[Photography] How to Photograph Flowers: A Beginner’s Guide

The post How to Photograph Flowers: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

As anyone who’s ever seen my work will tell you, I’m obsessed with flower photography. There’s just something so enjoyable – relaxing, even – about getting down on the ground with my camera and carefully searching for beautiful subjects to capture. Plus, flowers are such accessible subjects; you can find them practically anywhere (as long as you look in the right season, that is!).

However, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 14+ years photographing flowers, it’s this: For the best flower photos, you can’t just point your camera and hope for the best. Instead, you have to use a thoughtful, deliberate approach that considers several different variables – such as camera settings, lighting, and composition – before finally pressing that shutter button.

That’s where I can help! In this article, I share my hard-won tips, tricks, and techniques for beautiful shots of flowers. I walk you through everything you need to know to get started, from the essential gear and camera settings to my favorite lighting and compositional approaches.

Let’s get started!

Recommended flower photography gear

Can you capture amazing flower photos with a cheap camera and nothing else? Yes – but you’ll have a much easier time if you invest in some specific equipment. I’m not saying you should run out and buy thousands of dollars worth of gear, but some small upgrades can go a long way.

(If it helps, my initial flower photography setup cost around $400, including a used DSLR that I already owned; in other words, to get started shooting flowers, I spent around $200. If you’re careful in your gear choices, and you’re willing to buy equipment on the used market, you can do the same.)

There are a few types of gear to think about here: cameras, lenses, and accessories (such as flashes and tripods). Let’s go through them one by one:

1. Cameras

My camera recommendation is straightforward: the best cameras for photographing flowers offer interchangeable lenses. If you own a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, you’re basically good to go, as these models all offer great flexibility in terms of settings and have a huge array of excellent lenses available.

Which specific camera should you use? Especially if you are a beginner, it matters little. Pretty much every interchangeable lens mirrorless camera allows for outstanding quality images, whether marketed for professionals or consumers – and even old DSLRs do a great job, too. (It’s worth remembering that what is ultra-cheap and outdated in the 2020s was state-of-the-art in the 2010s!)

I used to recommend that hobbyist flower photographers use a DSLR rather than a mirrorless camera, simply because the Canon, Nikon, and Sony mirrorless lens lineups weren’t very well developed. There’s still a little bit of truth to that – you can find a wider range of close-focusing lenses if you use a Canon DSLR than a Canon mirrorless camera, for instance – but the difference is no longer as significant.

(Plus, you can always use an adapter to mount DSLR lenses to your mirrorless system. In fact, that’s how I do my flower photography these days: with a mirrorless camera and a DSLR macro lens.)

I took this clematis photograph around eight years ago using a DSLR and a dedicated macro lens. These days, mirrorless cameras have far surpassed DSLRs in popularity, and as far as I’m concerned, either camera type will work just fine!

2. Lenses

Once you have an interchangeable lens camera, you’ll need to pick the right lens. Now, I want to emphasize: It is possible to get good images of flowers using any lens, macro or non-macro, wide-angle or telephoto. I have taken some of my best flower images using a Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens.

I captured this poppy photo with my trusty Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. A 50mm prime isn’t my favorite way to shoot flowers – but it can definitely work, and in this scenario, I used to create a freelensing effect.

The problem with more conventional lenses, however, is that they don’t focus especially close. With a 50mm f/1.8 lens, you might be able to capture a full-frame portrait of a reasonably large flower – but with a specialized close-focusing lens, you can do so much more.

Basically, the higher your lens’s magnification capabilities, the more opportunities you’ll have. You can make intimate and detailed images of flowers. You can also experiment with more abstract photography techniques.

This is why I generally recommend a dedicated macro lens for flower photography. These lenses usually offer life-size magnification, pin-sharp images, and excellent bokeh (i.e., background blur). Some of these are available for a decent price, and I have written previously about choosing the perfect macro lens.

Bear in mind that shorter macro lenses (in the 40-60mm range) are often cheaper and lighter, but to get ultra-detailed shots, you’ll need to get very close to the flower – and as a result, you may find yourself blocking out the light. I started with a 60mm macro lens, and while it worked reasonably well, I did wish for a bit more reach at high magnifications. After a few years, I invested in a 90mm lens, and the extra working distance definitely helped, though it was far from critical. A few more years went by, and I decided to try shooting with a 150mm lens, but I wasn’t a huge fan; the lens was long and bulky, and I wasn’t able to get the same intimate perspective that I could get with a shorter model.

