Split Portrait Lighting

Split portrait lighting is used to slim down a wide face; the technique involves lighting only half of the face with the main light.

The other types of lighting are:

• Rembrandt lighting
• Paramount lighting
• Loop lighting
• Profile/Rim lighting

Lighting Setup

In split lighting the main (key) light is set a bit farther away from the subject.

Unlike the other lighting setups, like Rembrandt or Loop lighting, split lighting only illuminates half of the face.

This is done by setting the key light further away from the subject.

You can create a more dramatic look by eliminating the fill light altogether.

As one side is mostly shadow, this lighting technique is used as a slimming technique.

It can be used to narrow a too-wide face or even de-emphasize a too-large nose.

In this setup diagram, there are three lights but you only really need one!

Remember, you want the shadow side of the face to be in complete (or near complete) shadow.

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