There are many possible techniques that can be used in a studio setup, these can be used to achieve various effects, such as minimising shadows, exaggerating shapes or highlighting certain areas of the frame.

One-point lighting:

We are used to seeing this type of lighting every day in nature, in the form of sunshine. A single source of light creates a very natural, sometimes dramatic look that will draw people’s attention to the single lighted person or surface. And if it’s good enough for nature, there will be times is will easily bee good enough for taking photos. As anyone can see with a walk around the park, a single source looks two dimensional or flat, and rarely hits people straight on, so it creates shadows.

Two-point lighting:

This lighting method is used when you want the subtleness of a single light source but you want the person/object to stand out, and appear more 3D. Its a great way to add depth to photos without going overboard. There is still quite a potential for shadowing if a person turns their head either direction, but where a little shadowing is okay, this can be an effective way to bring focus.

Three-point lighting:

Not everyone is happy with the shadows that two-point lighting can produce, so the obvious solution is to have two lighting points at the front with a back light to try get rid of the shadow.