Butterfly Lighting

In this FotoTV film photographer Oliver Rausch, from the Cologne Photography, Germany, gives FotoTV another helpful tutorial. This time Rausch focuses on the very popular and forever timeless Butterfly Lighting" made popular in the 20's by legendary film icon Marlene Dietrich.

Legend has it that prolific film director Josef von Sternberg invented this style of lighting for his Muse Marlene Dietrich in the late 1920's. Being a perfectionist himself, the match between von Sternberg and Dietrich was definitely a match made in heaven. In fact, Dietrich demanded, if not isisted most of her film directors use this lighting to light her, including in all her publicity stills, simply because she liked the way she looked.

While demonstrating several various lighting placements, Rausch continuously adjust the elevation of the light in order to achieve the most perfect lighting. Rausch contends that butterfly lighting is the most beautiful light for women. The key butterfly light is placed directly above the camera lens, and the light falls straight, and full onto the face. He also points out that the technique gets its name from the shadows under the nose, which resembles a butterfly's wings in flight.

Some of the most important information for photographers that Rausch gives during this video is that this style of lighting can be achieved with a single off camera light and a reflector. Rausch concludes that the proper use of reflectors and the right placement of the light source will guarantee wonderful results. Butterfly lighting is one of the most flattering and artistic ways of lighting the face and is widely used by top celebrity and fashion photographers.