Anyway, whether or not a longer macro lens is right for you depends on your budget, as well as the type of shots you want to take. If you’re on the fence, I’d probably just go with a shorter macro lens; these models come in handy when shooting non-macro subjects, too, so even if you upgrade after a few years, your macro lens probably won’t go to waste.

A macro lens in the 90-105mm range feels right for me, and it’s what I used to capture this image. You, however, might feel differently!

Another option is to use a regular lens (often a telephoto lens) plus extension tubes. Extension tubes are a cheap way of reducing your lens’s minimum focusing distance, therefore allowing you to shoot at higher magnifications. The primary downside to extension tubes is flexibility.

When mounted between your camera and lens, extension tubes greatly decrease your maximum focusing distance, preventing you from quickly changing your point of focus. So with extension tubes mounted, you cannot take images of distant objects; you are restricted to only subjects within a few feet.

A third way of doing inexpensive flower photography is to freelens. By detaching the lens and placing it in front of the camera body, you can increase magnification (while also generating some interesting effects). I often do this with my Canon 50mm lens and an old DSLR; since there’s a real risk of getting dust in the sensor, I don’t want to use my main equipment.

Freelensing is a fun technique that you can use to capture artistic flower photos, and you won’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a macro lens to do it. I used freelensing to capture this coneflower photo – it’s how I achieve the interesting hazy effect – and by pushing the technique to its limits, I was able to get a surprisingly high-magnification shot!

3. Artificial lighting

Flower photographers often like to use artificial lighting (e.g., flashes or ring lights), especially those who regularly work in the studio.

I’ve shot both with and without flash, and I’ve tested ring lights, but I honestly prefer to shoot outdoors with natural light. It’s not as flexible as artificial light, but it keeps my setup from getting too bulky, and it simplifies my shooting process.

Plus, artificial lighting can get somewhat costly. I will note, however, that a flash can be useful in situations when the natural light isn’t ideal (for instance, when you’re shooting in bright, midday sun). I also like to use dedicated studio strobes when I’m doing indoor flower photography, though if you do prefer to shoot inside, you can definitely get nice photos with the light coming through your windows!

4. Tripods

For many serious flower photographers, a tripod is a necessity. And a tripod does have real benefits: It’ll allow you to use a narrow aperture even in darker conditions (which helps ensure that the entire flower remains in focus).

For me, however, a tripod just isn’t worth it. Tripods are bulky, and they take a long time to set up, especially when you’re working at high magnifications (as flower photographers often are!). I prefer the flexibility that comes from handholding, and how it frees me up to photograph from all different angles: flat on the ground, down from above, you name it.

I almost never photograph flowers with a tripod. That’s not to say that I’m a tripod-hater – in fact, I almost always use a tripod for landscapes and street scenes – but when I’m doing close-up shooting, I prefer the flexibility that handholding offers.

That said, if you’re looking to achieve certain effects while photographing flowers, you definitely will want to invest in a sturdy tripod. I’ll discuss that more in the next section:

The ideal camera settings for flower photography

Flower photographers generally aim for one of two looks: sharp throughout the frame (i.e., deep depth of field) or shallow focus.

The sharp-throughout-the-frame technique requires a very narrow aperture (often at f/16 or beyond, especially when you’re shooting at high magnifications). This is where a tripod is necessary.

(Why? Because a narrow aperture lets in very little light – so to shoot at f/16, you’ll need to use a lengthy shutter speed to compensate. And the longer the shutter speed, the more that camera shake will cause your flower photos to blur!)

Deep-depth-of-field flower photos sometimes also require a special technique known as focus stacking in order to prevent the diffraction that comes from higher apertures.

An example of a “sharp throughout the frame” look. I photographed this dahlia at f/8, which was barely enough to keep the center petals sharp from front to back.

However, my personal preference is shallow-focus macro photography. This requires no extra equipment, no flashes, and no tripod. Instead, you use a wide aperture (in the f/2.8-f/7.1 range) to render a small portion of the flower in focus. The rest of the image is blurred, which can produce unique and stunning effects.

