Studio Lighting - Part One

In preparation for our studio shoots we completed a workshop using a single lighting setup so we could learn the 6 commonly used lighting techniques. These are butterfly, rembrandt, spli, hollywood, broad and short. They can all be achieved with one light but can also be used with multiple lights eg a fill light , a main light and a background light.

Here are the shots from that workshop:

Rembrandt Lighting

A light placed high above the subject offset to a side, the classic rembrandt should create a triangle of light between the nose and the far cheek of the unlit side of the face. I think I have achieved that in this shot.

Short Lighting

Short lighting is when the face is lit from the side facing away from the camera. Broad is the opposite to this.

Broad Lighting

 Butterfly

Butterfly lighting is when the light is placed above and directly in front of the subject so there is a small shadow underneath the nose that resembles a butterfly. This is a very flattering and east light setup to use.

Split Lighting

Split lighting is when the light is placed directly on one side of the subject at head height which creates a harsh shadow directly down the face and is very dramatic.