Butterfly / Paramount Lighting

In plain words

Light from directly above and in front of the face casts a small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose and brings out the cheekbones and jawline, like a glamorous classic-Hollywood beauty portrait.

When to use it

Beauty, cosmetics and fashion ads, portrait close-ups, retro glamour shots.

One-click prompt

Butterfly lighting beauty close-up, key light high and directly in front of her face casting a small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose, sculpted cheekbones and jawline, glossy lips, she slowly turns her head toward the camera, soft gradient backdrop, locked-off camera, 85mm lens, glamorous classic mood, 5-second shot.

Tell the AI like this

butterfly lighting, key light high and directly in front of her face, small butterfly-shaped shadow under the nose, glamorous beauty portrait

Example videos

Butterfly Lighting Setup | Film Lighting Techniques — Explainer: See a movie-scene setup with the key light above the front of the face, making the shadow under the nose.

Lighting Patterns You Should Know: Butterfly Lighting — Explainer: See how the light height is changed to find where the butterfly shadow under the nose appears.

AI Filmmaking: The Ultimate Guide to Cinematic Lighting (20 Prompts) — AI: See the shadow under the nose and the bright cheekbones in an AI-made butterfly-lit portrait.

Example films

Josef von Sternberg's 1930s films shot with Marlene Dietrich. The name Paramount lighting also comes from this studio's lighting of its actresses (StudioBinder — Butterfly Lighting).

See it in real films and ads

StudioBinder — Butterfly Lighting Explained

AI-made examples

AI Filmmaking: The Ultimate Guide to Cinematic Lighting (20 Prompts)

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