Oct 4, 2012, 02:39
Low key photography essentially conveys the mood and atmosphere, creating much contrast in the elements, using shadows as a primary component in the composition.
While it can be quiet challenging, you can experiment with low key photography to create dramatic effects. All you need is a camera and a single light source.
I suggest you shoot in manual mode, keeping your iso setting to a minimum possible, so that you can get the highest quality image possible. Using a tripod is optional, however is recommended.
Lighting source can be anything from a hot shoe flash to a street light. It’s really convenient if we can make alterations to the light source however, it’s not impossible to get a great low key photograph without a flash. You could use a window as your light source, or the light coming through the door from the next room. Remember it’s not the quantity of the light that matters, it’s the quality. For low keys quantity is not really important.
Start with a wide aperture and reduce the aperture with each shot until you get the perfect shot. Another tip is to use a black background, such as a black cloth to the background of your subject. The black background finely mingles in to the shadows and become unnoticeable and this improves the dramatic effect further.
After you’ve taken the shot you can always fine tune it in photoshop, making adjustments to achieve the perfect low key photography look and feel.
Experiment with this technique as it may be quiet challenging to the beginner. Since the limited availability of light, a fast lens would be really helpful here. Exposing for the subject too can be quiet tricky.
When you are using a natural light source, such as the sunlight filtering through a window pane, you will have to hurry up, because the sun sets too quickly than you’d imagine, and since the light is dropping every minute, you’ll have to adjust the exposure accordingly.
Post your own low key images in the forum so we can discuss about the processes you adopted and odds and ends etc.
While it can be quiet challenging, you can experiment with low key photography to create dramatic effects. All you need is a camera and a single light source.
I suggest you shoot in manual mode, keeping your iso setting to a minimum possible, so that you can get the highest quality image possible. Using a tripod is optional, however is recommended.
Lighting source can be anything from a hot shoe flash to a street light. It’s really convenient if we can make alterations to the light source however, it’s not impossible to get a great low key photograph without a flash. You could use a window as your light source, or the light coming through the door from the next room. Remember it’s not the quantity of the light that matters, it’s the quality. For low keys quantity is not really important.
Start with a wide aperture and reduce the aperture with each shot until you get the perfect shot. Another tip is to use a black background, such as a black cloth to the background of your subject. The black background finely mingles in to the shadows and become unnoticeable and this improves the dramatic effect further.
After you’ve taken the shot you can always fine tune it in photoshop, making adjustments to achieve the perfect low key photography look and feel.
Experiment with this technique as it may be quiet challenging to the beginner. Since the limited availability of light, a fast lens would be really helpful here. Exposing for the subject too can be quiet tricky.
When you are using a natural light source, such as the sunlight filtering through a window pane, you will have to hurry up, because the sun sets too quickly than you’d imagine, and since the light is dropping every minute, you’ll have to adjust the exposure accordingly.
Post your own low key images in the forum so we can discuss about the processes you adopted and odds and ends etc.