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Usually, a make-up that is full of colors will give you the best results because it will create the contrast lost by the choice of this kind of lighting. Take a look at some product photography online. It is generally used to convey an upbeat, funny or beautiful subject but can be manipulated to communicate a number of moods and concepts.
This will reduce a lot of the sun light. It is a fun idea for people to fool around with 'at home' and that might get them some good results. Not only are the handcuffs shot with high key lighting, only the recesses of the shackles being black, I also shot this on a blue background. For this photo of a radio talk show host and his dog, I had him kneel in my kitchen at midday when the sun was streaming through the glass doors behind him.
Article - You have greatly helped me to a better understanding of what high-key is about.
High key is a lighting technique which produces images that are bright and not too contrasty. High key photos are characterized by the dominance bright tones and the lack, if not absence, of shadows. The histogram of a high key picture will be condensed on the right side bright tones but without loosing too many details of highlights. High key is best achieved in a studio environment with different flash units. However, you can achieve this effect with whatever you got if you keep in mind a few points. I succeeded in achieving a pleasant high key effect, using only my compact camera and the available light. So when shooting high key images you will need: — A camera that allows you to overexpose your shot, or a camera that can be set on manual mode. A white wall which reflects the available light will be ideal. A little bit of editing will make the high key effect more eye-catching. Taking High Key Photos in a Studio: The High key technique is great for taking photos of light colors against a bright background. It works well for shooting portraits, still life, and product photos. In order to shoot a high key image, you need to use soft diffused lighting to cover your subject without casting any shadows a big soft box will do the trick. You will also need to overexpose your background. You can use two light sources directed at a 45° angle from each side and you would set them to 2 stops higher then your softbox to get a bright an neutral white background. Of course, the aperture set on your camera would coincide with the one set on your softbox. If you are shooting high key studio portraits, pay attention to your models make-up, as it will make all the difference. Usually, a make-up that is full of colors will give you the best results because it will create the contrast lost by the choice of this kind of lighting. Also, try to always diffuse your light umbrellas, softboxes… to make sure you get rid of any unwanted shadows. Finally, a little bit of editing might help. Just, some adjustment on levels and curves might give you impressive results. You can still make high key photos if you own only one light. You can use one big softbox set above your model which will light both the subject and the background. But, Make sure to overexpose your shot by 1 or 2 f-stops and also to set the subject, the light and the camera on the same axis to assure the best results. In order to achieve this effect with available light and using a compact camera, you need to find a spot where the light is diffused a curtain or an overcast day. You also need to find a background that is bright ideally white and capable of reflecting light. Then all is left is to take your photo overexposed and to finish the effect in post processing. After taking the shot, you need to complete working on the effect in an editing software. Depending on how well you managed to get the high key effect in the shooting stage, the editing will vary. It can consist of some minor contrast and brightness adjustments or it can be more complex and requiring several effects applied. Example: Photo by For this image, I used the available light diffused through a window curtain and reflected on the background white wall. I was using a compact camera, so I set it on an exposure compensation of +2 EV, i. The effect I got was quite pleasing as it came from the camera, but with some more editing it looked even better. I opened my photo in Photoshop SC2, Then, in the channels tab I selected the RGB channel while pressing the Ctrl key on the keyboard. This created a selection of the shadow areas of the photo. After the last step, all the shadows that were visible before were deleted and the high key effect became more consistent. All I had to do after that is to bring back some of the contrast in the areas of the eyes, the eyebrows and the hair. Finally, I selected the burn tool; I set it on shadows with an exposure of 9% and burned the areas of the eyes and the hair to get my final result. High key images can produce a very pleasant effect while being relatively easy to achieve. All you have to do is to keep in mind the basic steps needed to produce such images. Here are some other examples of high key photography: Photo by.
As technology progressed, the need for the smaller contrast range became antiquated, which allowed the technique to migrate to an artistic tool. They basically allow you to double the amount of light for the same shutter speed. Therefore, you have to learn how to create an image that has a high key tone. The following high key photography are all product shots, done with a high key approach, still creating the feeling of optimism, with a very small range of shadows and contrast that exists in the top fifty percent of the histogram. As far as captured light goes, I just wanted to share my source of information as being from my own experience with a minimum of %95 accuracy as my history of lighting images as well as using and diffusing natural light itself. I started shooting and the light on my friend was just as I wanted it, really nice with good colour etc. Check this out as well. The use of bright lights and lighting to eliminate shadow reduced the contrasts in the picture. If you want to go even further and start printing your low key photographs, then take a look at our guide to the for the job. I am not sure it is a valid technique without umbrellas and stands and. The best you can high key photography if you're purchasing online is to do your research and read plenty of reviews.