If you look at the images I’ve included throughout this article, you’ll see that most of them use this shallow-focus approach. The aperture setting I used varied from shot to shot, but when doing this kind of close-up flower photography, I often work at around f/4 to keep a sliver of the subject sharp. (That way, the viewer has a clear anchor point for their eyes.)

I love working at wider apertures; that way, I can keep a small part of the flower in focus, while blurring out the background completely. I photographed this daisy while kneeling on my driveway, but the out-of-focus background makes it impossible to tell!

Note that in both of the flower photography approaches I discuss above, it’s the aperture, and not the shutter speed or ISO, that’s important. The aperture sets the window of focus; I encourage you to start there, and then proceed by choosing a shutter speed and ISO to create a good overall exposure.

Just remember that it’s difficult to capture sharp handheld photos below 1/100s or so – and when you’re shooting at high magnifications, handholding at 1/100s becomes risky, especially if your camera and lens don’t include any image-stabilization technology. I only drop my shutter speed below 1/160s when the light has really started to fade, and in such scenarios, I always capture plenty of additional shots in the hopes that one will be relatively sharp.

Before I move on, I want to mention three additional settings tips.

First, only raise the ISO if you absolutely have to. The higher your ISO, the more your files will be plagued by unsightly noise effects – so when possible, keep the ISO in the 100-200 range.

Second, in order to use the flexible settings approach I described above, you’ll want to use Aperture Priority mode or Manual mode. I like Manual mode because it forces me to be aware of all my settings all the time – but Aperture Priority mode is a perfectly legitimate option, too!

How to use lighting to improve your flower photos

By paying careful attention to the light, I was able to create this high-key poppy photo. Note that the background is actually just the bright sky!

I am going to primarily discuss natural light for photographing flowers. That’s not because artificial light in flower photography is useless, but because I think it’s much more enjoyable to experiment with the light that’s available.

My first piece of lighting advice is to shoot on overcast days. When the sky is cloudy, the light becomes diffused. The flower will be evenly lit, and the soft light will make colorful petals pop.

This tulip abstract was taken on an overcast day, which produced deeply saturated colors!

My second piece of lighting advice is to shoot in the morning or evening when the sunlight is golden. This prevents strong sunlight from falling on the flower and can generate some outstanding images.

The golden hours are great for flower photography, though you do have to be more mindful of your shadow – especially when shooting with the sun coming from behind you, as I did for this photo!

I also like to shoot in the shade with the sun behind me, so that the bright sunlight is falling behind the flower (but not on it directly). One way to ensure this lighting is to find a flower that is in the shadow of a tree. Another is to cast the shadow yourself, by using your head, arm, or even your camera bag.

I cast a shadow over this grape hyacinth in order to avoid the direct light of the sun.

Enhancing your flower photos with powerful compositions

A final aspect of flower photography to consider is the composition. This may seem daunting for the beginner, but there are a few simple compositional guidelines that will help you take better flower photographs instantly:

Fill the frame with your subject

In flower photography, you rarely want to have a lot of empty space in your frame. More empty space means more opportunities for distraction, for confusion, and for loss of impact. So instead of leaving space around the flower, move in closer to fill the frame as much as you can.

The more colorful, the better

When photographing flowers, you often have a whole palette of colors right in front of you. Use it to your advantage!

Put color in the background by placing another flower behind your main subject. Add color to the foreground by shooting through several other flowers.

Keep things clean

In flower photography (or any type of photography, really), it’s important to have a point of emphasis (or a focal point). This can be the edge of a petal, the flower itself, the flower plus its environment, but regardless, you must ensure that the viewer’s eye is drawn to this spot.

One of the easiest ways to guarantee a strong point of focus is simply to have little else but that point of focus. I hope this sounds simple, because it really, really is. Hence, before taking a photograph, rid your potential composition of all distracting elements. This includes out-of-focus stems, as well as bright colors or dark spots in the background that don’t fit the image as a whole.

Think about simplicity.

The eye immediately focuses on this rose stamen.

Go capture the beauty of flowers!

