Introduction to High and Low Key Photography

A lot of new photographers classify passable underexposed shots as low key and the opposite, overexposed shots, as high key. This idea comes from the fact that these style of photographs rely so much on contrast, the play of highlights and blacks. However, simply underexposing your shot doesn’t give you a low key photograph. The same can be said with its opposite, over exposure doesn’t equate high key. Technically, low key lighting should have a lighting ratio of around 8:1 whereas high key lighting can approach as much as 1:1.

13/365 by phozographer

Much like the other style of photography, these techniques requires manipulation of light sources to achieve the best result. Simply over-exposing or under-exposing won’t get you the shots. As you may have noticed, low and high key shots are used in certain situations. There’s a certain mood that these style evoke on the viewer. High key shots are clean, crisp, light, fresh, etc. While low key shots are edgy, mysterious, dark, etc. These are the commonly used themes in photography with this technique. However, don’t let yourself be compartmentalized into thinking that these styles must be always paired with each other. Learn the rules and slowly break them. These can result in striking photographs that has punch and wittiness.

High Key

So how do you get the high key look? You’re going to need a lot of light. Studio lighting will come in handy when shooting high key but not everyone has the capacity to get the light sources since they can be a bad investment if you’re not making a living out of photography. Fortunately, there is a common light source that can be used in high key lighting, the sun.

Using the sun as a light source, the easiest way is to use it as a backlight and expose using the subject. Keep in mind to expose the subject, so don’t use the pre setup metering of you camera. Spot metering will work in this setup.

Orchid High Key by kayugee

On the other hand, if you have strobes available getting the background white is the major step in high key lighting. You’re going to need a white background and a couple of strobes to make it pure white. Make sure that you control the spill from the background light though. Once the background is set, you can add the key light. This is obviously going to be a couple of stops below the background light. A light meter can be handy in situation involving multiple light sources but you can do without by trial and error. If you’re going to use more strobes, remember to adjust the power relative to the key and background light. Just a reminder, before doing all of these, it’s preferable that you have your camera’s aperture set. Changing the aperture after setting up the lights will change the amount of light entering your camera and this means you have to adjust your strobes output again.

eneloop by realsmiley

Low Key

If high key required the power light, low key will require the precision of it. If high was overexposing the background, low key is the exact opposite. Take extra care not to spill any light to the background. This is essential in getting that chiaroscuro effect. One technique that is mostly used in low key images is backlighting.  You point your light source at the back of the subject. This creates a glowing effect that greatly accentuates the black background.

Another technique would be using flags and gobos to precisely control your light. You really want your light to hit the subject and nothing else.

sad force by extranoise

Of course, you can also use ambient light to create low key images but this can be a bit tricky. You have to find a spot where the background is not affected by the spill of the light source, refrigerator light, spotlight, table lamp, etc. Since you can’t control ambient light, you have to rely on your camera settings to get the shot. Keep in mind to use the lowest ISO possible since banding and artifacts are not handled well in the shadow regions of digital images. Try to avoid relying in your metering too much. The camera doesn’t know that the underexposure is deliberate and will show an underexposed reading, which is normal.

A new world 70/366 by Skley

The core of photography is light and these two styles clearly show it. Despite having very different outputs, only one major technique is used, controlling light. Precision is required for either high key or low key photography. Basically you need to control where the light goes. This sounds easy on paper but a lot of practice is needed to get stunning results. So better get your camera and start shooting!

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