Oliver Doran Studio Portrait

Rembrandt lighting is a style of lighting that adds dramatism and focus on the subject that uses an upside-down triangle underneath the eye of the subject.

In the example above Oliver Doran used rembrandt lighting to isolate the subject and keep the attention on his face.

Rembrandt lighting is used to create shadows and contrast. It’s another method like grid lines or negative space to draw a viewers attention.

Using hard and soft lighting can also heavily affect how your final image presents itself.

The hard lighting in this image combines with the cold lighting and creates a bolder and harsher setting.

The softer lighting in this image in combination with the warm lighting and facial expression makes the image appear less serious and more gentle.

Rembrandt lighting is created by having a primary light source in a dark room tilted at 45 degrees side-on and above the subject.

A 50mm works really nicely for portraits and will give a nice depth of field if you’re shooting at a shallow aperture. But a 35mm will give you a wider point of view and is great to fit more of the body in of your subject.

Personal attempts