Lighting in Photography Part 4

Rembrandt Lighting. Rembrandt lighting, also called 45 degree lighting, is characterized by a small, triangular highlight on the shadowed cheek of the subject. This is created by moving the main light lower and farther to the side than in loop and Paramount lighting; the main light comes almost from the subject’s side, depending on how far his or her head is turned away from the camera. The fill light is used in the same manner as it is for loop lighting, although a weaker setting is often used to accentuate the shadow-side highlight. The hair light is often used a little closer to the subject for more brilliant highlights in the hair. The background light is in the standard position. With this setup, kickers are often used to delineate the sides of the face. (Note: To ensure they are not shining directly into the lens, place your hand between the subject and the camera on the axis of the kicker. If your hand casts a shadow on the lens, then the kicker is shining directly into the lens and should be adjusted.)

Split Lighting. Split lighting occurs when the main light illuminates only half the face. This is produced by placing the main light low and to the side of the subject. Depending on how far the subject is turned from the camera, the main light may even be slightly behind the subject. This placement of the main light creates a nice slimming effect. It can also be used with a weak fill to hide facial irregularities. For a dramatic effect, use split lighting with no fill light. The fill light, hair light, and background light are used normally for split lighting.

Profile or Rim Lighting. Profile or rim lighting is used when the subject’s head is turned 90 degrees away from the camera lens. It is a dramatic style of lighting used to accent elegant features. It is used less frequently now than in the past, but it remains a stylish type of portrait lighting. To light the profile, the main light is placed behind the subject so that it illuminates the far side of the face and leaves a polished highlight along its outline. Care should be taken so that the light principally accents the face, rather than the hair or neck. In this setup, the fill light is moved to the same side of the camera as the main light and a reflector is used to fill in the shadows. An optional hair light can be used on the opposite side of the main light for better tonal separation of the hair from the background. The background light is used normally.

You can even create an elegant profile of the bride with a single flash used as a backlight, outlining the edges of her face, neck, and the wedding veil. With the daylight as fill, only one light is required to produce an elegant, classically lit portrait.