Glance at the summary firstThe summary from the end of the lesson, as a road map before you start reading.
As the key light is moved from the front of the face to its side, the butterfly, loop, Rembrandt and split patterns appear in sequence; the same sequence is traveled even if the light stays fixed and the person's head turns. In loop lighting the nose shadow draws a short loop toward the cheek and ends before reaching the cheek's darkness, and the face stays largely lit; in split lighting the source is at ninety degrees and splits the face along the line of the nose into a lit and a dark half. Loop is often associated with a soft and natural mood, split with a dramatic and mysterious one, but these associations aren't rules; in split, the reflector and the exposure are adjusted together so that on dark skin the shadow half doesn't merge with the background and on light skin the lit half doesn't blow out.
Learning goal
By walking the key light from the front of the face to its side, you will be able to see the four classic patterns as a sequence, and build and tell apart loop and split lighting, the two stops of this sequence. You will explain that in loop lighting the nose shadow comes down toward the cheek like a small loop but doesn't touch the cheek shadow, while in split lighting the light comes from directly to the side and splits the face in two along the line of the nose. You will discuss what the two patterns add to the face, to the facial expression and to the mood of the photo, and tell apart that these associations are not rules but common interpretations. You will check how the shadow half merges with the background on different skin tones in split lighting, and how the loop changes with face structure in loop lighting, and keep a record of both patterns by drawing their view from above.
The question
A friend from university is a musician and asks you for two portraits on the same day. One is for a teaching application they will make to a music school: a warm, open face that inspires trust. The other is for the cover of their band's new album: a dark, inward, somewhat mysterious face. The same room, the same softbox, the same person.
First you put the light in front of your friend, a little to the side and above. The shadow of their nose comes down toward their cheek like a short loop, both halves of the face are lit and soft; exactly the face you were looking for for the application file. Then you move the softbox directly to their side, at shoulder height. The left side of the face is bright, the right side sunk into darkness; the light splits the face right down the middle with a line running along the bridge of the nose. Looking at the screen, your friend says, "That's the cover."
What does a light that splits the face in two say? Why does moving the light only a few steps to the side change so much what the same face says?
Context
With Rembrandt and butterfly lighting you got to know two named patterns: one leaves a triangle on the shadow cheek, the other a small shadow opening to both sides above the lip. These patterns aren't recipes cut off from each other; they turn into one another as the same light is moved to different places around the face. This lesson's two new patterns, loop and split, are two separate stops on this journey.
Knowing the names of patterns isn't memorization, but a tool of communication. When jotting a short note to a photographer, an assistant or yourself, saying "loop, with a reflector" tells a whole lighting diagram in one sentence. But the feeling each pattern carries comes not from its name, but from the shadow it leaves on the face and from the rest of the photo.
Simple explanation
How does light travel around the face?
The lighting pattern sequence is the succession of classic patterns that appear as the key light is moved from straight in front of the face to directly beside it. When the light is straight in front and above, the nose shadow falls straight down: butterfly. As the light slides a little to the side, the shadow slides to the side too and draws a short loop at the base of the nostril: loop. As the light goes further to the side and higher, the loop lengthens and touches the cheek shadow; a triangle remains between them under the eye: Rembrandt. When the light reaches directly to the side, to ninety degrees, one half of the face goes completely into shadow: split.
This sequence makes it easier to understand where you are while building a pattern and how to move on to the next. Leaving the light in place and turning the person's head also travels the same sequence: as the head turns toward the light, the sequence moves toward butterfly, as it turns away from the light, toward split. In practice the light and the face angle are adjusted together.
How is loop lighting built?
Loop lighting is the pattern where the source is placed a little to the side from the front of the face and above eye level, and the nose shadow comes down toward the cheek like a small loop but doesn't touch the cheek shadow. The loop shadow is this small, unclosed shadow stretching down and diagonally from the tip of the nose toward the cheek. In Rembrandt lighting this shadow connected to the cheek shadow and closed the triangle; in loop lighting a bright gap remains between the two.
