The success of a portrait is equally dependent on lighting as on the pose of the subject. The manner in how the subject is lighted can actually set the mood of a portrait. The best portrait lighting will simulate natural sunlight. This is because we are accustomed to seeing faces illuminated from above and to one side with shadows cast downward and on one side or the other. Light coming from below eye level casts shadows upward and produces an unnatural, ghastly effect. Good portrait lighting shows off the subject to the best advantage, emphasizing the form and expressiveness of the facial features. When lighting appears pleasing and natural in a portrait, it produces prominent highlights on the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin with enough shadows to round out the facial features.

Lighting for a studio portrait normally requires at least two lights. One of these is the main, modeling, or key light; the other is the fill or fill-in light.

Portrait lighting is divided into various types called lightings. Some of these lightings are as follows: broad, short, butterfly, Rembrandt, split, and rim. These names have been assigned because of the visual effects the lighting creates when it falls on the subject from a given direction. This visual effect is derived from the modeling light. Other light sources that may be added to the modeling light to enhance the subject are as follows:

Broad lighting The main light completely illuminates the side of the face turned toward the camera.

Short lighting The main light completely illuminates the side of the face turned away from the camera

Butterfly lighting The main light is placed directly in front of the face and casts a shadow directly under the nose.

Rembrandt lighting This is a combination of short and butterfly lighting. The main light is placed high and to the side of the face turned away from the camera and produces a triangle of light on the side of the face in shadow.

Split lighting-The modeling light is placed to light completely one side of the face while placing the other side of the face in shadow.

Rim lighting-The modeling light is placed behind the subject and places the entire face in shadow.

MAIN LIGHT

The main light is often called the modeling light because it is used to model the face (or subject). The main light creates a three-dimensional effect by either emphasizing or de-emphasizing the curvature and characteristic features of the face with highlights and shadows. The modeling light should always be the one dominant light source in a portrait because it controls the direction of the shadows.

The direction of the main light establishes four basic portrait lightings. These basic lightings are as follows: three-quarter lighting, side lighting, frontlighting, and backlighting. When reading other books on portrait lighting, you will often encounter other names depending on what the author wanted to call the lightings. You, as a Navy Photographer's Mate, will mostly be concerned with three-quarter (broad and short) and front (butterfly) lighting.

We also designate each of our lightings as high, medium, and low for vertical position. To go further, we designate the lighting as right or left of the subject.

These lighting positions change with each subject. When setting portrait lights, you should always study the effect and view the subject from the camera position, preferably through the viewfinder.