If you’ve made it this far, then you’re ready to head outside and take some beautiful flower photos! Yes, there are a few elements to consider – gear, settings, lighting, and composition – but if you remember the advice that I’ve shared, and you’re willing to put in the time, then you’ll be taking strong floral shots in no time.

One more thing:

As you’re photographing the flowers, make sure to have fun. Enjoy the visual spectacle of the flowers, the feeling of being outside (even if you’re just in your garden!), and the sense of wonder that comes from viewing breathtaking details up close.

Now over to you:

Any questions about photographing flowers? Share them in the comments below!

Table of contents

Macro Photography

• GENERAL
  • Getting Started Guide to Macro or Close-Up Photography
  • 5 DIY Macro Photography Hacks for Stunning Macro Photos (on a Budget)
  • 7 Different Ways to Approach Macro Photography
  • 5 Rules in Macro Photography and When to Break Them
  • 5 Surprising Macro Photography Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity
  • 5 Quick Tips for Outdoor Macro Photography
  • Five Common Macro Photography Mistakes and How to Fix Them
  • Backyard Macro Photography Safari
  • 5 Macro Photography Tricks to Make Your Images Stand Out
• SETTINGS
  • Sometimes Close-ups Are Better From Far Away
  • 5 Camera Settings That All Macro Photographers Should Know
  • A Guide to Working with Different Focal Lengths for Macro Photography
  • 3 Ways To Get Sharper Close-Ups
  • Tips for Depth of Field Control in Macro Photography
  • Does Mirror Lock-Up (MLU) Help Macro Shots?
• LIGHTING
  • A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Light in Flower Photography for Awesome Photos
  • Lighting Tips for Macro Photography
  • How to Use Natural Light for Macro Photography
  • How to Create Gorgeous Flower Images using a Flashlight and a Reflector
  • The Cheapest and Easiest Lightbox for Macro Photography
  • How to Use a Reflector and Diffuser to Enhance Flower Photographs
  • Macro Lighting Advantages Of The Canon Twin Lite MT-24EX
• COMPOSITION
  • Guide to Choosing Subjects and Compositions for Flower Photography
  • 5 Tips for Killer Macro Backgrounds
• GEAR
  • Reverse Lens Macro Photography: A Beginner’s Guide
  • 6 Tips for Near-Macro Photography with a Telephoto Lens
  • Macro Photography on a Budget: An introduction to Close-up Filters
  • Getting Up Close with Close-Up Lenses
  • How to do Extreme Close-Up Photography with a Macro Bellows
  • Macro Photography Tips for Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
  • How to Shoot Abstract Flower Photography using Close-Up Filters
  • Extension Tubes: Close Up Photography Lesson #2
  • How to Choose the Perfect Macro Lens
  • Macro Photography on a Budget
  • Alternatives to Buying a Dedicated Macro Lens for your DSLR
  • Mirrorless, DSLR or Point and Shoot: Which Camera is Best for Macro Photography?
  • Cheat Sheet: Macro Lenses – How Much Magnification Do You Need?
  • Equipment for Macro Photography – Video Tips
• ADVANCED GUIDES
  • 10 Flower Photography Tips for Gorgeous Results
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Photographing Flowers

