Two lights positioned diagonally opposite on subject — creates spatial depth and tonal separation without hard shadows. Standard for faces and products.
Two lights, both on the same side of the subject but at opposite angles—that's the core idea. One comes from the front-top-left, the other from the front-top-right, both hitting the face or object surface from shallow, crossing axes. The advantage is that you don't get dominant, harsh shadows like with single-source lighting. Instead, each lamp partially sculpts the other—creating a subtle, three-dimensional relief on the skin or material.
On set, this works practically like this: Position your key light about 45 degrees from the front-left, then a second lamp (often one stop weaker or with diffusion) at 45 degrees from the front-right. The distance should be chosen so that the light cones overlap, but the shadows aren't completely dissolved. For portraits, this creates pleasing modeling of the cheekbones and eye area—not flat like with broad lighting, not dramatically dark like with single-light setups. For beauty shots or product photography in film, this is classic: The surface texture becomes visible but doesn't appear harshly lit.
Important: Cross lighting differs from butterfly or Rembrandt lighting in that both sources are equally weighted in position and cross, rather than one dominating. It's about balance and spatial definition. In practice, you'll quickly notice if the setup is right—look at the eyes. Both should have a similar, soft highlight, with neither eye lying deeper in shadow than the other. If the angle difference is too large, you lose this symmetry and drift more towards Rembrandt lighting.
Often, a fill light or reflector is added to minimally brighten the shadow side—cross lighting alone can quickly become too contrasty. The choice between hard light (par, Fresnel) and soft light (scrim, diffusion) depends on the look: Hard cross lights appear crisp, ideal for drama or products; soft cross light is finer, more elegant for high-end beauty or documentaries.