Flat Lighting

Lighting from close to the camera’s axis, low and straight in front of the person. The front of the face is evenly lit with almost no shadows, and with that, little sense of depth, so the face looks flat. With the light still in front but raised high to cast a shadow under the nose, it becomes butterfly lighting.

Lighting positions seen from above. The light is right behind the camera, at almost the same height, shining straight on.

Camera view. The whole face is evenly bright, with almost no shadows, so it looks flat.

How it feels

Flatness
Informational
Expressionless
Matter-of-fact
Clean

When to use it

Passport photos
News broadcasts
Video shot with a light mounted on the camera
Recording a person plainly, without styling

In the movies

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) · Source: SearchlightPictures (YouTube) · Original video

Not to be confused with

Rembrandt Lighting: Rembrandt moves the light up and to the side, leaving half the face in shadow. It adds depth and weight.
Butterfly Lighting: Also from the front, but the light is raised high to cast shadows under the nose and chin.
High-key: High-key is the name of a tone with low contrast across the image; flat is the result of placing the light in front.

Prompt

Keyword

flat front lighting

Descriptive

Flat front lighting from beside the camera, almost no shadows on the face, even and plain.

Try these combinations

Medium shot + flat lighting: a news anchor
Medium shot, flat front lighting, a news anchor at a desk, plain blue background
Close-up + flat lighting: a flash snapshot
Close-up, on-camera flash look, flat front lighting, a candid party snapshot