K60%· Spotted, flagged off the lens4.3 m × 0.9 m
  • Background60°3200K40%· A slash on the wall behind her0.9 m × 0.9 m

The packing list this plan writes

  • Key · Through a 90cm softboxlighting
  • Fill · 4x4 bounce, a third of the keylighting
  • Rim · Spotted, flagged off the lenslighting
  • Background · A slash on the wall behind herlighting
  • Softbox · from the lighting plansgrip