3 Different Portrait Lighting Styles You Can Use With Only One Light



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Not everyone has access to a studio full of lights and sometimes we just have to make do with what we have available to us. As a portrait photographer, there are still a lot of great looks you can pull off even if you just have a single light source. We’ll talk a little bit more about some of the different lighting setups you can try with only one light, but first let’s briefly look at a couple of light source options.

What Kind Of Light Source Is Best?

There’s a saying that goes, “The best camera is the one you have with you” and to an extent the same could be said of a light source. If you have a strobe or a speedlight, great, they’re very useful to have around and you’ll be able to create any of the looks we’ll be discussing a little later. If you have no photography lights, don’t despair. Oftentimes, you can use a household lamp as a substitute. There’s also our good friend the sun, which can create gorgeous natural light through a window of your studio or house.

Diffusion of your light source will also play an important role in the quality of your light, regardless of whether you are using a DIY light source or a speedlight, etc. A softbox, umbrella, beauty dish, or a reflector are a few commonly used light modifiers. If you don’t happen to have a light modifier laying around you can also have an assistant hold a sheet of thin, semi-transparent fabric or tissue paper in front of it to help diffusion. Sheer curtains, linens, etc can also work great. Just get creative and do some experimenting.

One Light, Three Lighting Setups

1. Rembrandt Lighting

This classic portrait light setup is the perfect fit when you want to create a moody or even mysterious head shot. It is easily recognizable by the upside down triangle of light that falls under one of the subject’s eyes. Rembrandt lighting can be pulled off using a single light source and a reflector. Place your light source at eye level with your subject and positioned at a 45 degree angle from your camera. Take a look at a typical Rembrandt lighting setup, below:

Rembrandt Lighting

If the side of the face in which the light doesn’t entirely fill (the side with the triangle) is still a bit dark for your liking, you can use a reflector (or piece of white foamboard) to help fill in some of the shadows.

2. Butterfly Lighting

Portrait of Helena

See the shadow that is cast under the nose? That is a trademark look of butterfly lighting. (Photo by Lizzie Harper)

Butterfly lighting has many aliases, you may have heard it referred to as glamour lighting, paramount lighting, or perhaps clamshell lighting. It’s a quick and easy one light setup that can yield great results for beauty and fashion photography. The distinctive mark of butterfly lighting is a small butterfly shaped shadow that will fall just beneath the subject’s nose. This is created by placing your light directly in front of your subject, raise the light up so that it is aiming downward onto the face.

Butterfly Lighting

3. Loop Lighting

Black dress 01

Photo by Andrew Yun

Loop lighting is another classic lighting style and also one of the most commonly used. Recognizable for the loop of shadow that is cast by the subject’s nose (usually off to one side), the lighting style looks flattering on many types of faces. Loop lighting should be considered an essential lighting setup and certainly one worth investing time into mastering. Luckily, it isn’t too hard to setup. Just position and angle your light source between 30-40 degrees to the side of the camera. The light should be just above your subject’s eye level, like this:

Loop Lighting Setup

Similar to the Rembrandt setup, a reflector can be brought in to help assist in lighting up the shadows if that better suits the look you are going for.

Practice, Experiment, Learn

Now that you have a few ideas to take some interesting and well lit portraits, the best way to master them is to practice, practice, practice. And while you’re at it, be sure to experiment and try new things. For example, have your subject try rotating their head slightly and take some test shots until you feel the lighting is exactly how you want it. You should also try moving your lights and light modifiers around, and don’t forget that the camera can be moved to create different looks, too!