    • Recommended flower photography gear
    • 1. Cameras
    • 2. Lenses
    • 3. Artificial lighting
    • 4. Tripods
    • The ideal camera settings for flower photography
    • How to use lighting to improve your flower photos
    • Enhancing your flower photos with powerful compositions
    • Fill the frame with your subject
    • The more colorful, the better
    • Keep things clean
    • Go capture the beauty of flowers!
    • Recommended flower photography gear
    • 1. Cameras
    • 2. Lenses
    • 3. Artificial lighting
    • 4. Tripods
    • The ideal camera settings for flower photography
    • How to use lighting to improve your flower photos
    • Enhancing your flower photos with powerful compositions
    • Fill the frame with your subject
    • The more colorful, the better
    • Keep things clean
    • Go capture the beauty of flowers!
  • How to Photograph Beautiful Winter Snowdrops (or Other Flowers)
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Abstract Flower Photography
  • How to take Great Flower Photos without a Macro Lens
  • How to Shoot Super Macro Photos
  • Just Dew It – Fun with Macro Dewdrop Photography
  • Getting Started with Abstract Macro Photography
  • Abstract Macro Photography Idea
  • Tips for Doing Macro Underwater Photography
  • 8 Tips for Photographing Wildflowers
• CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
  • How to do Photography of Frozen Flowers
  • Unique Flower Photography Using Multiple Exposures
  • Creative Macro Photography – Using Fairy Lights
  • Creative Macro Photography – A Guide to Freelensing
  • Photographing Flowers with The Bucket Method
• POST-PROCESSING
  • How to Focus-Stack Macro Images using Photoshop
  • How to Give Your Macro Photography a Fine Art Touch in Post-Processing
• INSPIRATION
  • Why You Need to Know the History of Flowers in Art and Photography
  • 27 Amazing Macro Snowflake Images Shot with a DIY Camera Set Up
  • It’s a Bug’s Life – 27 Super Macro Photography Images
  • 41 Delicious Flower Photographs
  • 20 Spectacular Macro Photography Examples
  • 9 Breathtaking Macro Images by Photographer Miki Asai
  • Behind the Scenes of Marvellous Macro Insect Imagery
  • It’s a Small World – the World of Macro Photography
  • A Collection of Photos of Nature’s Smallest Creatures – it’s a Bug’s Life

The post How to Photograph Flowers: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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[Photography] Butterfly Lighting: A One-Strobe Setup for Amazing Portraits!

The post Butterfly Lighting: A One-Strobe Setup for Amazing Portraits! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christina N Dickson.

This article was updated in March 2024 with contributions from Christina N Dickson and Jaymes Dempsey.

If you want to capture refined, pro-level portrait photos, then it pays to master some basic lighting patterns. Now, different patterns can have very different effects – loop lighting, for instance, looks fairly neutral, while split lighting is far more intense – and for photoshoots that require dramatic, glamour-type images, butterfly lighting is hard to beat.

Not only does the butterfly lighting pattern look amazing, but it’s also surprisingly easy to achieve in the studio. You can get good results with a single light (and from there, you can always add different modifiers, reflectors, and fill lights for an array of cool looks). Bottom line: If you’re a studio lighting beginner, the butterfly pattern is an outstanding place to start. And even if you’re a more seasoned portrait photographer, mastering the butterfly technique will pay off in the long run.

In this article, I share everything you need to know for beautiful butterfly lighting setups, including:

• When you should (and shouldn’t) use butterfly lighting
• My recommended butterfly lighting equipment
• A step-by-step method to create a simple butterfly setup
• Advanced methods of modifying your setup for even better results

So if you’re ready to get started with this gorgeous lighting technique, then let’s dive right in!

What is butterfly lighting?

Butterfly lighting, also known as glamour lighting and paramount lighting, is a basic portrait photography lighting pattern. It produces a characteristic butterfly-shaped shadow under the subject’s nose, hence the butterfly moniker.

See the shadow under the subject’s nose? That’s where the pattern gets its name (though to see a butterfly, imagination may be required!).

If you look at the example above, you’ll also see strong shadows under the subject’s lips, chin, and cheekbones. That’s standard for butterfly lighting: the effect is dramatic, and the light does a great job of sculpting the subject’s face to create a sense of three-dimensionality.

Note that butterfly lighting differs from loop lighting, where the nose shadow falls onto the subject’s cheek, and Rembrandt lighting, where shadows create a triangle under one eye. Butterfly lighting is a form of direct lighting; the light source comes from directly in front of the subject for that powerful, dramatic look.

When should you use butterfly lighting?

The butterfly pattern, when done right, can look amazing – but it’s important to recognize that such a dramatic, intense effect isn’t ideal for every portrait scenario.

If you’re doing fashion portraits or glamour shots, then butterfly lighting will serve you well. You’ll be able to give your models the kind of sculpted lighting that often appears in fashion magazines. I also think that the pattern can work for formal portrait sessions, but you’ll want to ensure that the light is relatively soft (by adding a strong diffuser) to prevent the shadows from being too heavy and noticeable.

