Basic lighting setups

7 Essential Lighting Setups for Portrait Photography

Photo by Ilya Pavlov

Lighting is the foundation of any successful portrait photography, be it a corporate headshot or a character study. It’s key to not only flattering (or emphasising) a person’s features, but also expressing your creative intent and producing images that your clients will love.

There are almost infinite ways to set up portrait photography lighting, but most are variations or combinations of seven key styles:

Split Lighting
Loop Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting
Butterfly Lighting (& Clamshell Lighting)
Broad Lighting
Short Lighting
Back Lighting

Each of these portrait lighting setups can be achieved with just a single light source, which you can easily modify, intensify or supplement to produce endlessly different effects.

Whatever your skill level, these different types of portrait photography lighting setups will equip you for a vast range of situations. Learn how, and what you need, to create each one.

Ambient, Flash or Continuous?

You can create most of these lighting styles using ambient light, but flash or continuous LED light is much easier to move and control.

See our Introductory Buyer’s Guide to Lighting.

Catchlights

Catchlights—a reflection of the light source in a subject’s eyes—are considered essential to any great portrait. Without the sparkle of catchlights, eyes tend to look somewhat dull and lifeless.

Being reflections, catchlights will take the same shape as your light source (e.g. square for softboxes, round for beauty dishes) so bear that in mind if you’re after a particular look.

Catchlights are also a good indicator of how high to position your light. Find out more under each heading below.

In most of these portrait photography lighting setups, you can change the angle of your camera relative to your subject without greatly affecting the overall pattern of light and shadow.

What’s important to achieving each look is where you position the light in relation to your subject.

Photo by Diego Sanchez

Split Lighting

What: Split lighting effectively ‘splits’ the face into two halves: one lit, the other in shadow. This creates a dramatic, even mysterious, look that you can emphasise by increasing the contrast between brightness and shadow.

Example of split lighting setup

How: To create split lighting simply place the light source at 90° to the subject.

For greater contrast between dark and light, increase the light source’s brightness or move it closer to your subject while minimising the amount of light that hits the shadow side.

For less contrast, dim the light source, position it further from your subject, and/or fill the shadows using a reflector.

Photos by Jurica Koletić (L), Ayo Ogunseinde (R)

Loop Lighting

What: Loop lighting is one of the simplest and most popular portrait lighting styles. It subtly defines facial features with soft shadows on the cheek opposite to the lighting.

Who: Loop lighting will flatter pretty much anyone.

Example of loop lighting setup using one large softbox

How: To create loop lighting position a soft light source (e.g. diffused sun, flash or continuous light) at about 45° to your subject, just above their eye level and angled slightly down.

Adjusting the angle and height of the light will change the appearance of your shadows, so play around until you’re happy with the effect on your subject.

To soften shadows, place a reflector or fill light on the opposite side of your subject.

Rembrandt Lighting

What: Rembrandt lighting takes its name from the Dutch painter whose portraits often featured this style of lighting. This portrait lighting technique is similar to loop lighting but with a distinctive triangle of light on one cheek, formed where the nose and cheekbone shadows join.

Photo by Emrecan Arık

Left: Example of one-light Rembrandt lighting setup
Right: Example of Rembrandt lighting with fill

How: To create Rembrandt lighting position your light at about 30° to your subject, a bit above their head and angled slightly down. Adjust the height and angle of the light to suit your subject’s face and bring catchlights to their eyes. (If using a fixed ambient light source such as a window, adjust your subject’s position until you get the same result. )

For softer shadow edges, diffuse the light source with a scrim, softbox, umbrella or (if using a window) sheer curtain.

For harder shadow edges, try attaching a grid to your modifier. You could even try using no modifier at all.

To fill in shadow detail, place a reflector or dimmer second light on the opposite side of your subject.

Left: Butterfly lighting | Photo by Dmytro Tolokonov
Right: Clamshell lighting | Photo by Oz Seyrek

Butterfly Lighting (& Clamshell Lighting)

What: Butterfly lighting is distinguished by the butterfly-like shadow it creates under the subject’s nose, along with soft, subtle shadows under the chin and cheek bones. It’s ideal for glamour and beauty photography as it creates soft, even lighting while sculpting the shape of the face.

Who: Butterfly lighting best flatters subjects with slim faces and defined cheekbones.

Left: Example of butterfly lighting
Right: Example of clamshell lighting

How: To create butterfly lighting, place a strobe (modified using a softbox or beauty dish) or a large LED ring light right above and slightly behind your camera. It should be just high enough to produce catchlights in the subject’s eyes. To create more or less contrast, simply move the light slightly further from or closer to your subject.

If you want lighter shadows and a softer, higher key look, place a reflector or small softbox beneath the camera, with the base angled slightly up towards your subject. This lighting combination is known as clamshell lighting, as it resembles an open clamshell from side on.

Photo by Christopher Campbell

Broad Lighting

What: Broad lighting is any style of lighting—split, loop, Rembrandt—in which the brightest side of the face is angled more towards the camera. This portrait lighting technique illuminates the majority of the face, making it suitable for high-key portraits.

Who: Because it effectively broadens the foremost side of the face, broad lighting is ideal for accentuating cheeks or widening a slim face.

How: To create broad lighting, angle the subject away from the main light source and photograph them facing the bright side of their face.

Example of broad lighting setup

Photo by Greg Sullavan | Taken using the Canon EOS R + Canon RF 85mm f1.2L USM Lens @ f1.2, 1/160 sec, ISO 640

Short Lighting

What: Short lighting is basically the opposite of broad lighting. It describes any lighting style—split, loop, Rembrandt—in which the darker side of the face is angled more towards the camera. Because it puts most of the face in shadow, this type of portrait photography lighting setup works well for low-key portraits.

Who: Short lighting has a slimming effect, making it flattering for most faces.

How: To create short lighting, angle the subject towards the main light source and photograph them facing the shadow side of their face.

