26. Studio Portrait Photography 2: Classic Lighting Styles

 Key lighting is commonly used in one of six styles:

Short Lighting

When your sitter is facing at a 3/4 angle, one side of the face is "broad", the side facing you, and the other is "short", the side facing away from you. With short lighting, the light falls on the short side. The effect is dramatic and emphasizes the forms of the face. Daniel Norton recommends focusing on the near eye and using a hair light for the opposite side. 

Here are some examples:

Portrait of Alfred Lord Tennyson, by Julia Cameron, 1869

Portrait of Greta Garbo Wearing a Hat, by Clarence Bull, 1930

Portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe, by William Clift, 1981

Broad Lighting

With broad (open) lighting, the light shines on the broad, or near side of the face. The effect is more gentle, youthful and inviting. 

Here are some examples:

Portrait of Virginia Woolf, by George Charles Beresford, 1902

Portrait of Salvador Dali, by Carl Van Vechten, 1939

Portrait of Hedy Lamarr, by Clarence Bull, 1939

Portrait of Gloria Vanderbilt, by Richard Avedon, 1953

Portrait of Susan Penhaligon, by Brian Duffy, 1974

Butterfly Lighting

This lighting is close to the sitter, right above, and centered on the face, so that the shadows under the nose and mouth make a butterfly shape. Be careful not to place the light too close or it will cast shadows over the eyes. This lighting is good for beauty shots because the shadows help define the features and jaw line. 

Here are some examples:

Marlene Dietrich, by Cecil Beaton, 1930

Portrait of Madge Evans, by Clarence Sinclair Bull, 1935

Portrait of Judy Garland, by Clarence Sinclair Bull, 1943

Portrait of Brigitte Bardot, hair by Alexandre, by Richard Avedon, 1959

Mick Jagger in a Fur Hood, by David Bailey, 1964

John & Paul, by David Bailey, 1965

Split (Side) Lighting

This is a dramatic side lighting, where only half the face is lit, and the rest is in shadow. While not so popular for family portraits, it's moody, and striking, and can be a lot of fun to experiment with. 

Here are some examples:

Portrait of Salvador Dali & Man Ray, by Carl Van Vechten, 1934

Portrait of Jean Cocteau, by Cecil Beaton, 1956

Rembrandt Lighting

Self Portrait, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 

Based off the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn, this technique is very similar to split lighting, but two factors tie it to Rembrandt. First, there's only one light and one shadow, and the light is natural and diffuse, usually coming from a window. Second, the nose clearly divides the light and shadow areas, with the nose casting a shadow over the face - regardless if the sitter is directly facing you or turned at an angle. 

Here are some examples:

Wolfe Teeth of the Nakoda Nation, by Harry Pollard, 1910

Portrait of Hedy Lamarr, by Clarence Bull, 1938

Portrait of Marla Landi, by ?, 1960

Andy Warhol, by David Bailey, 1965

Portrait of David Hockney, by David Bailey, 1969

Clamshell Lighting

This is really just butterfly lighting with the addition of a fill light, below the face, to help reduce shadows. For this style, Daniel Norton recommends using a beauty light above and a larger soft box below, tilted slightly up, but not flatly horizontal under the face, which would create weird shadows.

Here are some examples:

Portrait of Elizabeth Taylor, by Cecil Beaton, 1957

Bounce Lighting (Using Reflectors)

This video really just shows the exact same lighting setup as the broad lighting video above, but it expands a bit on how you can use a reflector, how it will change the image, and where to experiment moving the reflector around for best effect.