However, because butterfly lighting tends to give the face a thinner, sharper look, and it also adds a touch of intensity and drama, I’d recommend avoiding it when doing photoshoots that require a more natural, artless look. For instance, I generally wouldn’t try the butterfly technique when doing children’s sessions, family sessions, and engagement sessions. Instead, I’d look to other portrait lighting patterns that make the subjects look good without drawing attention to themselves (such as loop lighting, mentioned above).

How to do butterfly lighting: the three-step process

Fortunately, not only does butterfly lighting look amazing in the right scenario, but it’s also easy to achieve. You’ll need a light of some sort; I recommend speedlights or studio strobes, though you can use a continuous light, too. And if you don’t own an artificial light, window light is another option – it’s not as easy to control, but as long as the sun isn’t shining through directly, the illumination will be beautifully soft.

Assuming you’re using an artificial light, you’ll want a sturdy light stand. I’d also encourage you to have a reflector on hand, though it’s not absolutely essential.

Step 1: Position the light directly in front of your subject

Butterfly lighting begins with your light pointed directly at your subject (so the light beams toward your subject’s nose).

Set the light on a lighting stand, and make sure that it’s pointed in a straight line toward the center of your subject. Then raise it up above your subject, keeping it tilted toward the subject’s face until it reaches a 45-degree angle (or thereabouts).

You’re free to fiddle with the height, but you’ll need enough space to get your camera under the light, and you’ll also need the light high enough to create a beautiful butterfly shadow. (The higher the light, the longer the shadow – so if you’re looking for a more intense, dramatic effect, raise that light even higher!)

Take a test shot. You don’t need to pay attention to the overall exposure; just make sure you have the right shadow shape. Then continue to the next step:

Step 2: Add in a reflector

At this point, you should have the basic butterfly look (simple, right?), but it generally pays to slightly decrease the intensity of the shadows under the subject’s nose, chin, eyes, and face. 

Therefore, I’d recommend adding a reflector under your subject’s chin. The closer the reflector is to the subject, the softer the butterfly shadow will appear – so look through your viewfinder and do some test shots until you get the look you’re after. 

A heavy butterfly lighting effect. This is a good example of how a strong light positioned from above can sculpt the subject’s features – notice how the cheekbones stand out. Of course, this level of dramatic lighting isn’t always ideal, and I don’t recommend it for all types of photoshoots! Fortunately, it’s possible to dial back the effect with a larger modifier, a reflector, or a fill light.

If you want even more control, you can use a second light instead of a reflector. Make sure the light is several stops weaker than the main light (after all, you don’t want to cancel out the shadow completely, or worse, send it upward!).

Pro tip: Check the subject’s eyes for a nice catchlight or two. If the main light or the reflector/fill light is positioned too high or low, you can lose the catchlight (which lends your portrait a sense of life).

Also, remember: You need to fit your camera between the upper light and the lower reflector. Before you move ahead with your setup, make sure you can shoot comfortably from between the two items.

Step 3: Dial in your camera settings

Finally, you’ll need to expose carefully for your shot. I’d suggest setting your camera to Manual mode, then dialing in your shutter speed, ISO, and aperture ahead of time.

Assuming you’re using strobes, the shutter speed should be determined by your camera’s maximum flash sync speed (generally around 1/160s or 1/200s). Pick an aperture based on the depth of field you’d like to achieve (for an all-black background, an aperture in the f/8 area should be fine – it’ll keep the subject sharp from the tip of their nose to the back of their head).

Then dial in your camera’s base ISO value (this is often ISO 100, but on certain cameras, it can be slightly different!). The lower the ISO, the less you’ll need to worry about unpleasant noise speckles creeping into your files.

At this point, your images will likely be very poorly exposed, but that’s to be expected. You’ll need to rely on the flash power to adjust image brightness; consider using a handheld light meter to accurately gauge the proper exposure variables.

Don’t be afraid to take multiple test shots, especially when starting out. Tethering can be a big help, and it’s something that I always like to recommend to beginners, especially those working with strobes rather than continuous lights; it’ll let you view your images on a large computer monitor so you know exactly what you’re getting and what to tweak. (Sure, you can view your files on your camera’s LCD, but in my experience, this just isn’t good enough for evaluating subtle lighting effects; it’s very easy to miss key details, such as too-dark shadows or missing catchlights.)