Example of short lighting setup

Photos by Molly Belle (L), Jay Young (R)

Back Lighting (Rim Lighting)

What: As the name suggests, back lighting (also known as rim lighting, hair lighting or edge lighting) involves lighting the subject from directly behind. Used effectively, whether in the studio or outdoors at golden hour, this creates a bright outline or ‘rim light’ that can really help define your subject.

Example of single-light back lighting setup

How: For maximum results make sure the light source isn’t visible in frame.

a) You can dramatically silhouette your subject by using just a single light and exposing for the highlights – i.e. manually basing your exposure on the brightest areas, or underexposing until everything is black except for the highlights.

b) To capture a more balanced exposure (with all of your subject’s details visible), place a reflector or soft second light (e.g. softbox) between your subject and camera (out of frame) to fill in shadows.

Final Word

As you can see, it takes little effort or equipment to create any—or all—of the different types of photography lighting above. And once you’ve mastered each style, you can dramatically change how it looks with a simple change of modifier, tweak in contrast ratio, or addition of other lighting.

With your portrait lighting perfected, you can devote the rest of your time to posing, framing and interacting with your subject.

Want more advice on lighting or portrait photography?

Just ask one of our experts.

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

A Post By: Darlene Hildebrandt

If you want to capture flattering portraits, then you must master lighting. Fortunately, this is pretty easy, thanks to lighting patterns – that is, simple portrait lighting setups you can consistently use for nice-looking images.

In fact, portrait lighting patterns are great for beginners and advanced shooters alike; as an experienced portrait photographer, I use these patterns all the time in my own work.

Below, I share six useful photography lighting techniques that every portrait artist should know. I also include lighting diagrams, so you know exactly how to replicate the pattern in your own studio.

Are you ready to take your portrait shots to the next level? Let’s get started.

1. Split lighting

Split lighting looks the way it sounds; it splits the face into equal halves, like this:

Because this half-shadow effect is pretty dramatic, especially when the light is hard, it’s often used to create moody shots of musicians and artists.

To achieve split lighting, simply put the light source 90 degrees to the left or right of the subject (you can even move it slightly behind their head). In true split lighting, the only part of the “shadowed” face that should be lit is the eye (as shown in the photo above). Here is the simple split lighting diagram, though note that you can always spruce up a split-lit image with fill lights, rim lights, and background lights:

Also, make sure at least one of your subject’s eyes contains a catchlight (a bright spot of light that reflects from the light source). Otherwise, the eyes will appear lifeless, and the entire shot will likely be ruined.

2. Loop lighting

Loop lighting positions a small shadow from the subject’s nose across their cheek. Look at the photo below; see how the nose shadow falls slightly to the right of the nostril?

Loop lighting is probably the most common lighting pattern you’ll encounter in portrait photography. Why? It’s easy to create, plus it flatters most people! That’s why some photographers consider it the absolute best lighting for portraits (especially if you’re a beginner).

Note that, in loop lighting, the shadow of the nose and the shadow on the cheek do not touch. That’s a different lighting pattern, as I discuss in the next section. Instead, keep the shadow small and pointing slightly downward (though don’t put the light source too high; otherwise, you’ll create odd shadows and lose the essential catchlights). Here’s another example, with a soft shadow falling to the right of the viewer:

To create loop lighting, place the light source slightly above eye level and about 30-45 degrees from the camera. The exact angle depends on the person’s face, so feel free to turn on your modeling lamp (if your light has one) or take several shots with the strobe positioned in different places. Over time, you’ll get better at reading people’s faces, and you’ll be able to identify the perfect loop-light position from the get-go.

The diagram below models the lighting conditions for the couple image I’ve shared above:

Note that the black backdrop represents the bank of trees behind the subjects. The sun is coming over the trees, and I’ve placed a white reflector at camera left to bounce light back into the subjects’ faces. In a standard studio setup, you would position a strobe instead of the reflector, though in this situation – with the natural light from the sun – a reflector works just fine!

And remember: Your light should be slightly above the subject’s eye level. Beginners mess this one up a lot by putting the light down low and angled upward. That lights the bottom of your subject’s nose, and the result isn’t so flattering.

3. Rembrandt lighting

Rembrandt lighting gets its name from the 17th-century artist Rembrandt, who used it in his painted portraits. It’s identified by a clear triangle of light on the subject’s cheek, like this:

Note that the shadow of the nose and the cheek do meet, which creates that little triangle; this is different from loop lighting, where the shadows shouldn’t touch. Also note that Rembrandt lighting is more dramatic than loop lighting, so use it for moodier portrait sessions and not for standard family photoshoots.

To create Rembrandt lighting, place the light off to the subject’s side, and ask your subject to turn slightly away from the light. The light should be above their head so that the nose shadow falls down toward the cheek. Here’s a Rembrandt lighting diagram, with a window instead of a strobe (though you can, of course, use any type of light source):

Not every person’s face is ideal for creating Rembrandt lighting. If they have high or prominent cheek bones, it’ll probably work – but if they have a small nose or flat nose bridge, it may be difficult to achieve.

Keep in mind that you don’t always need to create this pattern exactly; as long as your subject is flattered and you get the mood you’re after, then the light is working.

4. Butterfly lighting

Butterfly lighting is named for the butterfly-shaped shadow that is created under the nose, like this:

The result is a very glamorous photo, with shadows under the cheeks and chin, so you’ll often find it in fashion magazines and shots of movie stars. It is also flattering for older subjects as it deemphasizes wrinkles, as well as slim-faced subjects (whereas subjects with round, wide faces look better with loop lighting or split lighting).

Butterfly lighting is super simple to create. Just place the light source directly behind the camera and slightly above eye or head level of the subject:

If the shadow under the nose is too strong, you can place a reflector directly under the chin (your subject can hold it, if need be).

This pattern is tough to create using only window light or a reflector. You’ll often need a hard light source – such as the sun or a flash – to produce the more defined shadow under the nose.

5. Broad lighting

Technically, broad lighting isn’t a portrait lighting pattern; it’s a portrait lighting style, which you can use with loop lighting, Rembrandt lighting, or split lighting. However, it’s a useful lighting setup that’s often grouped with the patterns discussed above, and I definitely recommend you master it.

You get broad lighting when the subject’s face is slightly turned away from the camera, and the side of the face turned toward the camera is illuminated by the light, like this:

This type of lighting makes a person’s face look broader or wider (hence the broad lighting moniker) and works well when photographing subjects with very slim faces. But most people want to look slimmer, not wider, so this type of lighting would not be appropriate for someone who is heavier or round faced.

To create broad lighting, turn the face away from the light source, as shown in the diagram below. Notice how the side of the face nearer to the camera receives light, while the far side of the face remains in shadow.

6. Short lighting

Short lighting is the opposite of broad lighting; the side of the face turned toward the camera is shrouded in shadow, while the side of the face turned away from the camera is brightened.

It’s a useful lighting pattern for darker, moodier, and even low-key portraits. Note that short lighting puts more of the face in shadow, is more sculpting, adds 3D qualities, and is very slimming and flattering for most people.

To create short lighting, ask your subject to turn slightly toward the light source, so that the shadows fall on the side of the face closer to the camera:

Portrait lighting setups: putting it all together

Once you can quickly create each of the different lighting patterns, you can start to learn when to apply them in your portrait sessions. You’ll eventually be able to determine the best portrait lighting simply by studying your subject’s face. And you’ll learn, over time, how different lighting patterns change the mood of the final shot.

Technically, you can create these setups with any type of light: window light, natural light, speedlights, continuous lights, or strobes. But note that it’s much easier to change the lighting pattern if you can move the light source, so it pays to begin with a portable studio light.

(Though if you can’t move the light source, you can always ask your subject to rotate in relation to the light.)

Portrait photography lighting patterns: final words

Now that you’ve finished this article, you’re well equipped to create beautiful portraits. Simply practice the lighting tips I’ve shared, learn to quickly form each lighting setup, and you’ll be good to go!

Now over to you:

Which of these lighting patterns is your favorite? Which style do you plan to use in your next photoshoot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

GENERAL
- 15 Common Portrait Mistakes to Avoid
- 10 Ways to Direct a Portrait Shoot like a Pro
- How to Photograph People: 7 Tips for Photographers Who Never Photograph People
- 10 Crucial Things You Need to Think About for Portrait Photography
- 5 Portrait Photography Rules You Should Probably Ignore
- Five Budget Portrait Photography Hacks to Save You Money
- 8 Lessons Learned from My First Attempt at Portrait Photography
- How Self-Portraiture Makes You a Better Photographer
- The Photo Critique: Portrait Edition
- 10 Shots, 10 Portraits, 1 Focal Length: Take this Photography Challenge
- How I Got The Shot: Portrait Style
PREPARATION
- Tips for Preparing for a Portrait Session
- 8 Tips to Help Make People Comfortable for Their Portrait Session
- Clothing for Portraits – How to Tell your Subjects What to Wear
- How to Plan a Successful Sunset Portrait Session
- 5 Secrets for Finding Great Indoor Photoshoot Locations
- 10 Christmas Portrait Locations (with Bonus Lighting and Composition Tips)
- How to Build a Bench Prop for Great Portrait Photos
- A Beginners Guide to Taking Portraits of Elderly Clients: Part 1 – Preparation and Rapport
- How to Scout for Portrait Shooting Locations
- The Importance of Location for Outdoor Portraits
- How to Choose Urban Landscapes for Portrait Photography
SETTINGS
- The Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
- How to Achieve Blurred Backgrounds in Portrait Photography
- How to Bypass the Portrait Mode on Your Digital Camera and Get Great Portraits
- Understanding the Focus and Recompose Technique
- Overcoming Depth of Field Problems in Portraits
- 9 Ways to Ensure You Get Sharp Images When Photographing People
- Stunning Portraits: Manipulating White Balance
- Shooting for HDR Portraiture
- How [Not] to Take a Self Timer Portrait
- How Focal Length Changes the Shape of the Face in Portraiture
LIGHTING
- 5 Tips How to Set Up a Home Studio for Dramatic Portraits
- Simple Portrait Setups You Can Create on a Tight Budget
- How to Eliminate Reflections in Glasses in Portraits
- Portrait Photography: How to Photograph People in the Harsh Midday Sun
- 4 Ways to Shoot Portraits in the Middle of the Day
- 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know
  - 1. Split lighting
  - 2. Loop lighting
  - 3. Rembrandt lighting
  - 4. Butterfly lighting
  - 5. Broad lighting
  - 6. Short lighting
  - Portrait lighting setups: putting it all together
  - Portrait photography lighting patterns: final words
- 3 Lighting Setups for Photographing Headshots
- 6 Ways of Using Reflector to Take Better Portraits
- How to Create and Shoot Night Portraits
- How to Make Beautiful Portraits Using Flash and High-Speed Sync
- How to Make a Low Key Portrait (Step by Step)
- Fill Flash Photography: How to Get Beautiful Portraits (Even in Bad Light)
- A Lighting Ratios Guide: How to Make (or Break) Your Portraits
- How to Mix Ambient Light and Fill-Flash for Outdoor Portraits
- How to Photograph Fantastic Portraits with One Flash
- DIY How to Build and Use a Reflector to Take Better Portraits
- Understanding Light for Better Portrait Photography
- Tips for Doing Natural Light Headshots and Portraits
- 3 Reasons to do Headshots with Natural Light
- A Beginners Guide to Taking Portraits of Elderly Clients: Part 2 – Lighting and Posing
- How to Create Stunning Wide-Angle Portraits (Using an Off-Camera Flash)
- Tips for Making the Most of Morning Light for Portraits
- 5 Ways to Use a Beauty Dish Light for Portraits
- Beginners Tips for Sunrise Portraits : Part I
- Getting to Grips with Fill Light in Portrait Photography
- How to Use Flash for Night Portraits
- What Size Beauty Dish is Right For Your Portrait Photography?
- How to Create Catch Lights in Your Natural Light Portraits
- Tips for Using Golden Hour Light for Portraits
- Side-by-side comparison between reflectors and diffusers for portraits
- 6 Tips for Taking Better Natural Light Classic Portraits
- How to Use a Small Softbox With Your Flash to Transform Your Portraits
- Simple Tips for Positioning Your Portrait Subject to Leverage Natural Light
- The Importance of Shadows in Portrait Photography
- So You Have No Model? Here are Ways to Practice Your Portrait Lighting With Toys
- How to use Colored Gels to Create Unique and Creative Portraits
- 3 Steps to Professional Looking Headshots Using One Flash
- How to Use Two LED Lights to Achieve Moody Portraits
- Made in the Shade – Why Taking Portraits in the Shade Can be Ideal
- What Is Good Light? (And How to Use It for Beautiful Portraits)
- How to do Accent Lighting for Portraits
- Tips For Great Indoor Portraits Using Natural Light
- 5 Reasons for Doing Natural Light Portraits
- Review of the Westcott Eyelighter for Headshots and Portraits
- How to Use Angle of Light in People Photography for Added Punch
- High Speed Sync Versus a Neutral Density Filter to Overcome Bright Sunlight in Portraits
- 5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light
- How to Use Off-camera Flash to Fix Lighting Problems for Outdoor Portraits
- How to Create Awesome Portrait Lighting with a Paper Bag an Elastic Band and a Chocolate Donut
- Tips for Using Speedlights to Create the Right Lighting for Outdoor Portraits
- How to use a Gobo to add Depth to Your Portraits with Subtractive Lighting
- How to Use Hard Lighting to Create a Dramatic Portrait
- Portrait Comparison – Flash Versus Natural Light
- Stealing Light – Using Street Lights for Portraits
- Five Places for Perfect Natural Portrait Lighting
- How to See the Light for Portraits: A Quick Tip for Beginners
- Shooting with Available Light – Lifestyle Portraiture
- 5 Ways to Light Your Christmas Tree Portraits This Festive Season
- A Simple Lighting Technique for Couples Portraits
- Awash In Light: High Key Portraiture
- A Portrait Lighting Project for a Rainy Day
- Simple Portrait Lighting Setup: Gorgeous Result
- How to Achieve Great Portraits with Window Light
- A Simple Exercise on Working with Natural Light in Portraits
- Small Flash Portraits on Location with Adorama TV
- Portraits on an Overcast Day? Use a Reflector
- Tips for Using Flash for Beach Portraits
- How to Find and Use Natural Reflectors for Portraits
- How to Create Dramatic Portraits with Shadow Photography [video]
- Tips for Portrait Photography in Overcast Weather [video]
- How to Photograph People Outdoors Without Using a Reflector
- How To Use an Outdoor Studio for Natural Portraits
POSING
- Female Poses: 21 Posing Ideas to Get You Started Photographing Women
- Glamour Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started
- Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Men
- Good Crop Bad Crop – How to Crop Portraits
- How to Pose and Angle the Body for Better Portraits
- Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Groups of People
- Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Couples
- Your Guide to the Best Poses for Engagement Photos
- How to do Gentle Posing: A Collection of Prompts to Get You Started
- Tips for Posing Large Families and Groups
- How to Pose People for Headshots
- Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits
- 20 Tips for Getting People to Smile in Photos
- How to Avoid Fake Smiles in Your People Photography
- Tips for Posing Muscular Female Body Types
- Your Posing Guide for Maternity Sessions
- Handiwork: How to Pose Hands
- Your Guide to Posing Bands in Photography
- Posing Tip for Portraits – Which Way Should Your Subject Lean?
- Posing Tips – Waistlines, Thighs and Bustlines
- 3 Posing Tips for Young Siblings
- What Everybody Ought to Know About Posing for Portraits
- Poser: Achieve Perfect Portrait Expression
- Capturing Better Portraits Between Poses
- A Posing Technique from A Girl With a Pearl Earring
- Tips for Posing Men
COMPOSITION
- 6 Types of Portrait Backgrounds for Creative Images
- 6 Tips for Perfect Composition in Portrait Photography
- How to Find Great Backgrounds for Outdoor Portraits
- How to Make Colors Pop in Your Portraits – Without Using Photoshop
- How to Use Foreground Framing to Improve Your Portrait Photography
- How to Use Negative Space in People Photography
- 3 Simple Ways to Use Framing and Layering in Portraits
- Is Portrait Formatting always best for Portraits?
- Portrait Tip: Don't Fill the Frame
- How to Use Portrait Angles More Creatively: A Visual Guide
- How to Use Facial View and Camera Angle to take Flattering Portraits
GEAR
- Comparing a 50mm Versus 85mm Lens for Photographing People
- Comparing a 24mm Versus 50mm Lens for Photographing People
- 3 Tips for Taking Portraits with a Kit Lens
- Best Fujifilm X-Series Kit for Urban Portraits
- 3 Ways to Get Killer Portraits Using a Tripod
- Photographing Portraits with Classic Lenses (includes Example Images)
- Portrait Photographers: Do You Really Need a 70-200mm Lens?
- Essential Portrait Photography Gear You Need When Starting Out
- Portable Portrait Studio in a Bag: Now You Can Take Portraits While on the Road
- How to Choose the Perfect Portrait Lens
- Which 50mm Lens is Best for Portraits?
ADVANCED GUIDES
- 13 Tips for Improving Outdoor Portraits
- Create Beautiful Indoor Portraits Without Flash (NSFW)
- 10 Tips for Photographing Great Headshots
- 3 Simple Ways to Create Stunning Eyes in Your Portrait Photography
- 11 Tips for Photographing High School Senior Portraits
- Tips for Doing Fall Portraits
- 6 Tips for Photographing Large People
- 7 Tips for Black and White Portrait Photography
- How to Create Environmental Portraits (Tips and Examples)
- Capturing Unenthusiastic Teens: Forget the Perfect Pose and Get Photos You Truly Love
- Tips for Taking the Torture out of Extended Family Portrait Sessions
- Self Portrait Photography Tips
- What the Mona Lisa Can Teach You About Taking Great Portraits
- 5 Tips for Musician Portraits (So You Can Hit All the Right Notes)
- 5 Tips to Help You Take More Natural Looking Portraits
- 15 Tips for More Powerful Portraits
- How to Create Dramatic Portraits in Your Garage
- 9 Tips that Make Couples Happy During a Portrait Session
- 5 Tips for Taking Better Portraits in Nature
- Snow Portrait: Behind the Scenes
- Tips for Creating Dance Portraits
- How to Take Better Beach Portraits at Any Time of Day
- The Introverts Guide to Photographing People
- 6 Ways to Take a Candid Portrait of Somebody You Know
- 3 Body Language Hacks to Improve Your Portrait Photography
- 5 More Tips for Making Better Black and White Portraits
- Tips for Planning and Capturing a Creative Portrait
- 5 Tips for Creating Romantic Portraits of Couples
- 10 Tips to Create Emotive Portraits
- 7 Tips for Photographing a Bridal Portrait Session
- 3 Lessons I Learned by Doing a Self-Portrait Project
- The Ultimate Guide to Photographing People for the Shy Photographer
- Tips for Getting Yourself to Relax as a Photographer and Have More Successful Portrait Sessions
- Tips for Taking More Natural Engagement Portraits
- 6 Tips for Better Portraits on Location
- 7 Ways to Take Advantage of Autumn in Your Portrait Photography
- 7 Tips and Etiquette for Taking Portraits in Public
- How to Make a Unique Portrait in the City at Night
- 3 Tips for Creating Outstanding Portraits, Inspired by the work of Dutch Artist Van Gogh
- 5 Keys to Taking Beautiful Maternity Portraits
- Photographing People: To do Styled Portraits or Not?
- 7 Steps to Capturing Truth in Your Portraiture
- Engagement Portrait Shoots: 7 Professional Tips to take your Engagement Shoots to the Next Level
- Personalities and Portraits – and Getting Them to Mix
- 3 Reasons to Have Your Own Portrait Taken
- 5 Tips for Photographing Portfolio-Worthy Costume Portraits
- 3 Critical People Skills Portrait Photographers Need
- The Essence of Masculinity – Portraits of Men
- 5 Corporate-Style Portrait Techniques
- 5 Tips for Doing Portrait Photography in Busy Locations
- Tips for Great Beach Sunset Portraits
CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
- How to Create Portraits with a Black Background
- How Using Props in Portraits Can Make Your Photos More Interesting
- How to Take Unique Crystal Ball Portraits
- How to Create a Hollywood Film Noir Portrait
- How to Create this “Fight Club” Inspired Portrait using One Light
- Dragging the Shutter for Creative Portraits
- 5 Secrets for Creating Perfect Silhouette Portrait Photography
- How to do Tilt-Shift Portraits
- Copper, Prisms, and Orbs, Oh My! – 3 Creative Techniques for People Photography
- Portrait Tip: Add Interest and Movement into Your Shots with Wind
- Glitter Portrait: How I Took It
- How to Create a Unique Bokeh Portrait for Under $10
- 5 Ways to Use a Piece of Glass for Unique Portraits [video]
- Room with a View: How to Create this Window with Blinds Portrait Anywhere
- 7 Steps to Perfect White Portrait Backgrounds in the Studio
- How to Make Unique Portraits Using Light Painting
POST-PROCESSING
- 11 Steps for Basic Portrait Editing in Lightroom – A Beginner’s Guide
- Five Common Portrait Retouching Mistakes to Avoid
- How to Create a Dramatic Cinematic Style Portrait Using Photoshop Color Grading
- How to Edit Corporate Headshots in Lightroom
- How to Create a Dark and Moody Rembrandt-Style Portrait In Lightroom
- How to Retouch a Portrait with the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom
- Photoshop: Red Eye Fix for Difficult Cases in People and Pets
- 3 Steps to Photoshop Retouching for Natural Looking Portraits
- How to do Frequency Separation Portrait Retouching in Photoshop
- Basic Portrait Post-Processing Workflow Tips to Help You Save Time and Stay Organized
- How to Add a Grunge Effect to Your Portraits Using Lightroom
- How to Create Twinkle Lights for Christmas Tree Portraits in Photoshop
- How to Enhance Portraits Using Gray Layers to Dodge and Burn in Photoshop
- How to Blur the Background of a Portrait Using the Magnetic Lasso Tool in Photoshop
- How to Use Photoshop Blending Modes for Fine Art Portraiture
- Stylized Techniques for Editing Portraits Using Lightroom
- How to Make a Bubble Portrait using Photoshop CS3
- Creating a Black and White High Contrast Portrait Edit in Lightroom
- How to Create a “Soft Portrait” Preset in Lightroom 4
- Basic Photoshop Tutorial – How to Add Creative Overlays to Your Portraits
- 3 Essential Photoshop Tools for New Portrait Photographers
- How to Make Creative Lightroom Develop Presets for Portraits
- 5 Reasons to Use Lightroom for Portrait Retouching
- Advanced Portrait Retouch on a Male Subject in Lightroom 4 – Part 1 of 3
- 3 Ways to Make Selective Color Portraits Using Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro 2
- Correcting For Under Exposure and Boosting Dynamic Range with an Environmental Portrait in Lightroom 4
- How to do Portrait Retouching With Luminar
- Tips for Portrait Processing with ON1 Photo RAW 2018. 5
- 5 Tips to Cut Your Portrait Editing Time in Half
BUSINESS
- Portrait Consultations: Two Questions That Make A Big Difference
- How to Shoot a Self Portrait to Support your Brand Identity
INSPIRATION
- 5 Examples of Beautiful Simple Portraits
- DISCUSS: When you Photograph People in Black and White, you Photograph their Souls
- 21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits
- 24 Photos of Perfectly Posed Portraits
- 19 More Creative Mirror Self Portraits
- 18 Stunning Self Portraits
- Interview with Fine Art Portrait Photographer Bill Gekas
- 11 Influential Portrait Photographers you Need to Know
- Black and White Portraits a Set of Images to Admire
- Nadav Kander on Portrait Photography [VIDEO]
- 21 Spooky Portraits
- Inspiring Portraits of Women – a Collection of Images
- 12. 5 Years of Daily Self Portraits [VIDEO]
- Interview with Self Portrait and 365 Photographer – Anna Gay
- Triptych Portrait Series
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Basic lighting parameters

Vision is a tool with which a person learns many properties of surrounding objects and phenomena. People deprived of sight feel inferior, therefore, from childhood, it is necessary to follow the rules aimed at preserving and maintaining eye health.

The state, whose role is, in particular, to take care of its citizens, has developed standards governing the illumination of premises intended for work, recreation and study.
New norms in Ukraine have existed since 2006. They were introduced to replace the obsolete SNiP II-4-79. This was facilitated by the spread of international standards ISO 8995, which describe lighting standards in more detail, in particular, there are restrictions on gloss and color rendering index.

Important question

It would seem that there is nothing difficult in following the existing rules. To do this, you just need to buy lamps with the necessary characteristics and screw them into cartridges. In fact, everything is complicated by objective circumstances.

The customer often has no idea about the standards of illumination and color reproduction. He firmly decided to implement a design project, which provides for certain lamps, wallpaper, furniture. All interior items can be purchased based simply on their inexpensive cost. Complex issues such as color reproduction and light factor are simply not addressed. As a result, after a certain time, office workers begin to notice that their eyesight has deteriorated greatly.

A bit of history

Today in Ukraine there are Norms DBN V.2.5-28.2006, introduced since October 01, 2006. They were developed on the basis of international standards of the early 21st century, so they can be considered the most modern. For calculations, certain formulas and quantities are used, but it all began many thousands of years ago, when even the concept of a “lamp” did not exist.

Even in ancient times, only having learned to control fire, people immediately began to use it for lighting in the dark. This made it possible to navigate much better in dark caves, to determine the road at night. Later, the premises were illuminated with oil lamps made of clay or bronze. From the 15th century, wax candles became widespread, which in the 19thcentury were replaced by stearic, and closer to the 20th century - by paraffin.

Even after the invention of kerosene and gas lamps, lighting left much to be desired. Although its use made it possible to make the working day much longer, no one thought about the vision of workers, and there were no laws defining lighting standards. The most difficult conditions led to the fact that many people went blind, received industrial injuries that made them crippled.
The invention of the electric light bulb coincided with the introduction of laws aimed at improving labor. Entrepreneurs quickly realized that the quality of lighting depends on the productivity of work. Engineers and scientists began to introduce new technologies, the implementation of which required strict adherence to pre-calculated parameters, which means increased attention and vision. In the Soviet Union, the first lighting standards appeared in 1928 year. They were developed by the largest specialist in lighting technology in Russia, Professor Pavel Mikhailovich Tikhodeev. After approval by the Commissariat, they became mandatory.

Since then, the norms have changed many times, but always for the better. This was due to the invention of more advanced lighting devices, as well as the emergence of new professions that require maximum use of vision. Gas-discharge and LED lamps have replaced kerosene lamps, which people simply did not dream of a couple of hundred years ago.

The most important concepts

The science that studies the properties of artificial and natural light, the possibilities of its application, devices that generate this light is called lighting engineering. Thanks to lighting technology, parameters were introduced that determine the quality of lighting. This is a rather complex area, operating with a large number of terms. It requires a deep understanding of all the processes that occur during the emission, reflection and perception of a light beam.

In order to make correct calculations for obtaining light characteristics, it is necessary to know the basic concepts that appear in the standards and requirements. The very first of these is lighting. We can say that illuminance shows how much light falls on the surface. Speaking in the language of formulas, then it is equal to the ratio of the luminous flux to a unit area. This value is measured in lux, abbreviated as lux.

Another frequently encountered concept is contrast. It characterizes the difference in the brightness of the background and the object located on this background. If the angular dimensions of an object decrease, then its contrast also decreases under a given illumination.

I must say that our eye does not react to the illumination itself, but to the brightness of objects, that is, to the intensity of light emitted by the surface in the direction of our vision. However, it is more difficult to calculate the brightness, so illumination was chosen as the main normalized parameter.

Brightness is a defining concept when it comes to roads. It is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2) and characterizes road surfaces.

The comfortable visual perception of surrounding objects by a person is affected by brilliance. Seeing something especially bright against the background of calm tones, we feel blinded. This indicates a high degree of brilliance of the subject. The higher this parameter, the worse the person sees.

There are other important terms that you will become familiar with when you delve deeper into issues related to surface illumination.

Basic lighting standards for workplaces

The use of light is quite wide. Every day we encounter lighting fixtures at home, at work and at recreational activities. There are recommendations for the use of almost all of these devices. In addition to recommendations, state legislative norms have been introduced. They help to make working and rest conditions of the highest quality.

It should be noted that the general Norms of 01.10.2006 do not apply to a number of structures. This is specified in a separate paragraph. Such structures include, in particular, airfields, underground workings, railway stations, etc.

Each industry has its own characteristics, so lighting standards can be developed separately for each industry. This is based on general rules. The requirements for illumination of industrial premises differ from the requirements for residential and amenity premises. There are some peculiarities in the norms for the illumination of roads, streets, auxiliary and public buildings.

Before proceeding with the implementation of measurements, it is necessary to clearly define what category the visual work belongs to and where it will be carried out. The contrast between the background and the observed object is taken into account, as well as the light characteristic of the background, which can be light, dark or medium. The type of lamps and the angular dimensions of the object are taken into account.

There are eight main categories of visual work for industrial premises. The very first of these corresponds to the work done with the highest accuracy, when it is necessary to distinguish between objects with a size of 0.15 mm or less. It is believed that the distance to the object should be 0.5 m. The eighth category means visual work, which consists in general observations.

So, when working with an object whose size is 0.3 mm, with low contrast and a dark background, the illumination should be 3500 or 4000 lux. For residential premises, a table has been developed, and the requirements there are somewhat lower.

Production work is often carried out outside buildings, and for this case, 6 more categories from 9 to 14 have been developed. They show what should be the smallest illumination of a horizontal surface for a given ratio of object sizes and distance to it.

