The behavior of two free base porphyrins, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(p-tolyl)porphine (TTP) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl)porphine (TBP), incorporated into dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine membranes has been comparatively studied by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. TBP in the membrane interior, in contrast to TTP, showed pronounced decrease of Stokes shift and displacement of Q bands toward shorter wavelengths due to the restriction of its conformational freedom caused by the interaction of tert-butyl residues with ordered lipid hydrocarbon chains.