Rembrandt lighting, named after Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, is a type of lighting used in photography that lights up the face creating an upside-down light triangle under the eyes of the subject. The light triangle will draw the viewers attention in, this is because of the contrast between the light and dark.

Rembrandt lighting is effective because it creates interesting and attractive depth in the photo. The leading lines created by the upside-down triangle under the eye, helps emphasise and create a dramatic effect in the portrait, making your attention draw closely in on the subject.

To create this effect you can use either flash or continuous light, that is placed slightly above the subject. This illuminates the subjects face, creating a triangle underneath the eyes, and shadow.

My Photos:

The last two photos are my best because they both show a really clear triangle under the eye, that is emphasised on darker side of the face, by the light shining from the opposite side.