Only an experienced engineer can understand all the nuances. But sometimes the simplest glance is enough to identify low-quality lighting. This is especially true for driving at night. And this issue should be given a little more attention.

Road illumination

Driving safety depends on how clearly the driver and pedestrian see the road. All obstacles, road signs and markings should be clearly visible even in the darkest time of the day. For this, separate rules for lighting highways, tunnels, streets with intersections and squares are being developed.

The busiest venues require more lighting to enhance drivers' attention to detail. Traffic intensity is defined as the number of vehicles passing in both directions in one hour. The Table of Norms shows the values of the brightness of the surface and the average illumination corresponding to certain categories of roads.

When creating a road project, it is necessary to take into account the laws and technical requirements existing in Ukraine. Lighting devices are installed on strong supports and are protected by reinforcement from external damage. The total illumination can be achieved by different types of lamps, but must comply with the standard values.

If we are talking about main routes belonging to classes M1 and M2, then lighting must be created in accordance with European standards CIE No. 115-2010. The priority role is played by the brightness and power of the lamps. Color rendition for highways is not as important as for pedestrian crossings and business areas in the central part of the city.

When implementing the Law of Ukraine, which regulates actions related to the improvement of settlements, special attention should be paid to the illumination of areas for pedestrians.

Discomfort, blindness and light pulsation scores

Imagine being in a darkened room for a long time and then stepping out into a bright light. It immediately darkens in the eyes, nothing is visible, you experience a feeling of discomfort. The second situation: in the room where the work takes place, the lamp flashes frequently. After a while, attention is lost and fatigue occurs. The indicators associated with these sensations could not be ignored.

One of them is called the indicator of discomfort and is denoted by the letter "M". Its value characterizes the degree of discomfort resulting from glare or unevenly distributed brightness.
The second parameter is blindness (P). By the name, you can understand that it is a criterion for the blinding action of light. High glare occurs when a bright light source enters the field of view. It negatively affects labor productivity, visual work capacity. The higher the level of accuracy of work, the smaller the amount of blindness should be.
The third indicator is associated with periodic changes in the brightness of the lamps. The fact is that a feature of gas-discharge lamps is their pulsation. Since such lamps are quite often used to illuminate industrial facilities, a characteristic called the ripple coefficient was introduced. The ripple factor (Kp) is expressed as a percentage and shows how big the difference between the maximum and minimum value of the luminous flux is, compared to the average value of this flux.

The values of the values described above are indicated in the table with lighting standards for residential and industrial premises. Considering domestic lighting requirements, they must be taken into account.

Light unevenness must also be taken into account. This indicator has its own allowable values in the case of natural and artificial light sources.

A generalized indicator of discomfort UGR has been introduced in the European regulation. For comparison, we can say that the indicator of discomfort M15 corresponds to UGR14, M25 corresponds to UGR19and so on. When calculating UGR, it is necessary to take into account the parameters of the lamp, the size of the room, the position of the light source relative to the main line of sight, and the overall illumination of the workspace.

It is believed that the norms of European countries are somewhat stricter than Ukrainian ones, therefore, when calculating a lighting project for premises, many are guided precisely by European indicators. For offices, for example, UGR should not be more than 19, and for archive rooms - no more than 25.

Color rendering index

Objects illuminated by HID or LED lamps may change their true color. This is a very important fact that should be taken into account in design, printing and other works. In order to show how the real color of an object corresponds to the apparent one when it is illuminated, the color rendering index (Ra) is introduced.

Another name for the index - CRI, is quite common. This is an abbreviation of the English words color rendering and index.

To determine the Ra parameter, just look at the packaging of the lamp. It is marked with three numbers. Taking the first digit and multiplying it by 10, we get the color rendering index. The next two numbers indicate the color temperature.

How do experts calculate the value of the color rendering index? For this, there are 8 basic colors and 6 additional ones. They are chosen by international agreement, and they include sky blue and light green in particular.

Each color is first illuminated with the lamp to be tested and then illuminated with a standard source of the same color temperature. According to a special methodology of the International Committee on Illumination (CIE), colors are compared, as a result of which intermediate values of color rendering coefficients are determined. Their average value will be the Ra indicator.
The maximum value of Ra can be 100 units, and indicates that the lamp does not practically change the color of the objects around it. A decrease in the index indicates color distortion, and the smaller it is, the stronger the distortion.

Historically, the color rendering index of the most common incandescent lamp was assigned a value of 100. The same value was assigned to the Ra index of sunlight familiar to everyone.

In Europe, this index is used for most professions, more specifically jobs. There is even such a norm that for all rooms in which people stay for a long time, the color rendering should be Ra80 or more. Given that conventional luminescent sources are characterized by a color rendering index of no higher than 70, then they cannot be used. There is a need to purchase more expensive compact lamps with improved performance.

In Ukraine, there is a document regulating the design of electrical equipment in the territories of civil facilities. These are state building codes DBN V.2.5-23-2003. With their help, you can determine the parameters of artificial lighting, which will be the most comfortable for the eyes.

For manufacturing plants in which color is of great importance (production of varnishes and paints, textile industry, diagnostic and surgical departments, etc.), the color rendering index should be at least 90 units.

Currently, there are LED lamps, which are characterized by a fairly high brightness. For them, their own methods for determining color rendering were developed.

Color temperature.

Speaking of color reproduction, I had to touch on the term "color temperature". This characteristic tells about the spectral composition of the light emitted by the source. It is measured in kelvins, like the usual temperature in the SI system. More simply, it shows how much blue or red light contains. Color temperature (T) is quite an important value in helping to determine how color affects a person, and for this reason it is taken into account in the ISO 89 standards.95.

It is generally accepted that at temperatures up to 5000K, light is warm. It carries more red color. Light close to daylight is characterized by T=6200K. A 100 watt incandescent bulb has a rather warm color at 2800K.

At higher illumination, a person sees better an object in a bluish, cold color. The lower the illumination, the warmer the color should be applied for good perception. This is the nature of human vision.

