Split Lighting

Lighting that places the main light directly beside a person, near eye level, splitting the face into two equal halves. One side is in light, the other sinks into shadow. It is where you end up when you swing the light in Rembrandt lighting farther to the side until the triangle of light on the cheek disappears.

Lighting positions seen from above. It shines from 90° to the side of the camera, near eye level.

Camera view. The line between light and dark runs down the middle of the face, and half of it sinks into darkness.

How it feels

Duality
Conflict
Secrecy
Tension
Dramatic

When to use it

Introducing a villain or a two-faced character
A character torn just before an important decision
Close-ups of a character with a hidden side
High-contrast posters and album photos

In the movies

Fight Club (1999) · Source: hell. (YouTube) · Original video

Not to be confused with

Rembrandt Lighting: In Rembrandt a small triangle of light remains on the shadowed cheek. In split lighting the light is farther to the side, so there is no triangle.
Side Light: Side light is the name of a direction, light coming from the side; split is the name of the resulting pattern, a face divided in half.
Low-key: Low-key is a dark tone with high contrast across the whole image; split is the shape of light on the face. The two are often used together.

Prompt

Keyword

split lighting

Descriptive

Split lighting. A hard key light from exactly one side at eye level divides the face into a lit half and a shadow half, dramatic and mysterious.

Try these combinations

Close-up + split lighting: a villain’s entrance
Close-up, split lighting, dark background, a villain turning slowly toward the camera
Medium close-up + split + low-key: inner conflict
Medium close-up, split lighting, low-key, a man staring at his reflection in a mirror