Loop lighting keeps both halves of the face largely lit but isn't as symmetrical as butterfly lighting; it gives the face a slight depth and direction. Many portrait photographers use it as a starting pattern, because it is easy to build on most faces and shows the face in a familiar, natural light. You also often see this pattern in afternoon light coming from a window. That is why loop lighting is often associated with a soft, open and natural mood; but this is an association formed together with the rest of the photo, not a meaning the light imposes on its own.
The loop's length depends on the light's angle and height, and its shape on the structure of the nose. On a prominent nose the loop lengthens easily and comes close to turning into Rembrandt; on a small nose it stays short and comes close to butterfly. The loop not touching the lip and a glint being seen in both eyes give a readable result on most faces.
How is split lighting built?
Split lighting is the pattern where the source is placed directly to the side of the face, at about ninety degrees, and splits the face into two halves along the line of the nose. The lit half is the side of the face facing the light and fully lit; the other side most often stays completely in shadow. The light's height is usually close to eye level; if the light goes too high, a small patch of light can appear on the half in shadow.
Split lighting hides half of the face. It gives strong contrast, a sharp shape and distinct texture; the skin texture, wrinkles and beard on the lit half stand out in light coming from the side. That is why it is often associated with a dramatic, mysterious or inward mood; it is often chosen for album covers, artist portraits and character studies. But this association isn't a rule either; the same light can also give a calm portrait with a soft source and a little fill.
The difference between the two halves of split lighting is controlled with a reflector or fill. Without a reflector the shadow half most often goes completely dark; putting a reflector on the shadow side brings back some of that half's detail and makes the photo less harsh.
Split lighting gives different results on different skin tones. On dark skin the dark half quickly drops to charcoal and merges with the dark paper behind; half of the face can be lost completely, and the shape of the person's face becomes unreadable. A reflector standing close to the dark side, or a slightly lit background, brings the edge of the face back. On the lit half, on the other hand, light coming from the side carries the shine on dark skin like a line along the cheekbone and forehead; feathering the light a little softens this shine. On light skin the lit half can easily blow out to white and skin texture and redness can stand out; setting the exposure for the lit half and using a large source softens the texture. In loop lighting, on the other hand, the loop shadow looks faint and soft on light skin, deeper on dark skin; in both cases you need to look up close at whether the loop touches the lip.
Visual evidence
In your friend's application portrait the softbox stands slightly to the left of the front of their face, a little above their head. The shadow of their nose draws a short loop toward their right cheek and ends before reaching their lip; there is a bright strip between it and the cheek shadow. Small glints in both eyes, a soft transition on their dark skin. When you place a white reflector beside their right cheek, the loop lightens a little more, and the face is open and calm.
For the album cover you move the softbox directly to the left, at shoulder height. The left half of the face is lit: a bright line along the cheekbone, the hairs of their beard and the fine lines on their forehead can be made out. The right half has merged with the dark background; there is a clean border running from the bridge of their nose down to their chin. Your friend doesn't want their face to disappear; you put a silver reflector to their right, about a meter from their face. On the shadow half the edge of the cheek and ear appear faintly, and only the glint of the eye can be made out. The face is still split in two, but now both halves belong to them.
Common mistakes
Common mistakeConnecting the loop to the cheek shadow while building loop lighting.
The pattern turns into Rembrandt and the softness you wanted is lost. The fix: slide the light a bit toward the camera, or ask the person to turn their head slightly toward the source.
Common mistakeLeaving the shadow half to merge with a dark background in split lighting.
Half of the face and its edge are lost completely. The fix: put a reflector on the shadow side or light the background a little.
Common mistakeTaking the feeling a pattern carries for a rule.
Split isn't always mysterious, loop isn't always warm; the rest of the photo changes the meaning too. The fix: choose the pattern by the photo's purpose and try the same pattern with different fills and backgrounds.
