Photo lighting

1. Photography
lighting Essentials
Or … what are the elements of lighting?

2. Types of light
• Natural Light (Ambient)
• Sun
• Lights in the room
• Artificial Light (Flashes, Lamps, Strobes)
• Speedlights
• Strobes
• Lamps

3. Lighting Position
• Butterfly
• Rembrandts
• Short
• Broad
• Loop

4. Butterfly lighting
 Butterfly Lighting is achieved
by positioning the main light
directly in front of the
subjects face and adjusting
the height to create a
shadow directly under, and
in line with, the nose.
 This style is best suited for
subjects with a normal oval
face and is considered to be
a glamour style of lighting
best suited for women.
 It is not recommended for
use with men because it has
a tendency to highlight the
ears – crating an undesirable
effect.

5. Butterfly lighting

6. Rembrandt
 Rembrandt lighting
 Rembrandt lighting is
characterized by an illuminated
triangle under the eye of the
subject, on the less illuminated
side of the face. It is named for
the Dutch painter Rembrandt,
who often used this type of
lighting.

7. Rembrandt Lighting

8. Split Lighting
 Split lighting … is constructed
with a single light source
placed 90 degrees offset
from the subject and a bit
higher than eye level,
lighting one half of the face,
and leaving the other in
shadow.
 Split Lighting is always taken
with the subject facing
square to the camera, unlike
… Rembrandt lighting which
all have the subject’s head
angled in relation to the
camera.

9. Split Lighting

10. Split Lighting

11. Short lighting
 Short portrait lighting is
when the main light is
coming from the short
side of the subject and
the broad side of the
face is more in shadow.
In other words… If the
subject’s nose is facing
left and the light is
coming from that same
side.
 Makes the subject look
thinner.

12. Short lighting
Short Side
Broad Side
Light coming
from short
side.

13. Short lighting

14. Broad lighting
 Broad lighting illuminates
the larger portion of the
face visible to the camera.
The area of the face that is
highlighted is now larger
than the area in shadow.
 Because of this, the face
looks slightly larger and
fatter.

15. Broad lighting
Short Side
Broad Side
Light coming
from broad
side.

16. Broad lighting

17. Loop lighting
 With this light pattern you create
a small loop-like shadow on
either side of the nose. It is
achieved by placing the main
light source above the camera
(almost like with Butterfly
pattern) and moving it slightly
to a side.

18. Loop lighting