Butterfly lighting is a popular lighting technique in portrait photography that creates a soft and flattering effect on the subject’s face. This technique is named after the butterfly-shaped shadow that is created under the subject’s nose. It is a pattern where the key light is placed above and directly centred with a subject’s face. It’s also known as ‘Paramount lighting’.

To achieve butterfly lighting, you will need a light source, such as a studio light or natural light source. You can use a three-point lighting system, consisting of a key light, fill light, and hair light, to achieve butterfly lighting. The key light is positioned directly above and slightly in front of the subject’s face, while the fill light is placed on the opposite side to fill in any shadows. The hair light is placed behind the subject to separate them from the background. you can also create butterfly lighting my using one main light as a 45 degree angle pointing down at the subject, an a reflector underneath the subjects face to create the sense of light coming from underneath.

Set up: