WHAT IS BUTTERFLY LIGHTING?

Butterfly lighting is a portrait lighting pattern where the key light is placed above and directly centred with a subject’s face to create a shadow under the nose that resembles a butterfly. The lighting is soft on the face. This lighting is often seen in glamour shots and particularly with headshots. 

WHY DO PHOTOGRAPHERS USE BUTTERFLY LIGHTING?

Photographers use this method to take flattering, glamorous portrait photos. It is a popular setup because it has the effect of slimming the face due to shadows that are created on both sides of the face. This provides a flattering look that emphasizes a subject’s facial features, highlighting the eyebrows, cheekbones, and nose in a photogenic way.  Another reason why photographers use this lighting pattern is that it is easy to set up, doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment, and it creates a natural but strong look.

EXAMPLES OF BUTTERFLY LIGHTING:

LIGHTING SET UP:

To achieve this lighting, first, we placed the main light source above the subject at a higher angle, pointing down towards the subjects face. We then placed the camera directly under the light source on a tripod. Lastly, we used a reflector to bounce the light back up and soften the shadow under the chin and under the nose. To do this, we positioned the reflector under the subject’s face. The only other thing we used was a black backdrop.

CONTACT SHEET:

MY FINAL EDITED IMAGES:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I used ArtSteps to create a virtual gallery of some of my best Rembrandt, Butterfly, Chiaroscuro lighting photographs.

I used a mixture of black and white images, colourful images and of all the different lighting techniques.

Firstly, I picked a virtual gallery on ArtSteps that I liked and wanted to put my photographs in. Then, I dragged the photos I wanted to use for my gallery from my documents into ArtSteps and gave them all unique names. Then, I inserted the photos into the gallery, positioned them where I thought looked good and added a black frame to each one.

I took a close up picture of one of the walls of the gallery, so the photographs details and features could be seen clearly. Next, I took a photo of the whole gallery from a distance, so all the photographs could be seen, and so the layout of my gallery could be seen clearly.

I made a virtual gallery to showcase my final and best images. I placed them on the basis of which lighting was used so it made more sense and were with images similar to it. I did this by exporting my edited images from Lightroom into my documents, then importing them in Artsteps where I was able to add frames and place them on the wall.

Rembrandt Lighting is a form of lighting commonly used in photography and film. It is where their is an upside down triangle of light under the eye on the opposite side of where the key light is. It is also useful for creating shadows and contrast.

How to set up Rembrandt lighting

We decided to go into the lighting studio and try and take some photos with Rembrandt lighting. The photo below is how we set it up.

Below is a selection of photos I took which best fit the Rembrandt lighting style…

My Final Photo

Photoshoot- Edits

The photographs that are highlighted green are the photos I have chosen to edit, because they have the best poses and composition. They also display the different types of lighting the most effectively and well, so it is easy to tell which lighting was used for each of these photographs.

Chiaroscuro Lighting

Chiaroscuro lighting, which is also known as split lighting shows a split of the lighting, where there is half dark and hark light. This is how you recognise Chiaroscuro Lighting. The set up, which was used is shown below;

The light was positioned at the side of the model and camera and was angled on a 45 degree angle, to face the model. The light was about 2 feet higher than the model and slightly tilted down, to shine onto the model. The camera was also positioned on a 45 degree angle to face the model, or directly in front of the model at the same level. The reflector is then positioned under, or to the side of the model on an angle, so the light reflects of it into the models eyes, to make them brighter and more visible.

Edits

I edited this photo to make it brighter, so the model would stand out more and so the background would be brighter. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, whites, highlights, blacks and clarity, while decreasing the shadows. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then made a virtual copy of the edited photo and edited it again to make black and white version, to really help show that split lighting of dark and light.

I edited this photo to make it brighter and more vibrant, so the model and her accessories would stand out more. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, whites, highlights, texture and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then also made a virtual copy of the edited photo and edited it again, so I could create a black and white version.

I edited this photo to bring more highlights and light onto the models face, so that it has more contrast, with the dark and light split lighting. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then made a virtual copy and edited it again to make a black and white version, so it has more of a contrast between the light and dark and so it shows different tones.

I edited this photo to bring more highlights onto the models face and to make it lighter, so it enhances the contrast between the light and dark. I also thinks this gives the photograph a different mood. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites and clarity, while decreasing the blacks and shadows. I also used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up the models eyes and used a correction tool on Lightroom to get rid of any blemishes on the models skin, hair etc.

I then made a virtual copy of the edited photo and made a black and white version.

For all my Chiaroscuro photographs the camera settings were;

Aperture: f/10

Shutter Speed: 1/25 seconds

ISO: ISO-100

Top 8 Chiaroscuro Lighting photographs

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think this photoshoot went well, as I understood the lighting technique and managed to achieve portraits using this lighting technique, because I was able to set up the studio correctly for the different types of lighting. I also experimented with different backgrounds, such as black or white backgrounds, to give the photograph a different mood. I was also able to direct my models to try different poses and to sit at different angles or facing different ways. This helped change the mood of the photographs. I also experimented a lot with my editing skills, as I used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up my models eyes, so they would be more visible and stand out more. Furthermore, I also used a correction tool on Lightroom to correct or get rid of any blemishes on my models skin, hair etc. I then also experimented with making my photos black and white, so it would give a complete new portrait and a complete new mood.

Butterfly lighting is a popular lighting technique used when taking portraits of people in lighting studios as the light creates a little butterfly shadow under the nose and also highlights the cheek bones if done correctly.

Butterfly lighting is also known as ‘Paramount lighting’ because it was popular in Hollywood films and portraits.

How to create butterfly lighting

Below is how we set up the lighting studio to create butterfly lighting.

Below is a set of all the photos I took in the lighting studio that resemble Butterfly lighting.

Editing my Photos

Butterfly lighting, otherwise known as paramount lighting or glamour lighting, refers to the butterfly shaped shadow created under the nose from a light source above the camera.

It gets the name paramount lighting from the technique being used on lots of Hollywood stars. Because the light source angles downwards it creates shadows under the cheeks lips and nose which gives the subject a slimmer appearance.

This is an example of a butterfly lighting setup. The light source can be of any kind including natural light or strobe lights because the quality of light is not important.

For a softer effect, you can use a modifier like an umbrella to help more evenly distribute light across the subjects skin.

Personal Attempt

During editing, I created a layer with 25% opacity with gaussian blur and spot healer to remove blemishes.

There are clear shadows that run down the subject but for next time I wish to create sharper shadows that to divide up sections of the face more.

One point lighting–

there is only one light source in the scene with no complementary sources to fill in shadows.

This is the simplest type of light placement and in fact mimics something we see every day — the sun! It has the most natural look and can have a dramatic lighting effect. It also draws attention, but can give a person onstage a very flat, two-dimensional look.

My photo of one ,two and three point lighting:

Two point lighting–

In a two-point lighting setup, two light sources are usually placed at 45 degree angle from the subject. One of them is your key light, which is the main light used to illuminate the subject, and the second is your fill light which helps to remove harsh shadows on the subject that are created by the key light.

Three point lighting-

Three-point lighting is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with light sources from three distinct positions. The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight

Butterfly example..

This is butter fly because thee a butterfly shadow under the eye. It’s a single source directly in line with the subject’s face and the camera. If the shadows are a little too deep, a reflector can be placed below the subject to bounce light back up into the face.

Chiaroscuro example..

Chiaroscuro is a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background. You light across your subject in one direction, and here we lit the background in the reverse direction. Ideally, the subject should go to black on the unlit side and the same for the background, it shows off the looks and eliminates the face.

Rembert example…

You can tell this photograph is Rembert because there’s a triangle underneath her eye. This is a technique utilizing one light and one reflector or two separate lights. It’s a popular technique because it creates images that look both dramatic yet natural.  Rembrandt lighting consists of a single light source placed on a 45 degree offset from the subject, about 5 feet away. Positioned roughly two feet higher than eye level, the light source is angled slightly downward and hits the side of the face that is farthest away from the camera

Here is some photos of the studio in action of 1,2,3, Rembert, butterfly and Chiaroscuro lighting..

One point lighting–

there is only one light source in the scene with no complementary sources to fill in shadows.

This is the simplest type of light placement and in fact mimics something we see every day — the sun! It has the most natural look and can have a dramatic lighting effect. It also draws attention, but can give a person onstage a very flat, two-dimensional look.

My photo of one ,two and three point lighting:

Two point lighting–

In a two-point lighting setup, two light sources are usually placed at 45 degree angle from the subject. One of them is your key light, which is the main light used to illuminate the subject, and the second is your fill light which helps to remove harsh shadows on the subject that are created by the key light.

Three point lighting-

Three-point lighting is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with light sources from three distinct positions. The three types of lights are key light, fill light, and backlight

Butterfly example..

This is butter fly because thee a butterfly shadow under the eye. It’s a single source directly in line with the subject’s face and the camera. If the shadows are a little too deep, a reflector can be placed below the subject to bounce light back up into the face.

Chiaroscuro example..

Chiaroscuro is a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background. You light across your subject in one direction, and here we lit the background in the reverse direction. Ideally, the subject should go to black on the unlit side and the same for the background, it shows off the looks and eliminates the face.

Rembert example…

You can tell this photograph is Rembert because there’s a triangle underneath her eye. This is a technique utilizing one light and one reflector or two separate lights. It’s a popular technique because it creates images that look both dramatic yet natural.  Rembrandt lighting consists of a single light source placed on a 45 degree offset from the subject, about 5 feet away. Positioned roughly two feet higher than eye level, the light source is angled slightly downward and hits the side of the face that is farthest away from the camera

The last two pictures are edited to brighten up the contrast and flaws and imperfection’s.

Here is some photos of the studio in action.

To conclude

I think that this has been my best so far. It brings out so much about you as a person and having trail and error with different sets of lighting and 1,2 and 3 point lighting wasn’t easy, however we got there in the head. I really enjoyed taking these portraits but to do better I think I could’ve angled some of the light’s a bit better, which I will do for my next photoshoot. To wrap up I think I did quiet well in this project and these photographs’.

Chiaroscuro is a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background. Chiaroscuro creates three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional plane, darkening the background and highlighting the subject in the foreground, drawing the viewer’s focus and attention.

The word chiaroscuro is Italian for light and shadow. It’s one of the classic techniques used in the works of artists like Rembrandt, da Vinci, and Caravaggio. It refers to the use of light and shadow to create the illusion of light from a specific source shining on the figures and objects in the painting.

Chiaroscuro Lighting Photoshoot:

For this photoshoot, I took studio portraits using a chiaroscuro lighting setup. In order to make my background darker as seen in the majority of the images I saw, I placed the light source slightly behind the subject and then used a reflective board in order to make the light bounce back onto her face creating that triangular shape once again. I got the subject to try different poses like with her hands on her head, her hands on the back of a chair and with her side on to the camera.

I edited these images on Lightroom and adjusted the contrast, exposure etc. I then decided to make my images black and white on photoshop as when researching about chiaroscuro lighting, I noticed that the majority of the images that I looked at were black and white.

Overall, I feel this photoshoot was successful as I managed to create a dark background which contrasts with the face that is lit up. However, if I were to do this photoshoot again, I would place the light source more towards the camera in order to really enhance the contrast between light and dark.

Chiaroscuro Lighting Photoshoot 2:

For my second photoshoot on Chiaroscuro lighting, I focussed on capturing more of the subject’s body in my images as in the first photoshoot I mainly focussed on the face. I think I managed to do this successfully and created a darker background as I hoped for.

