Butterfly lighting is a type of lighting which is used mainly in a studio setting. It comes from a butterfly shape shadowing under the nose because of the light coming from above. You only need one key light to create the butterfly lighting and also a reflector would help reflect some of the light onto the bottom of subjects face. It creates a soft and flattering effect on a subjects face.

What is butterfly lighting used for?

It is used for taking glamorous portrait photos. The soft lighting on the face creates a butterfly shaped shadow underneath the nose. This type of lighting is good for portraits as it highlights the main features like the nose and cheekbones.

It was also used to photograph a lot of famous people and because of the shadows onto the neck and the highlights of the cheekbones it made these people look thinner.

How butterfly lighting is set up.

Butterfly lighting own images