The 9 Types of Portrait Lighting Photographers Need to Know - Video

[Martin Vronsky]

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In this video you will learn one of the keys to mastering lighting!

The term "lighting pattern" is just a fancy way of describing how shadows fall on your subject. It's fundamental knowledge that all of us need to have when choosing how to light our subjects. And if you're a natural light shooter, don't think for a second that this is some fancy stuff only those flash people need to know.

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To better illustrate this concept, let's imagine a clock, with the camera positioned at 6, facing 12, and the model standing right in the middle. The hours around the face will represent different positions for our light sources. These sources could be a flash or they could be the sun.

Split Lighting (9 or 3 o'clock): Split lighting involves setting a single light at either 9 or 3 o'clock, resulting in one side of the subject's head being illuminated. While this technique can create interesting contrast, it may not always be the most flattering choice. In fact, I must admit that I personally find this lighting pattern to be less than ideal. To showcase my reservations about it, I had to delve deep into my archive to find an example. Surprisingly, the first image I came upon happened to be a test frame.

Backlight or Rim Lighting (12 o'clock): When the light is behind your subject at 12 o'clock, it can result in beautiful rim lighting. I love to pose my subjects in profile with a black foam board between them and a large octabox. If the light source is a lot larger than the card, you will probably get a catch light on their eye. But if you don't get one automatically, there is a little trick that you can use. First, have the subject stand in profile facing your left, then have them turn their head slightly towards the light. Then if you shift to your left, you can probably capture a perfect silhouette with light on their eyelids. Of course, you can have them face right and turn slightly left as you wiggle over to your right.

Butterfly Lighting (6 o'clock): Butterfly lighting results when you place a light source slightly above and in front of your model at 6 o'clock. The resulting shadow under their nose and their nostrils are supposed to resemble a butterfly, but let's be real—not everyone sees it. If you place the light too high, you could end up with dark shadows covering their eyes, or there won’t be any catch lights, which are a reflection of the light in their eyes. If this happens, just turn on the modeling light and lower the modifier until you see a reflection in their pupils.

Clamshell Lighting: Clamshell lighting is achieved by combining butterfly lighting with a reflector or a light placed underneath as fill light. From a side view, it resembles the shape of an open clamshell. This technique creates flattering light for a lot of people because the fill source fills in wrinkles.
Loop Lighting (5 or 7 o'clock): Loop lighting involves positioning the main light just above eye level at approximately 5 or 7 o'clock. This creates subtle shadows on one side of the subject's nose and is generally pleasing for most people. If their nose bends to one side, you might get better results with the light on the side their nose bends towards.

Rembrandt Lighting (4 or 8 o'clock): Rembrandt lighting is named after the Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn and is achieved by placing the light closer to 4 or 8 o'clock. The light source should be far enough away to allow the shadow from the subject's nose to extend towards the shadow from their cheekbone. This technique also results in an upside-down triangle-shaped light patch under the eye opposite the main light. While not suitable for all faces, Rembrandt lighting offers a captivating and artistic look that I personally love, and I use it frequently alongside loop lighting.

Short Lighting: Short lighting involves positioning the light source similarly to Rembrandt lighting, but you also turn the subject towards the light. This technique can have a slimming effect on the subject because most of their face will be in shadow.

Broad Lighting: Broad lighting is similar to short lighting, but the subject is slightly turned away from the light source. In this position, both eyes should receive light, and the face will likely appear broader by virtue of the fact that more of it will be illuminated.

Cross Lighting: To achieve cross lighting, place the main light source at 4-5 o'clock and an edge light at 10-11 o'clock. This technique creates a dramatic image with a three-dimensional look.

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 01:36 - Split Lighting
• 02:21 - Back Light or Rim Lighting
• 03:14 - Butterfly Lighting
• 03:54 - Clamshell lighting
• 04:19 - Loop Lighting
• 04:52 - Rembrandt Lighting
• 05:46 - Short Lighting
• 06:03 - Broad Lighting
• 06:47 - Cross Lighting
• 07:06 - The Takeaway