Lighting Set-Ups

There are a variety of specific lighting set ups used in professional photography and filming. Here I shall detail some of the most prolific ones:

• Three point lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• Split lighting
• Butterfly lighting
• Experimental lighting

Three-Point Lighting

This is the most common lighting set up. It involves a key light which is located in front of the subject and is the main source of light, a fill light which lights from the side and fills the shadows cast by the key light, and a back light or 'hair light' which shines from the back which separates the subject from the background and can create a 'halo' effect (Lannom, 2020). It is designed to light the subject evenly, while making them appear to stand out from the background with the back light.

(Lannon, 2020)

In the following video, I demonstrate a three-point lighting set up with the addition of a reflector for a better result, which is also common industry practice.

The main objective when using three-point lighting is to 'create a three-dimensional look' (Lennom, 2020). Despite the picture being two-dimensional, the three separate sources of light illuminate the subject from different angles creating 'an image with greater representation of height, width, and depth', which is especially useful in film production where the director wants the audience to be drawn into the world through immersive design.

Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting is a set up which replicates the kind of lighting the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt depicted in his paintings (Huff, 2018). This is because of the unique triangle of light created under (usually) the left eye. The practical set up if lights for this technique is similar to butterfly lighting, but the key light is located further to the side of the subject rather than directly in front (Huff, 2018). Below is my recreation of this technique.

While this set up may be effective in some other cases, it is best used in dramatic photography as the extra shadows on the face add a 'moody' or 'edgy' atmosphere (Huff, 2018).

Split Lighting

This is where half of the subject's face is lighted up while the other half is completely or almost completely in shadow, split down the middle. The split effect is very easy to create on set as it requires a minimum of a single light source shining onto the subject from the side and level with their face, although a fill light and/or reflectors can also be employed to add more complexity (Huff, 2018).

Butterfly Lighting

This lighting technique involves a single light source, often a key light, in front and above the subject, directly behind the camera (Maio, 2021). This creates a butterfly shape of light on the face. A reflector can also be used to enhance the effect and create catchlights in the eyes of the subject. I filmed a demonstration of this set up (above), which shows the characteristic shadows below the cheek bones and nose resulting from the location and angle of the light, which in turn accentuate the cheek bones. Due to this effect, butterfly lighting set ups are commonly used in beauty photography because 'it is one of the most flattering lighting techniques for sculpting facial features' (Maio, 2021). So much so that Paramount Pictures would use this type of set up to show off the looks of their 'most glamorous and beautiful' actresses during the Golden Age of Hollywood (Maio, 2021).

Sources:

• Lannom, S., 2020. Three-Point Lighting: Key, Fill & Rim Lighting. [online] Studiobinder. Available at: <https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/three-point-lighting-setup/> [Accessed 3 December 2021].
• Maio, A., 2021. The Simplicity and Beauty of Butterfly Lighting Explained. [online] Studiobinder. Available at: <https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-butterfly-lighting-definition/> [Accessed 3 December 2021].
• Huff, A., 2018. 8 Portrait Lighting Setups Every Photographer Should Know - BorrowLenses Blog. [online] Borrowlenses. Available at: <https://www.borrowlenses.com/blog/portrait-lighting/> [Accessed 3 December 2021].