UNDERSTANDING HIGH-KEY VS LOW-KEY LIGHTING
This post will examine two very popular lighting techniques, HIGH-KEY, and LOW-KEY. Low key lighting emphasizes midtones and dark shadows, while high key lighting is exactly what you’d expect – bright, even lighting. Let’s look at each of these lighting techniques more closely:
HIGH-KEY LIGHTING
Let’s start with High Key Lighting.
High key can use a variety of levels of lighting, from “just bright” to “teetering just on the edge of overexposing your highlights”, a perfectly valid style choice.
The high key technique is used to isolate the subject from the backdrop. This is why many magazine ads show the product against a seamless, white background. This technique makes the subject of the photograph the focal point.
If you want your photos to have a happy, bright feel or make your subject pop out, then high-key lighting is the way to go.
The ideal lighting setup is to use several Studio lights, Flashes, and Reflectors. This will ensure that the image has even light and there are no shadows or overexposed highlights. Not everyone has that kind of equipment.
You can achieve a sophisticated look with minimal equipment.
- A room that has a lot even natural light is ideal. Bright windows work because they diffuse the light, which eliminates harsh shadows.
- Position the reflector so that it bounces the light on your subject directly in front, and not to the side. You will get shadows if you position the reflector on the side. This is especially true for faces.
- Use a white backdrop if possible. Shoot against the lightest wall or backdrop that you can find if you don’t own a white background. If you’re doing product photography, white foam board is a good choice. Avoid using white sheets unless they are perfectly flat and wrinkle-free. Even the slightest wrinkle will create a noticeable shadow.
- Try bouncing light off of the ceiling if you’re using a flash . This will also distribute light evenly, just like the reflector. You will get shadows in the background if you point the flash at the subject.
- You can adjust your camera’s settings to get as much light in as possible. Use a large aperture with a slower shutter speed, for example, to let in more light.
- Finish off the post-processing. Try adjusting the brightness or to compensate if you still see some shadows and over-exposed highlight.
It is important to experiment and practice in order to achieve good high-key lighting. This can be different depending on the equipment you use and your shooting conditions. It is important to avoid harsh shadows, and to SEPARATE the subject from the background.
LOW-KEY LIGHTING
Low-Key Lighting is next.
Low-key lighting is a more general term than high-key lighting. Low key photos range from “slightly darker” than a perfect photo to “almost black”.
Low-key lighting can be used to convey emotion and mood through your photographs.
It’s entirely up to the photographer how they expose their highlights and shadows. However, having a range of midtones will add visual interest and detail to your photograph. Below are some things to remember when using low-key lighting.
- Your tripod will be your best friend. To avoid noise you want to keep the ISO low. This means that you’ll need to use a shutter speed slow enough to capture details in the midtones. You may end up with blurry photos if you try to shoot low-key while holding your camera.
- Use the light that is available. A flash is very useful, especially when shooting against a black background. However, you can create a unique photo by using the light available in your environment.
- Do not be afraid to try new things! Low key photography is beautiful because it is EMOTIONAL and CAN TELL A Story. Try letting your subject be in the direct light or placing it slightly out of light (in shadows). You can experiment with something new and out of your comfort level.
CONCLUSION
This is an easy crash course in low-key and high-key lighting. It will hopefully give you new ideas and inspire you to try out some new techniques.
The fun part of low and high key lighting is experimenting. You can then decide what kind of lighting best suits your vision, style and personality.