What does the term "3-point lighting" typically combine?

The term "3-point lighting" refers specifically to a lighting technique that combines key lighting, fill lighting, and backlighting. This setup is widely used in various forms of visual media, including film, television, and photography, to create a well-lit subject while adding depth and dimension to the scene.

Key lighting is the main source of illumination and is placed to define the subject. Fill lighting serves to soften the shadows created by the key light, helping to reduce contrast and ensuring that details are visible. Finally, backlighting is positioned behind the subject to create a rim of light around it, which can help to separate the subject from the background and add a sense of three-dimensionality. Together, these three types of lighting work in harmony to achieve a balanced and visually appealing composition.

The other options represent different types or qualities of lighting but do not specifically refer to the established technique of 3-point lighting. For example, combinations like ambient, natural, and dramatic lighting concern different lighting moods and environments rather than the specific roles of light in a scene. Similarly, soft, hard, and diffused lighting describe the characteristics of light but do not outline the functional categories of lighting as found in the 3-point lighting technique. Daylight, incandescent, and