When it comes to learning lighting, we mostly discuss how to precisely add it to scenes to build up the final look from a blank slate. But just as important as knowing how to properly add light to the scene is knowing how to remove it. This quick and helpful video tutorial will give you an overview of negative fill, including what it is and how to use it in your photos.
Coming to you from Steven Schultz, this excellent video tutorial will introduce you to the concept of negative fill and why it is a useful tool for improving your lighting. Simply put, negative fill refers to the process of removing light from a scene instead of adding it. This is done by introducing some sort of material that absorbs light instead of reflecting it, such as the black side of a v-flat or any dark, matte piece of material. This can allow you to deepen shadows, introduce more contrast, bring out structure, control reflections, and create more drama in an image, and once you realize its versatility, you will see that it is just as important as positive fill. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Schultz.
