High-key

Lighting that raises the fill light to almost the same strength as the key, making a bright image with almost no shadows on the person. The heart of it is a small difference in brightness between key and fill, that is, low contrast. The "key" in the name refers not to the height of a light but to the brightness and contrast of the whole image.

Lighting positions seen from above. A key light front left, plus a fill light on the opposite side and a back light behind.

Camera view. There are almost no shadows, and the whole frame is bright, down to the light gray background.

How it feels

Brightness
Upbeat
Joy
Radiance

When to use it

Song and dance numbers in a musical
Comedy films
Scenes with a bright, happy mood
When the image needs to look bright, as in ads or sitcoms

In the movies

The Breakfast Club (1985) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

Peking Opera Blues 1986
A comedy by Tsui Hark. Yale’s film analysis guide shows scenes from this film as examples of high-key lighting. The guide does not name a specific scene.

Not to be confused with

Low-key: The exact opposite. It uses very little fill, so contrast between bright and dark areas is high.
Flat Lighting: Flat is the name of a direction, with light from the front and little sense of depth. High-key is the name of a tone, with low contrast between key and fill.
Overexposure: Overexposure is raising exposure until things blow out white. It is an exposure choice, not a lighting style.

Prompt

Keyword

high-key lighting

Descriptive

High-key lighting. Soft, even light with almost no shadows on the face, bright background, cheerful mood.

Try these combinations

Wide shot + high-key: a musical stage
Wide shot, high-key lighting for a bright, cheerful scene, dancers in colorful costumes on a musical stage
Medium shot + high-key: a bright sitcom scene
Medium shot, high-key lighting, bright white kitchen, a family laughing at the breakfast table, sitcom mood