Rembrandt lighting is a technique utilizing one light and one reflector or two separate lights. It can make images look dramatic but at the same time still natural. It’s usually characterized by a lit-up triangle underneath the subject’s eye which is shown in one of the photos above. 

Cecile B. DeMille introduced Rembrandt lighting into photography. Rembrandt photography originated with the famous Dutch painter, Rembrandt. You can locate the triangle of light under his left eye in the self-portrait below.

How to do Rembrandt Lighting:

• Use “window light” for a softer light that works to enhance the effect
• Cloudy days work best, especially when the sun is low
• Place your subject closer or further from the light source to control the amount of light

How to set up a Rembrandt lighting photoshoot

To create a studio portrait using the Rembrandt technique, you should place a single light source on a 45 degree offset from the subject, about 5 feet away. Its said to be more effective if the light is around 2 feet higher than the subjects eye level. the light should be angled slightly and you should aim for it to hit the side of the face that’s furthest away from the light source

Rembrandt Lighting photoshoot edits:

As you can see on the left side of the photo. The subjects face has been well lit up to create the Rembrandt effect. The upside down triangle under her right eye is very visible to the viewer and will make it fairly obvious of the lighting technique that has been created.

I also like this photo because its a different pose compared to the usual basic look at the camera.

I decided to make this photo black a white so that it could experiment with the different effects on my photos. The upside down triangle has also successfully been created on the subjects right eye and it very clear. I think the poses and position of the subjects hands have also added to the effect of the triangle as her fingers outline it and make it more obvious to the viewer which I think worked really well.