STT,Lighting Type,Category,Keywords,Description,Mood,Best For,Prompt Keywords,Technical Notes
1,Golden Hour,Natural,"golden, sunset, warm, soft, magic hour, golden light","Warm directional sunlight during first/last hour of day","Romantic, warm, dreamy, nostalgic","Portraits, landscapes, lifestyle","golden hour lighting, warm sunset light, magic hour, soft directional sunlight","Sun 15-20° above horizon; warm color temp ~3000K; long shadows"
2,Blue Hour,Natural,"blue, twilight, dusk, dawn, cool, moody, serene","Cool ambient light just after sunset or before sunrise","Calm, mysterious, ethereal, melancholic","Cityscapes, moody portraits, atmospheric scenes","blue hour, twilight lighting, cool ambient light, pre-dawn atmosphere","No direct sun; sky as diffused light source; ~4000-6000K; city lights mix well"
3,Overcast,Natural,"overcast, cloudy, diffused, soft, even, flat","Evenly diffused light from cloud cover","Neutral, natural, intimate, documentary","Portraits, products, nature close-ups","overcast lighting, soft diffused daylight, cloudy day light","Giant softbox effect; minimal shadows; color temp ~6500K; flattering for skin"
4,Harsh Midday,Natural,"harsh, midday, direct, high contrast, hard shadows","Direct overhead sunlight with strong shadows","Dramatic, bold, stark, energetic","Fashion, architectural, dramatic scenes","harsh midday sun, direct overhead lighting, high contrast sunlight","Sun directly overhead; hard shadows under features; challenging for portraits"
5,Rembrandt,Portrait,"rembrandt, dramatic, chiaroscuro, triangle, classic","Single light source creating triangle on cheek","Dramatic, artistic, classic, serious","Dramatic portraits, fine art, character studies","Rembrandt lighting, triangle light on cheek, chiaroscuro, single source dramatic","45° angle, slightly above; small triangle under eye on shadow side"
6,Butterfly,Portrait,"butterfly, paramount, glamour, beauty, hollywood, classic","Light directly in front and above subject","Glamorous, elegant, flattering, hollywood","Beauty shots, fashion, headshots","butterfly lighting, paramount lighting, beauty light, overhead frontal","Creates shadow under nose; symmetrical; very flattering; fill from below optional"
7,Split,Portrait,"split, half lit, dramatic, mysterious, moody","Light illuminating exactly half the face","Mysterious, dramatic, intense, artistic","Dramatic portraits, conceptual, film noir","split lighting, half-face illumination, dramatic side lighting","Light at 90° to face; maximum drama; villain lighting; strong emotion"
8,Loop,Portrait,"loop, natural, versatile, slight shadow, classic","Slight shadow from nose toward cheek","Natural, approachable, versatile, professional","Professional headshots, corporate, general portraits","loop lighting, natural portrait light, slight nose shadow","Between butterfly and Rembrandt; 30-45° from camera; most versatile"
9,Rim Light,Accent,"rim, back, edge, separation, halo, outline","Light from behind creating edge highlight","Dramatic, separated, defined, ethereal","Silhouettes, product separation, dramatic portraits","rim lighting, backlight, edge light, hair light, subject separation","Behind subject; creates outline; great for hair; adds depth"
10,Volumetric,Atmospheric,"volumetric, god rays, light rays, foggy, atmospheric","Visible light rays in atmosphere","Mystical, spiritual, dramatic, cinematic","Forests, churches, dramatic scenes, fantasy","volumetric lighting, god rays, light beams, atmospheric fog lighting","Requires particles/fog; directional light source; dramatic effect"
11,Neon,Artificial,"neon, cyberpunk, colorful, glow, synthetic, urban","Colored artificial light sources creating glow","Futuristic, edgy, urban, energetic","Cyberpunk, night scenes, portraits, gaming","neon lighting, cyberpunk glow, colored light sources, neon signs","Multiple color sources; pink/cyan common; creates color mixing on skin"
12,Studio Softbox,Studio,"softbox, studio, professional, even, controlled","Large diffused artificial light source","Professional, clean, commercial, polished","Product shots, headshots, e-commerce","studio softbox lighting, professional studio light, soft even illumination","Large source = soft light; multiple setups possible; controllable"
13,Ring Light,Studio,"ring light, even, beauty, catchlight, influencer","Circular light source around camera lens","Modern, clean, beauty, social media","Beauty content, vlogs, product reviews, selfies","ring light, circular catchlight, even facial illumination","Creates distinctive circular catchlight in eyes; very even; popular for influencers"
14,Natural Window,Indoor,"window, natural indoor, side light, soft ambient","Daylight coming through windows","Intimate, natural, homey, authentic","Lifestyle, portraits, indoor scenes","natural window light, side lighting from window, soft indoor daylight","Direction and quality vary with time; curtains diffuse; very flattering"
15,Low Key,Mood,"low key, dark, moody, shadows, dramatic, noir","Mostly shadow with selective illumination","Mysterious, dramatic, artistic, moody","Film noir, dramatic portraits, conceptual","low key lighting, dramatic shadows, selective illumination, dark mood","High contrast; dark background; minimal fill; emphasis on shadows"
16,High Key,Mood,"high key, bright, clean, minimal shadows, airy","Bright even illumination with minimal shadows","Clean, optimistic, fresh, commercial","Commercial, beauty, product, children","high key lighting, bright even illumination, minimal shadows, clean white","Multiple light sources; white/light backgrounds; reduced contrast"
17,Practical,Scene,"practical, motivated, realistic, in-scene, diegetic","Light sources visible within the scene","Realistic, cinematic, grounded, authentic","Interior scenes, realistic settings, film","practical lighting, motivated light sources, in-scene illumination","Lamps, candles, screens as light sources; adds realism; matches setting"
18,Color Gel,Creative,"gel, colored, creative, mood, theatrical","Artificially colored light for creative effect","Creative, emotional, theatrical, stylized","Creative portraits, music, events, artistic","colored gel lighting, theatrical colored light, mood lighting","Colors convey emotion; complementary or contrasting; theatrical effect"