In studio lighting basics pt1 we looked at what soft boxes and umbrellas do to modify light and how to meter the exposure. Now lets put two lights together and show you how to set them up for no shadows which is called flat light, and for soft shadows which can be done with what's called a Key and Fill set up.

To make sure there are no shadows for soft even light the lights have to be spaced apart and both set to the same light output so one cancels the shadows from the other. This image has flat lighting - have a look at the one on part 1 page to see the difference.

Key and Fill means using one flash as the main light source or 'Key Light', and the other as the 'Fill Light'. The fill light has to be set a bit lower than the key light so it only affects the shadow areas. By raising and lowering the levels of the fill light in relation to the key light you control how dark those shadows are.

For more on using a flash meter have a look at Home Studio Flash 1 and we’ll explain all you need to know about metering flash lighting.  If you’d like advice on which lighting to go for ­ check out Home Photo Studio.

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