Chiaroscuro lighting is the name of a lighting technique where half of the models face is in the dark and the rest is well lit, creating a bold contrast between each section of the photo. The background is dark while the model is mostly illumined creating a stark contrast and making use of a low key lighting set up. The name chiaroscuro is Italian for light dark, which is fitting for the technique itself.

Why use Chiaroscuro lighting?

Many people use chiaroscuro lighting because they want harshly contrasted photos, creating detailed, intense portraits. The heavy contrast creates a moody atmospheric feel to the shot. It is also great for drawing the viewers eye into the photo, dragging their gaze around each element and change of lighting. Having the changes in lighting within the shot provides depth to the image which is sometimes tricky with portraits making sure the shot is interesting and of a high quality.

History of Chiaroscuro

The style first became well know when the Baroque painters used it in any paintings like the one above to give it a dramatic flair. It was then more widely used in 20th century cinematography to emphasis spooky scenes or add further dramatic to the piece. It originally appeared during the Renaissance period explaining where the name, chiaroscuro originated from. As time went on the technique became very popular for the making of ‘Film Noir’ which is French for black film. This was used to describe classy Hollywood crime films, particularly those with a look at moral ambiguity.

How to create Chiaroscuro lighting

To create the harsh lighting, you need to have the light like a flash head on a 45 degree angle to the models face, fairly far away. You can also use a reflector like in the above diagram to create the desired lighting. You will also need to use a black background or backlight your photos, to create the look of the model being in contrast to the dark background or blending in. depending which part of the shot you are looking at.