Modifying your butterfly lighting setup for the best results

While the basic butterfly lighting pattern is great, and it can definitely get you plenty of pro-level shots, it’s always good to modify and enhance your setups for uniquely outstanding results. 

The shadows on this subject’s face are heavy. If you get similar results, and you’re looking for a softer look, you can use a fill light or a reflector, as I mentioned above – but you can also use modifiers (see below!).

Here are a few tips for more advanced butterfly lighting:

1. Add lighting modifiers

You can do butterfly lighting with a bare strobe or speedlight, but if you’d like to create more flattering results, I’d recommend adding a modifier to your light source. Bare light sources are very small, and small lights create harsher, hard-edged shadows that flatten the subject. That’s why nearly all portrait photographers – myself included – work with modifiers, which go between the light source and the subject to soften the shadows.

Beauty dishes are a great place to start, as they soften the light while keeping it directional for that nice glamour look. If you’re after an even softer, ethereal look, consider using a softbox rather than a beauty dish. The larger the softbox, the softer the light (so if softness is your thing, try a 6+ foot octabox)!

Modifiers can get somewhat expensive, but there are some great budget brands (like Neewer) that offer reasonable-quality softboxes, beauty dishes, and the like for around $40-100. Just make sure that you purchase modifiers that match your lights – different lights have different mounts, and if you’re not careful, you’ll end up with a softbox that doesn’t fit!

(As an aside: Once you’ve done enough portrait shoots, and once you’ve mastered enough lighting patterns, you’ll probably have a huge collection of modifiers lying around your house/studio. And yes, I’m speaking from experience here!)

2. Move your light closer or farther from the subject

If your lighting isn’t looking as hard or as soft as you’d like, you might be tempted to focus on the modifier you’re using. Light too hard? Put a large softbox on it. Light too soft? Add a beauty dish instead.

But while modifiers are a useful way to handle light-quality problems, you can create harder and softer lighting effects another way, too:

By moving your light closer to your subject, or farther from your subject.

Once you’ve established the basic butterfly lighting pattern, if you move your light closer, the shadows will soften. And if you move your light farther away, the shadows will become harder and more contrasty.

It can be a neat little exercise to test this out yourself – just pop a modifier on a strobe, find a willing subject, set up your butterfly pattern, then take a series of images as you move the light source closer and farther away.

Just keep in mind that you can’t just move your light and hope for the best; with each lighting adjustment, you’ll need to change other elements of the shot – the light’s power, the light’s angle – to make sure you get a consistent result.

3. Add a background

If you’re after an ultra-professional look, I’d suggest including a background in your shot – one that you light independently from the model.

You can hand paint your backdrops, you can use sheets of white paper, you can find naturally stunning backdrops, or you can buy large fabric and/or paper backdrops online. 

Another option is to use a sheet of gray paper, then add in different background files using Photoshop. 

In general, it’s best to light your background independently of your main subject. So first aim to create a low-key image of your subject – where the background fades completely to black. Then put a light on the backdrop with enough power to create an artistic ring behind the subject.

(You may want to put the light directly behind the subject so that it evenly lights the background; alternatively, you can use two lights positioned just outside the frame on either side.)

4. Add a rim light

The best portraits tend to contain separation between the subject and the background. In other words, you can clearly see where the subject ends and the background begins.

That’s where rim lighting comes in: It lights the edge of your subject so that there’s a clear difference between the beautiful background and your stately subject.

Note that the rim light will simply add to your butterfly setup. You won’t need to do any adjustments to the main pattern, and I’d recommend you achieve all the necessary butterfly elements before attempting a rim light.

Position your rim light behind your subject and off to the side, so it’s sculpting your subject from the back. You can technically do this a second time – on the opposite side – but one rim light is generally enough.

Then take some test shots, experimenting with different rim light exposure values and positions. Ideally, you’ll achieve a very slight rim along the back of your subject.

Capture some amazing portraits using butterfly lighting!

Butterfly lighting is a stunning portrait pattern – and it’s super easy to achieve.

So follow the instructions from this article. Experiment with different lighting modifiers and positions. And have plenty of fun!

Now over to you:

Have you tried butterfly lighting before? How do you plan to do it this time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Butterfly Lighting: A One-Strobe Setup for Amazing Portraits! appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Christina N Dickson.

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