Summary
As the key light is moved from the front of the face to its side, the butterfly, loop, Rembrandt and split patterns appear in sequence; the same sequence is traveled even if the light stays fixed and the person's head turns. In loop lighting the nose shadow draws a short loop toward the cheek and ends before reaching the cheek's darkness, and the face stays largely lit; in split lighting the source is at ninety degrees and splits the face along the line of the nose into a lit and a dark half. Loop is often associated with a soft and natural mood, split with a dramatic and mysterious one, but these associations aren't rules; in split, the reflector and the exposure are adjusted together so that on dark skin the shadow half doesn't merge with the background and on light skin the lit half doesn't blow out.
Mini assignment
In this assignment you will move the light and the face so as to travel all four classic patterns in a single session.
- Shoot the butterfly, loop, Rembrandt and split patterns in sequence by moving the light in four steps from straight in front of the face to directly beside it.
- Leave the light in place and find the same sequence again by asking the person to turn their head slowly.
- In split lighting, shoot three frames with no reflector, a white reflector and a silver reflector on the shadow side; compare the detail on the shadow half.
- Draw a lighting diagram each for loop and split, and next to each frame write the mood the photo evokes in you in a single word; show the same frame to someone else and compare with their word.
Check yourself
- Looking at a portrait, can you name the pattern and the light's approximate position from the nose shadow?
- Can you tell loop from Rembrandt by whether the loop touches the cheek shadow?
- In split lighting, did you check on different skin tones whether the shadow half merges with the background and whether the lit half blows out?
Glossary
| Term | Short definition |
|---|---|
| Loop lighting | The pattern where the nose shadow comes down toward the cheek like a small loop but doesn't touch the cheek shadow. |
| Loop shadow | The small, unclosed shadow coming down from the tip of the nose toward the cheek. |
| Split lighting | The pattern where the light comes from directly to the side and splits the face into two halves along the line of the nose. |
| Lit half | In split lighting, the side of the face facing the light and fully lit. |
| Lighting pattern sequence | The butterfly, loop, Rembrandt and split patterns appearing one after another as the light moves from the front to the side. |
Mini quiz
1. What is the basic difference that separates loop lighting from Rembrandt lighting?
- A) In loop, the nose shadow doesn't touch the cheek shadow
- B) In loop, the light is directly to the side
- C) In loop, the light is below eye level
- D) In loop, half of the face is completely dark
2. In split lighting, roughly where is the key light?
- A) Straight in front of the face and above it
- B) Behind the subject
- C) Right under the camera
- D) Directly beside the face, at about ninety degrees
3. When you leave the light in place and ask the person to turn their head away from the light, in which direction does the pattern move?
- A) Toward butterfly
- B) Toward split
- C) It doesn't change
- D) It changes randomly
4. In a split-lit portrait of a dark-skinned person, the shadow half merges with the dark background and the edge of the face disappears. Which is the most fitting correction?
- A) Move the light even further back
- B) Cut the exposure a little more
- C) Put a reflector on the shadow side or light the background a little
- D) Remove the softbox and use a bare flash
Answers
- A — In Rembrandt the nose shadow connects to the cheek shadow and closes the triangle; in loop a bright gap remains between them.
- D — When the source stands at ninety degrees, the border runs along the bridge of the nose and the face divides into two halves.
- B — As the face turns away from the light, the shadow side grows and the pattern moves toward split.
- C — A reflector returns light to the shadow half, and a lit background separates the edge from it.
Summary card
- Light from the front to the side: butterfly, loop, Rembrandt, split.
- Loop: the loop comes down toward the cheek but doesn't touch it; the face is largely lit.
- Split: the light is directly to the side; the face splits in two along the line of the nose.
- Associations aren't rules; fill and background change the meaning.
- In split, separate the shadow half from the background on dark skin, and don't blow out the lit half on light skin.
Bridge to the next lesson
After your friend's album cover, the band's vocalist wanted another portrait for the promotion of a cosmetics brand: a bright, smooth face with no deep shadows at all. You left the softbox in the butterfly position, straight in front of the face and above, and put a large reflector in front of their chest; but the darkness under their eyes and the shadow under their chin were still there. When you replaced the reflector with a second light, the face glowed completely differently. Why are beauty photos so smooth? The next lesson tells about the pattern built with a key light from above and a fill from below, which wraps the face like a clamshell.