Fill light

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In television, film, stage, or photographic lighting, fill light is used to reduce the contrast of a scene and to provide some illumination for the areas of the image that are in shadow. Most lighting setups will place the fill light at a 90° angle to the key light (in relation to the subject).

The fill light is usually (but not always) softer and less intense than the key light. The usual ratio between light and shadow depends on the desired effect. For example, a fill light that is 1/8 of the key light will produce a very high-contrast image. A fill light that's 1/2 or more of the key light will produce a very flat, low-contrast tone.

Since the fill light is usually softer, it should be placed close to the subject. The vertical angle is usually not that important as with the key light.

An alternative to using an actual light will be to bounce the light coming from the key light by using a light reflector.