To finalise this photoshoot, I exported my edited images from Lightroom and edited them to be black and white in photoshop as this was a common theme amongst other chiaroscuro lighting portraits I had seen.

Overall, I like how this photoshoot came out as I managed to improve what I wanted to on my previous photoshoot. However, I could’ve shot my images in a portrait and landscape mode instead of just portrait in order to get more variety in my images.

Photoshoot- Edits

The photographs that are highlighted green are the photos I have chosen to edit, because they have the best poses and composition. They also display the different types of lighting the most effectively and well, so it is easy to tell which lighting was used for each of these photographs.

Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is lighting that displays a butterfly shadow under the nose. This is how you can tell it is butterfly lighting. The set up which was used is shown below;

The light was positioned directly in front of the model, but raised about 2 feet above the model, so the light would shine down onto them. The camera was also positioned directly in front of the model, but at the same level as the model. The reflector is then used to reflect the light into the models eyes to make them brighter and more visible in the photograph. The reflector is positioned either under the model on an angle, or to the side of the model on an angle. 

Edits

I edited this photo to make it much brighter, so that the model was more visible. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights and whites, while also decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also experimented with editing in Lightroom, by using a brightening tool on the models eyes, so they are brighter and more visible. I also used a correction tool to get rid of any blemishes on the skin, hair etc.

I also experimented with the editing by making a virtual copy of the edited photo and making it black and white.

I edited this photo to make it much brighter, so that it was more vibrant and the model could be more visible. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites and clarity, while also decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also experimented with editing in Lightroom, by using a brightening tool on the models eyes, so they are brighter and more visible. I also used a correction tool to get rid of any blemishes on the skin, hair etc.

I also made a virtual copy of the edited photo and edited it again, so it was black and white. I did this to give the portrait a different mood and to just experiment with different tones and contrasts.

I edited this photo to make it brighter and more vibrant, so the model and her features were more visible. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, texture and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also experimented with editing in Lightroom, by using a brightening tool on the models eyes, so they are brighter and more visible. I also used a correction tool to get rid of any blemishes on the skin, hair etc.

I also made a virtual copy of the edited photo and edited it again to make a black and white copy. I then started to experiment with different backgrounds, so I used a black background instead of white background.

I edited this photo to make the model more vibrant and the photo brighter, so that the model would stand out more. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also experimented with editing in Lightroom, by using a brightening tool on the models eyes, so they are brighter and more visible. I also used a correction tool to get rid of any blemishes on the skin, hair etc.

I then made a virtual copy of the edited photo and edited it again to create a black and white version.

I edited this photo to make it brighter and to give the model’s face more highlights, so that the shadow under her nose stood out more, so it was easier to to tell it was butterfly lighting that was used. I did this by increasing the exposure, contrast, highlights, whites, texture and clarity, while decreasing the shadows and blacks. I also experimented with editing in Lightroom, by using a brightening tool on the models eyes, so they are brighter and more visible. I also used a correction tool to get rid of any blemishes on the skin, hair etc.

I also made a virtual copy of the edited photo and edited it again to make a black and white version.

For all my butterfly photographs the camera settings were;

Aperture: f/14

Shutter Speed: 1/80 seconds

ISO: ISO-100

Top 9 Butterfly lighting photographs

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think this photoshoot went well, as I understood the lighting technique and managed to achieve portraits using this lighting technique, because I was able to set up the studio correctly for the different types of lighting. I also experimented with different backgrounds, such as black or white backgrounds, to give the photograph a different mood. I was also able to direct my models to try different poses and to sit at different angles or facing different ways. This helped change the mood of the photographs. I also experimented a lot with my editing skills, as I used a brightening tool on Lightroom to brighten up my models eyes, so they would be more visible and stand out more. Furthermore, I also used a correction tool on Lightroom to correct or get rid of any blemishes on my models skin, hair etc. I then also experimented with making my photos black and white, so it would give a complete new portrait and a complete new mood.