What is Rembrandt Light?
In film circles, there is much talk about Rembrandt Light. A Cinematographer can turn to the Gaffer and say, “give me Rembrandt light from camera left and throw some full CTO on that.” Huh? Movie-speak is a language unto itself and it takes a while to master.
Rembrandt Light is a lighting effect that was used beautifully in many Rembrandt paintings (you know, the Dutch master painter). The effect is to light a person so only ¼ of their face is in shadow and there is a triangle of light under one eye. It is a universally flattering, yet dramatic light on faces. It allows for most of the face to be illuminated but with some interesting shadow detail. This is a Rembrandt self portrait done in 1629. You can see how the light looks like late afternoon sun coming through a window. The color is very warm and there is a little triangle of light under his left eye.
Here are some other examples of Rembrandt light from various movies.
So, how do you achieve Rembrandt light? Most of the time, it is the simple matter of either turning the subject’s head slightly or moving your own body so the light is coming from the right angle. It is also a matter of the height of the light. In general, if the day’s shadows are long, it is a good time of day for Rembrandt light. It doesn’t matter which direction the light is coming from, only that the triangle is present.
Oh yah, and what is CTO? CTO is a gel filter that can be clipped to a light fixture to change the color or the quality of the light. CTO has an orange color and is equivalent to an 85 camera filter. Most often, it is used to warm up a scene.
Responses and Conversations
Hey Steph – of the photos I took on Saturday at the Glued Ideas shin-dig, I had one that looks like the beginnings of a Rembrandt Light photo and I was stoked to know to look for the triangle under the eye. Look at me learning!
Comment by Chris Frazier on February 21st, 2006 at 7:38 am
I still want to see Captain Hook with some Rembrandt Light.
Comment by John Koontz on February 22nd, 2006 at 9:15 pm
[...] We’ve whole-heartedly accepted the Photo a Day Challenge that Stephanie at I Speak Film put out to her readers. And since she had just posted about Rembrandt Light, I’ve been meaning to try out her suggestions on a subject. So in the spirit of “two great tastes that taste great together,” I present… Rembrandt Light Giraffe and Duck. Not that I’m into choosing sides, but I really I think the duck works better. You can actually see the triangle under his eye. [...]
Comment by Digital Photography Blogs - Shooting the Kids - Blog Archive » Photo a Day Challenge on February 24th, 2006 at 8:10 am
good, full, black nothing comparative to bad: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11169129/ , gnome can give opponents
Comment by Travis Dickinson on March 29th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
[...] I can’t believe it but Wolverine won Chris’ Picture-a-Day Challenge at DSLRBlog! It’s a great honor for a great Pez. Unfortunately, since learning the news, Wolverine has become totally tempremental! He’s making demands, wanting his own trailer, refuses to wear anything but Versace, and will not save the world without consulting with his agent. Superheros, hrumph! I took this shot as part of the 30 Day Photo Challenge we started here at DP Blogs. I wanted a photographic kick in the pants, and immersion therapy was just the ticket. The challenge caught on, and people from all over are snapping pictures each day (everybody’s doing it…). I shot my Wolverine Pez in front of my fireplace during the day with my Nikon D70s digital camera. I wanted a contrast in color temperatures, so I opened the curtains to let the bluish daylight give him a side light. It’s almost a Rembrandt light! It took probably 25 shots to get this one due to changes in the fire behind and experiments with exposure. [...]
Comment by Digital Photography Blogs - i speak film - Blog Archive » Kudos to Wolverine! on April 12th, 2006 at 9:36 am
I just don’t have anything to say right now.
Comment by snymrik on May 14th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
[...] A while back, Stephanie at I Speak Film did a piece about Rembrandt light, and I have been meaning to play around a little with what I’ve learned ever since then. [...]
Comment by Shooting the Kids - » Practicing Rembrandt Light on August 30th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
[...] You can see that the key light is very flattering on his skin tones and gives a soft wrap effect. I placed the key light in Rembrandt light positioning (see the triangle of light under his eye?) because it looked the best on his face at that angle. [...]
Comment by i speak film - » The Basics of Three Point Lighting on November 10th, 2006 at 5:02 am
[...] will have interesting contrasts. Think of the great artists and how they use light in painting. Click here for an example and a discussion of “Rembrandt Light.” Ever watch Grey’s Anatomy? Rembrandt light ALL OVER THE PLACE! (I love that show.) If your [...]
Comment by City of Nouns: Julie Walton Shaver Photography Blog » Tips for Great Halloween Photographs on October 30th, 2007 at 4:46 am
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Comment by cqkgjytmwg on November 26th, 2007 at 5:23 am
[...] I knew very little about Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. Liked his work although haven’t seen much. Perhaps liked him more because some of my favorite Cinematographers [Sven Nykvist (called Rembrandt of film), Conrad Hall (also called the same), Vittorio Storaro,(hello, The Conformist!) and the Prince of Darkness himself, Gordon Willis just to name a few] love his work and worked all their lives trying to capture what he was able to with the interplay of light and shadow. After all, light and shadow in the hands of masters makes pictures…great pictures, great art rather than good art, even stories! He, Rembrandt, knew shadow was not simply where light didn’t reach, it was what was not ready to come to light. All you need to do is watch the great – great – Visions of Light and see how influential Rembrandt has been to Cinematography – and will be. [...]
Comment by Rembrandt, Art, and Cinematography on October 11th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Whether you need Rembrandt lighting or normal lighting, onlinelighting.co.uk offer a great range of lighting and lighting accessories.
Comment by ACJ on December 1st, 2009 at 7:02 am