---
title: "Best Practices - Lighting"
canonical: "https://rmanwiki-27.pixar.com/space/RU/619708556/Best%20Practices%20-%20Lighting"
format: markdown
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## Lighting
This scene makes use of a common three-point lighting scene.
There is a fill light that makes use of the [PxrDomeLight](https://rmanwiki-26.pixar.com/space/REN26/19661747), a rim and key light that uses a [PxrRectLight](https://rmanwiki-26.pixar.com/space/REN26/19661739).
With the exception of the Fill Light, the other lights use the *emission focus* to create a softer edge and a subtle spotlight effect.
## Fill Light
The light used to fill in dark areas and shadows provides a base lighting and is referred to as the fill light. A high dynamic range image (HDRI) is used in this scene. When using the PxrDomeLight, it requires a texture as an input, and it should contain a wide range of values, many of them over 1.0. This should be an EXR, TIFF, or HDR image. You can find some free examples from Maxime Roz [here](http://www.maximeroz.com/hdri-free-pack/).
Below the light is at a default balance after being dimmed somewhat. The second right-hand image is with the adjusted *specular amount* to 0.5 instead of 1.0
## Rim Light
Rim lighting can be used to define a shape or silhouette. The name "rim" comes from the fact that it outlines the rim or edge of objects.
Below, it has been added as a PxrRectLight, and then to the right, it has been adjusted to a lower *specular amount* to make it more pleasing and subtle. It's only necessary in this image to slightly improve the silhouette, not to highlight it too strongly.
## Key Light
The key light is your primary light source in this image. It's typically the brightest light in the image and helps define aspects such as the time of day, the source of the light, and the quality of the air (if it were to be smoky or dusty).
Here, it's placed off-screen to create the illusion of natural window light. The specular amount is again reduced on the right to soften highlights and produce the final image when combined with the other two light sources.
## The Softbox
The scene is modeled with a set of walls used as a softbox. Softboxes are used to bounce and diffuse light in a scene. Since RenderMan utilizes global illumination, this photography trick functions similarly to how it does in the real world. You can adjust the amount of diffusion from the softbox by modifying the diffuse gain and color settings.
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### The End!
Hopefully, you’ve learnt a lot from these lessons in some of the best practices you can now apply to your scenes, models, shaders, and renders.
Feel free to download the scene and create your own versions, and don’t forget to share them with us on our [Discord](https://discord.com/channels/479703857883250698/1405011194233749574)
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