Basic Lighting Setups
There are five basic portrait lighting setups. As you progress through them from Paramount to split lighting, each progressively makes the face slimmer. Each also progressively brings out more texture in the face because the light is more to one side.
Additionally, as you progress from Paramount to split lighting, you'll notice that the key light mimics the path of the setting sun— at first high, and then gradually lower in relation to the subject. It is important that the key light never dip below subject/head height. In traditional portraiture this does not occur, primarily because it does not occur in nature; light from the sun always comes from above.
Paramount Lighting. Paramount lighting, sometimes called butterfly lighting or glamour lighting, is a traditionally feminine lighting pattern that produces a symmetrical, butterfly-like shadow beneath the subject's nose. It tends to emphasize high cheekbones and good skin. It is generally not used on men because it tends to hollow out their cheeks and eye sockets.
The key light is placed high and directly in front of the subject's face, parallel to the vertical line of the subject's nose (see diagram on facing page). Since the light must be high and close to the subject to produce the wanted butterfly shadow, it should not be used on women with deep eye sockets, or no light will illuminate the eyes. The fill light is placed at the subject's head height, directly under the key light. Since both the key and fill lights are on the same side of the camera, a fill card must be used opposite these lights and in close to the subject to fill in the deep shadows on the neck and shaded cheek.
The hair light, which is always used opposite the key light, should light the hair only and not skim onto the face
Vicki Taufer created a loop lighting pattern on her subject, "the hat lady." She opted for very minimal fill. The single main light, a large softbox, defines the lighting pattern but a second light source was also used: a reflector beneath the soft-box that further softens the light and diffuses the shadow edge in the portrait. Both were used on camera left.
of the subject. The background light, used low and behind the subject, should form a semicircle of illumination on the seamless background (if using one) so that the tone ofthe background grows gradually darker the farther away from the subject you look.
Loop Lighting. Loop lighting is a minor variation of Paramount lighting. The key light is lowered and moved more to the side of the subject so that the shadow under the nose becomes a small loop on the shadow side of the face. This is one of the more commonly used lighting setups and is ideal for people with average, oval-shaped faces.
TOP—Classic Rembrandt lighting is characterized by the diamond-shaped highlight on the shadow side of the face. Basic window light and a single silver reflector were used to produce this classic image. This image was created using a Hasselblad camera with 80mm lens and a Lindahl drop-in vignette filter in a Lindahl lens shade. Photograph by Anthony Cava. BOTTOM—Good light can be found anywhere, but especially in an available-light studio. This was what was used by wedding specialist Jeffrey Woods, whose studio features a huge window that provides bright, soft light—and plenty of it. To create the beautiful Rembrandt lighting pattern seen here, he simply positioned his senior model in the light to create the dramatic shadow. Most of today's portrait photographers seem to favor a strong natural light.
In loop lighting, the fill light is positioned on the camera-subject axis. It is important that the fill light not cast a shadow of its own in order to maintain the one-light character ofthe portrait. The only place you can really observe if the fill light is doing its job is at the camera position. Look to see if the fill light is casting a shadow of its own by looking through the viewfinder.
The hair light and background light are used in the same way as they are in Paramount lighting.
Rembrandt Lighting. Rembrandt lighting (also called 45-degree lighting) is characterized by a small, triangular highlight on the shadowed cheek of the subject. The lighting takes its name from the famous Dutch painter who popularized this dramatic style of lighting. This type of lighting is often considered a masculine style and is commonly used with a weak fill light to accentuate the shadow-side highlight.
The key light is moved lower and farther to the side than in loop and Paramount lighting. In fact, the key light almost comes from the subject's side, depending on how far the head is turned away from the camera.
The fill light is used in the same manner as it is for loop lighting. The hair light, however, is often used a little closer to the subject for more brilliant highlights in the hair. The background light is in the standard position.
In Rembrandt lighting, kickers are often used to delineate the sides of the subject's face and to add brilliant highlights. Be careful when setting such lights not to allow them to shine directly into the camera lens; this will cause flare. The best way to check is to place your hand between the subject and the camera on the axis of the kicker. If your hand casts a shadow when it is placed in front of the lens, the kicker is shining directly into the lens and should be adjusted.
Split Lighting. Split lighting occurs when the key light illuminates only half the face. It is an ideal slimming light. It can be used to narrow a wide face or a wide nose. It can also be used with a weak fill to hide facial irregularities. Split lighting can be used with no fill light for a highly dramatic effect.
In split lighting, the key light is moved farther to the side of the subject and lower. In some cases, the key light is slightly behind the subject, depending on how far the subject is turned from the camera. The fill light, hair light, and background light are used normally.
Profile Lighting. Profile or rim lighting is used when the subject's head is turned 90 degrees from the camera
RIGHT—In this image, David Williams used soft side light to create a Rembrandt lighting pattern. The side lighting also reveals texture in the spackle on the door and the contractor's tools. Note, too, David's careful exposure;you can see detail in the shadows that reveal the unfinished room. The image was made with a FujiFilm FinePix S2 Pro camera and Sigma DG 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens. BELOW—Rita Loy created this award-winning bridal profile. The key light, softened through on-camera diffusion so that it glows, is perfectly positioned behind and above the bride in the classic position to produce a highlight on the shadow side of her cheek. There is good fill-in from a soft lightat camera left, producing a 3:1 lighting ratio. The delicate hand posing against the dark mahogany of the love seat creates a pleasing contrast of opposites.
Here is another example of expertly handled rim lighting. In this instance, the key light was moved closer to parallel to the subject's face so that more of the frontal planes of her face were illuminated. No fill light was used, so the shadow areas seem to "fade to black." Photograph by Tony Corbell.
lens. It is a dramatic style oflighting used to accent elegant features. It is used less frequently now than in the past, but remains a stylish type of portrait lighting.
In rim lighting, the key light is placed behind the subject so that it illuminates the profile and leaves a highlight along the edge of the face. The key light will also highlight the hair and neck of the subject. Care should be taken so that the core of the light is centered on the face and not too much on the hair or neck.
The fill light is moved to the same side of the camera as the key light and a reflector is used to fill in the shadows (see rim lighting diagram, page 50). An optional hair light can be used on the opposite side of the key light for better tonal separation of the hair from the background. The background light is used normally.
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