Any merit to this? Self portrait C&C. (Low-key.)

[TheMightyGoat]

I've been toying around trying to take a decent low-key self portrait and I don't think I've quite gotten the hang of it. But, I'm posting this to see what people think. Comments welcome.

 

[Steph]

I am by no means a lighting expert so take the following comments with a pinch of salt. To me, it does not look low key but under-exposed. My understanding of 'low-key' is that most of the picture is fairly dark but some of it is properly exposed. I cannot see that in your picture.

 

[manaheim]

I concur with the underexposed statement. Right idea, just bring it up some.

 

[inTempus]

I'm with Steph, the image is underexposed. Here's an example of how it should look. This isn't the best edit given I don't have the RAW file to work with, but I bumped the exposure on your face a little and did the high contrast thing. You don't have the flag set in your profile it it's ok to edit your images or not. If you don't want me posting this pic, just let me know and I'll remove it.

 

[SpeedTrap]

By Deffinition this is not a low key image, it is just shot on a black background.
A true low key will show detain the the blacks and I can see no detain an any of the blacks here.

 

[DScience]

I'm with Steph, the image is underexposed. Here's an example of how it should look. This isn't the best edit given I don't have the RAW file to work with, but I bumped the exposure on your face a little and did the high contrast thing. You don't have the flag set in your profile it it's ok to edit your images or not. If you don't want me posting this pic, just let me know and I'll remove it.

I think that's a really good job from the jpeg file! I'm impressed.

 

[mikemicki]

I tried my hand to edit (I hope you don't mind) this self-portrait, IMHO has great potential. Messed around with tonal contrast & a high pass filter in PS.

played around with the image a bit more.

 

[Breanna]

Cool photo, just way underexposed. Love the Tharmsen edit.

 

[biancarose]

I really like the pose, it is intense and alive. I love a dark photo, but I loved what the others did with the picute as well.

I cannot wait to learn how to be a master in raw like they are

 

[Bakko]

I tried my hand to edit (I hope you don't mind) this self-portrait, IMHO has great potential. Messed around with tonal contrast & a high pass filter in PS.

played around with the image a bit more.

wow this looks really good. how did you do that?(i.e what tools in PS?)

 

[TheMightyGoat]

I'd actually darkened the original picture because I wanted the exposure on my face to be dark as well. Maybe that doesn't fit the definition of low-key.

At any rate, I've toyed around a bit with the original exposure and made lighter images. What do you think?

Desaturated:

 

[JamieR]

Your edits are good, but i prefer tharmsens :thumbup:

 

[musicaleCA]

I think the last, B&W one, is a winner.

 

[TheMightyGoat]

I think the last, B&W one, is a winner.

I did leave some color. Mostly in my eyes and a bit in my lips. Actually all I did was desaturate the red, and not all the way - didn't convert it to grayscale.

And thanks.

 

[makenottake]

I'm a noob, and I don't know anything about Low-Key lighting, or what types of lights you're using. But buying some blue and orange gels for the lights might help. Again, I know nothing about low-key lighting, but in the very first image you posted it was a little orange. A blue gel on a light will make the orange go away and have the lighting look closer to what Tharmsen's edit looks like.