The highs and lows in Photography…

High Key and Low Key? What’s that?

The key of a picture refers to the overall tone of the final photograph or contrast of the photograph. And the tone of the photograph is defined by the ratio of black, white and grey levels in the picture.

So what do Photographers mean by talking about high and low key?

Both High Key images and Low Key images make an intensive use of contrast, but in a very different way. When approaching a shoot of a dramatic portrait, the decision of making it a High Key, Low Key or “just” a regular image has great impact about the mood that this picture will convey. While High Key images are considered happy and will show your subject as a tooth-paste poster; Low Key portraits are dramatic and convey a lot of atmosphere and tension.

Because of the happy-happy-joy-joy kind of mood in high key pictures, you find them often in advertising or life style photography. Meanwhile the drama of low key pictures is preferred in fine art or portrait photography.

How do we set the light for these two lighting moods?

Like the names already tell you: for low key we need less light than for high key. But don’t be misled. Low key, does not mean just one light and high key, bombard the subject with all the light that you have in your studio. Or the biggest mistake you can make is to think you can just open up your aperture and overexpose.

Both lighting moods still need a carefully arranged light setting and choice of subjects. A model in a white dress in front of a white background is a no, no? Who told you that? Try it! You will be amazed how light and fresh the outcome will be. But if it’s a fashion shoot, set the light in a way that the dress will still have enough structure and won’t get lost in the print.

I wish you fun trying out some of these lighting moods.

Na dann, Gut Licht!