Photography Lighting, Camera Angles, and Focus Techniques

Lighting

The way light is used in a scene to create mood, focus, and visibility

Hard light

Creates strong shadows and sharp edges

Soft light

Creates gentle shadows and smooth, even lighting

Low key lighting

Dark, high-contrast lighting with deep shadows

High key lighting

Bright, even lighting with little contrast or shadow

Warm light

Has a yellow, orange, or red tone that feels cozy or emotional

Cool light

Has a blue or white tone that feels calm or distant

Normal exposure

Image brightness looks natural and balanced

Overexposure

Image is too bright, losing detail

Underexposure

Image is too dark, hiding detail

Frontal lighting

Light comes from the front, flattening features

Backlighting

Light comes from behind the subject, creating a silhouette or glow

Sidelighting

Light comes from one side, adding depth and texture

Toplighting

Light shines from above, emphasizing shape and realism

Underlighting

Light shines from below, creating a dramatic or eerie look

3-point lighting

A setup using a key light, fill light, and backlight

Key light

Main source of light that defines the subject

Fill light

Reduces shadows created by the key light

Backlight

Separates the subject from the background

Wide angle lens

Captures a broad view; makes space look larger

Telephoto lens

Zooms in from far away; compresses distance

Shallow focus

Only one part of the image is sharp, background is blurry

Deep focus

Everything in the frame is sharp and clear

Depth of field

How much of the image is in focus

Narrow/shallow depth of field

Small area in focus

Deep depth of field

Large area in focus

Cool light

Has a blue or white tone that feels calm or distant

Normal exposure

Image brightness looks natural and balanced

Underexposure

Image is too dark, hiding detail

Frontal lighting

Light comes from the front, flattening features

Backlighting

Light comes from behind the subject, creating a silhouette or glow

Sidelighting

Light comes from one side, adding depth and texture

Toplighting

Light shines from above, emphasizing shape and realism

Underlighting

Light shines from below, creating a dramatic or eerie look

3-point lighting

A setup using a key light, fill light, and backlight

Key light

Main source of light that defines the subject

Fill light

Reduces shadows created by the key light

Backlight

Separates the subject from the background

Wide angle lens

Captures a broad view; makes space look larger

Telephoto lens

Zooms in from far away; compresses distance

Shallow focus

Only one part of the image is sharp, background is blurry

Deep focus

Everything in the frame is sharp and clear

Depth of field

How much of the image is in focus

Narrow/shallow depth of field

Small area in focus

Deep depth of field

Large area in focus

Pan

Camera moves left or right from a fixed point

Tilt

Camera moves up or down from a fixed point

Track

Camera moves alongside or with the subject

Ped

Camera moves vertically up or down

Dolly

Camera moves closer or farther from subject

Zoom

Lens changes focal length to move in or out

Dolly zoom

Camera moves while zooming to distort perspective

Rack focus

Focus shifts between subjects in one shot

Static shot

Camera stays completely still

Crane shot

Camera moves on a crane for sweeping motion

Drone shot

Aerial view taken from a drone

Handheld

Camera is held by hand for a shaky, realistic feel

Steadicam

Stabilized camera movement for smooth tracking

Blended movement

Combines multiple movement types in one shot

XCU (Extreme close-up)

Focuses on one small detail like an eye

CU (Close-up)

Shows face or object closely for emotion or detail

MCU (Medium close-up)

Shows head and shoulders

MS (Medium shot)

Shows subject from the waist up

MLS/MWS (Medium long or medium wide shot)

Shows subject from knees up

LS/WS (Long or wide shot)

Shows full body and surroundings

XLS/XWS (Extreme long or wide shot)

Shows subject small in a large environment

High angle

Looks down on the subject, making them seem small

Straight angle

Eye-level view; feels neutral and natural

Low angle

Looks up at the subject, making them seem powerful

Dutch angle

Camera is tilted to show imbalance or tension

Overhead

Shot taken from directly above

High level

Camera positioned above eye line

Eye level

Camera aligned with subject's eyes

Low level

Camera placed below eye line

Offscreen space

Action or sound that happens outside the frame

Onscreen space

Action or subjects visible within the frame

Aspect ratio

The shape or proportion of the frame (like 16:9 or 4:3)