> [!abstract] Summary
> Lighting theory fundamentals — the purpose of lighting, natural vs artificial light behaviour, classical lighting setups, and perceptual principles (Gestalt) to organize a shot.
---
# Resources
```embed
title: "Chapter 4: Light Categories - Chris Brejon"
image: "https://chrisbrejon.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/featured_image_050_light_categories.jpg"
description: "CG Cinematography Light Categories is my personal epiphany. Every lighting artist during his career has one moment where everything feels connected."
url: "https://chrisbrejon.com/cg-cinematography/chapter-4-light-categories/"
```
![[Shores+Canada+Media+-+Color+Temperature+Chart+(on+black).png|225]]
![[1_3PKYtIu_O62mpP18Yt0Xrg.jpeg]]
![[Free_portrait_lighting_poster.jpg]]
![[colortemp.jpg|225]]
---
# The Essentials
> [!important] The purpose of lighting is not to illuminate — it is to reinforce an intention and tell a story.
- Have an **intention** behind every light.
- **Direct the viewer's eye** using shadows, depth, and contrast.
- **Create a specific mood** that serves the scene.
Before doing this in 3D, study lighting in the real world.
---
# Types of Lighting
## 1. Natural
- **Direct (Sun)**
- Hard shadows, tinted with the colour of the sky
- Shadow colour changes through the day — the closer the sun is to the horizon, the more atmosphere its light has to travel through. Blue wavelengths get scattered, leaving warm orange tones at sunrise and sunset.
- **Indirect (Overcast)**
- Sunlight is diffused by clouds
- Low contrast, light bounces everywhere, soft shadows
## 2. Artificial
- **Fire / Candle**
- Not natural — placement is always intentional
- Intensity decreases with distance (falloff)
- **Bulbs**
- Incandescent, fluorescent, LED — each with its own colour temperature and spectrum
## 3. Conclusion
| Light type | Range | Shadow characteristics |
| ---------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Natural | Infinite | Hard or soft depending on atmosphere / sky |
| Artificial | Falloff | Hard or soft depending on source **size** |
> [!tip] The softness of a shadow depends on the **size of the light source relative to the subject** — not the light's intensity.
---
# Real-World Lighting Setups
## Vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Key Light** | Main light of the scene |
| **Fill Light** | Reflector — softens shadows |
| **Rim Light** | Contour light — separates subject from background |
## Examples
- **Rembrandt lighting**
- ![[sukesh-g-tambi-02-rembrandt-brolly.jpg]]
- **Three-point lighting** (used in lookdev)
- ![[From Zero to PRO _ The only LIGHTING theory you need for your ARTWORK 4-49 screenshot.png]]
- **Low key vs high key**
- ![[sukesh-g-tambi-12-high-key.jpg]]
- ![[sukesh-g-tambi-13-1-low-key - Copie.jpg]]
### In Cinema
[link to Eagle library](eagle://smart-folder/LZGT5FDGV99TC)
---
# In 3D
- Practical notes: [[LIGHTING Arnold Practice]]
---
# Going Further — Gestalt Theory
Perceptual principles that govern how the eye groups elements in an image. Useful for composing lighting choices that actually read.
1. **Similarity** — elements that look alike are grouped together
2. **Prägnanz** — the eye favours the simplest interpretation of a scene
3. **Proximity** — elements close to each other are perceived as a group
4. **Continuity** — the eye follows smooth paths through a composition
5. **Closure** — the brain completes incomplete shapes
6. **Common region** — elements inside the same boundary are grouped together
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/gestalt-laws-of-perceptual-organization-2795835-01-8f488f3d191048a0bc42e23ff9470042.png)
*Verywell / JR Bee*