Week 6: More Lighting Tips

Photography> Art> Light & Shadow

Light is a photographers tool. Professional photographers minimize or maximize lights at certain positions to create their art. Today I'm outlining five textbook lighting strategies for portraits.

1. Rembrandt

The light is at 45 degrees on either side of the subject with the subject turned slightly so that the light behind the nose creates a triangle on the subject's cheek.
















2. Split

  
Light is far to the subject's left or right. The light on the subject is dramatically split down the subject's nose. May add fill lights to this to reduce dramatic contrast.















3. Butterfly
The light (softened with a screen or softbox) is in line with the camera, but above it.  The light creates a shadow just beneath the nose with a slight chin and cheek shadow. May add a white fill directly below the subject's face to light the chin area. This is beauty shot lighting.














4. Broad

The light is placed just to the subject's left or right. Subject faces away from light. The front side of the face is broadly lit with a shadow on the far side.

5. Loop

The light is above but to the subject's left or right. The light creates a small loop of light on the cheek opposite the light. The effect is to highlight one side with a slight shadow on the other.