Here are examples of energy-saving lamps that are most often purchased in our store:

QUADRO-4W 4000K

Group: LED Downlight
Article: B-LD-0734
Luminaire type: Ceiling
Model: QUADRO- 4W
Luminous flux (Lm): 260
Scope: Indoor lighting
Body: Aluminum
Base type: No data specified
Power (W): 4
Temperature (K): 4000
Type of light: neutral light
Resource, hours: 30000
Voltage (V): 85-265
Service life, years: 20
Incandescent lamp analog (W): 40
Glass color: Matt
Bulb type: No data
Height, mm: No data
Width, mm: No data
Beam angle deg: 120
Manufacturer: ELECTRUM
Warranty: 2 years

(Code: B-LD-0734)

169.93 UAH

Luminaire type: Ceiling
Power (W): 4
Temperature (K): 4000
Luminous flux (Lm): 260

Buy

LEO-6W 4000K

Group: LED Downlight
Article: B-LD-0735
Luminaire type: Ceiling
Model: LEO-6W
Luminous flux (Lm): 390
Scope: Indoor lighting
Body: Aluminum
Base type: No data
Power (W): 6
Temperature (K): 4000
Type of light: neutral light
Resource, hours: 30000
Voltage (V): 85-265
Service life, years: 20
Incandescent lamp analogue (W): 60
Glass color: Matt
Flask type: No data
Height, mm: No data
Width, mm: No data
Beam angle deg: 120
Manufacturer: ELECTRUM
Warranty: 2 years

(Code: B-LD-0735)

163. 76 UAH

Luminaire type: Ceiling
Power (W): 6
Temperature (K): 4000
Luminous flux (Lm): 390

Buy

LEO-10W 4000K

Group: LED Downlight
Article: B-LD-0736
Luminaire type: Ceiling
Model: LEO- 10W
Luminous flux (Lm): 650
Scope: Indoor lighting
Housing: Aluminum
Base type: No data specified
Power (W): 10
Temperature (K): 4000
Light type: neutral light
Resource, hours: 30000
Voltage (V): 85-265
Service life, years: 20
Incandescent lamp analogue (W): 100
Glass colour: Matt
Bulb type: No data available
Height, mm: No data available
Width, mm: No data available
Beam angle deg: 120
Manufacturer: ELECTRUM
Warranty: 2 years

(Code: B-LD-0736)

176.11 UAH

Luminaire type: Ceiling
Power (W): 10
Temperature (K): 4000
Luminous flux (Lm): 650

Buy

LEO-12W 4000K

Group: LED Downlight
Article: B-LD-0739
Luminaire type: Ceiling
Model: LEO- 12W
Luminous flux (Lm): 780
Scope: Indoor lighting
Housing: Aluminum
Base type: No data
Power (W): 12
Temperature (K): 4000
Light type: neutral light
Resource, hours: 30000
Voltage (V): 85-265
Service life, years: 20
Incandescent lamp analogue (W): 120
Glass colour: Matt
Bulb type: No data available
Height, mm: No data available
Width, mm: No data available
Beam angle deg: 120
Manufacturer: ELECTRUM
Warranty: 2 years

(Code: B-LD-0739)

199. 29 UAH

Luminaire type: Ceiling
Power (W): 12
Temperature (K): 4000
Luminous flux (Lm): 780

Buy

A few words in the end

Summarizing all the above, we can understand that lighting is determined by many parameters. Its quantitative characteristic is illumination, which shows how much light we receive.
In addition, there are still qualitative characteristics. These are color rendering, color temperature, indicators of discomfort and pulsation. There are other important parameters that must be taken into account based on specific conditions.

Only a deep knowledge of the rules and regulations allows you to organize your work in the best possible way. The basic requirements are pretty simple. Light should help, make our life more comfortable and safer. All its negative impacts should be eliminated immediately.

Basic Light Parameters

All lights and luminaires have some common parameters available in the Light Options Panel of the Light Options dialog. Some of these parameters are described below:

Enable/Disable Light Source in Render

•Press the light bulb button in the Light Options panel to turn the light ON or OFF. When creating Renderings, only enabled Lights and Fixtures are taken into account.

Light Color and Brightness

•Set the lighting color by clicking on the Color field.

• Main Light intensity is adjusted using the corresponding slider. By default, the slider is in the middle of the scale (at 100%), which exactly corresponds to the intensity of illumination from this light source, which is adjusted below. Changing the position of the Main Brightness slider allows you to decrease or increase the intensity of the light.

- Absolute Light Intensity: Specifies the brightness of the light source, measured in candela or lumens.

-Light Distance: (Only available for Luminaires when Absolute Brightness is disabled. ) This is an alternative way to adjust the brightness of a light source. Illumination Distance determines the distance a light can travel before its brightness changes from 100% to 0%.

- Attenuation - Light Brightness vs. Distance: (Available for some basic lights). Check this box to enable distance-based fading. The type of Attenuation is always Invert Square.

Accounting for Brightness Parameters of Lights in the Render Settings Dialog

The individual brightness settings of each individual placed light are taken into account by default when rendering using the CineRender engine. Global control is exercised with the help of the "Brightness of Fixtures" slider, located in the Main Settings Panel of the Rendering Parameters, and by default located in the position “by Parameters” (100 percent).

Changing the position of this slider in the Render Options dialog overrides individual fixture settings, increasing or decreasing their brightness.

Casting Shadow

Check this box in the Light Options dialog to activate shadow casting for this object.

The position of the slider determines the quality of the shadows; Increasing the quality of the shadows increases the duration of the render. The default value of 2 allows you to create fast renderings with generally correct results. It is worth changing the position of the regulator only if the lighting is too grainy.

Accounting for Shadow Casting Options in the Render Options Dialog

Individual light source settings are taken into account when creating a rendering using the CineRender engine only if the Shadow Quality parameter in the Render Options Bar is set to “By Light Source Settings.”

Light Object: Display Lighting in 2D and 3D

You can display the arc of lighting created by the lights in the 3D window (and for General Lights and on the Floor Plan.