First attempt at Low Key

[Taylor510ce]

HIGH-KEY LIGHTING

A lighting scheme in which the fill light is raised to almost the same level as the key light. This produces images that are usually very bright and that feature few shadows on the principal subjects. This bright image is characteristic of entertainment genres such as musicals and comedies such as Peking Opera Blues (Do Ma Daan, Tsui Hark, Honk Kong, 1986)


LOW-KEY LIGHTING

A lighting scheme that employs very little fill light, creating strong contrasts between the brightest and darkest parts of an image and often creating strong shadows that obscure parts of the principal subjects. This lighting scheme is often associated with "hard-boiled" or suspense genres such as film noir. Here are some examples from Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958.)

This was taken from a Yale Class website. Last I checked Yale was a fairly reputable educational source.

That is not correct. 'Key' refers to the tones, the values. Read the definitions I provided. These are commonly misunderstood. To illustrate, a high-key portrait would be of a blonde wearing light-colored clothing with light-colored background, and lighting that was even and without dark shadows. It's not just lighting.

Now, don't contradict me again!

Flickr: Discussing Q: What is HIGH-KEY and LOW-KEY photography? in The Challenge Factory: F?A?Q Page

"Norman Phillips' book Lighting Techniques For High Key Portrait Photography for a definitive definition, and I quote, "High key is the term used to describe photographs with white or bright backgrounds and usually with bright lighting situations that render subjects in a light tone similiar to that of the background. The ultimate high key portrait is one in which the background is a clean white and the subjects are also attired in white. High key exists wherever the predominant tones in the image are somewhat brighter than the middle key."

"About.com Photography says, "High key pictures [can] contain small areas of dark tones, for example in the iris of the eyes in a portrait."

a high key image must have:
1-A white or very light pastel background.
2. Subjects(s) dressed in white or light pastel clothing.
3. Little or no contrast.
4. Little or no heavy shadows.
5. Few middle tones.

A high key image will not have:
1. Any overexposure of the subject.
2. Any areas below the middle tone except for small areas like the iris of the eyes."

You can thank me when you have time.

I think its you that is misunderstanding....the more light you have the lighter tones get, hence an overexposed pic. Thats a given. This says the ULTIMATE high- key which is the operative phrase. Obviously the lighter everything is, the.more reflected light you have and thus less contrast/dark shadows. Oh, and I do believe I contradicted you again. Also, I am better than you cause I shoot landscapes....

 

[Petraio Prime]

HIGH-KEY LIGHTING

A lighting scheme in which the fill light is raised to almost the same level as the key light. This produces images that are usually very bright and that feature few shadows on the principal subjects. This bright image is characteristic of entertainment genres such as musicals and comedies such as Peking Opera Blues (Do Ma Daan, Tsui Hark, Honk Kong, 1986)


LOW-KEY LIGHTING

A lighting scheme that employs very little fill light, creating strong contrasts between the brightest and darkest parts of an image and often creating strong shadows that obscure parts of the principal subjects. This lighting scheme is often associated with "hard-boiled" or suspense genres such as film noir. Here are some examples from Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958.)

This was taken from a Yale Class website. Last I checked Yale was a fairly reputable educational source.

That is not correct. 'Key' refers to the tones, the values. Read the definitions I provided. These are commonly misunderstood. To illustrate, a high-key portrait would be of a blonde wearing light-colored clothing with light-colored background, and lighting that was even and without dark shadows. It's not just lighting.

Now, don't contradict me again!

Flickr: Discussing Q: What is HIGH-KEY and LOW-KEY photography? in The Challenge Factory: F?A?Q Page

"Norman Phillips' book Lighting Techniques For High Key Portrait Photography for a definitive definition, and I quote, "High key is the term used to describe photographs with white or bright backgrounds and usually with bright lighting situations that render subjects in a light tone similiar to that of the background. The ultimate high key portrait is one in which the background is a clean white and the subjects are also attired in white. High key exists wherever the predominant tones in the image are somewhat brighter than the middle key."

"About.com Photography says, "High key pictures [can] contain small areas of dark tones, for example in the iris of the eyes in a portrait."

a high key image must have:
1-A white or very light pastel background.
2. Subjects(s) dressed in white or light pastel clothing.
3. Little or no contrast.
4. Little or no heavy shadows.
5. Few middle tones.

A high key image will not have:
1. Any overexposure of the subject.
2. Any areas below the middle tone except for small areas like the iris of the eyes."

You can thank me when you have time.

I think its you that is misunderstanding....the more light you have the lighter tones get, hence an overexposed pic. Thats a given. This says the ULTIMATE high- key which is the operative phrase. Obviously the lighter everything is, the.more reflected light you have and thus less contrast/dark shadows. Oh, and I do believe I contradicted you again. Also, I am better than you cause I shoot landscapes....

No, high key means the reflectivity values are high, it does not mean not "brightly lit" or overexposed.

Since you don't understand the terms, your photo reflects your confusion.

A low-key portrait would be dominated by dark values (black suit, dark-haired man, large shadow areas).

http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/Images/John_Barrymore_Hamlet_1922.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/John_Barrymore.jpg

 

[Taylor510ce]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

 

[gsgary]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

Take a look at his gallery, nothing to write home about

 

[Taylor510ce]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

Take a look at his gallery, nothing to write home about

Yeah i just did. Didnt realize he had one. This guy is a hack. Crooked horizons, crap exposures, lackluster composition. I have been a photographer for literally 11 months now andcan shoot better than this goon.

 

[Petraio Prime]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

How touching. You have here an opportunity to learn what the terms mean. I am not the moron here.

I have explained and given you examples of high key and low key.

Don't contradict those who know what they are talking about.

 

[gsgary]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

How touching. You have here an opportunity to learn what the terms mean. I am not the moron here.

I have explained and given you examples of high key and low key.

Don't contradict those who know what they are talking about.

Can we see some of your examples, what key is this

 

[Taylor510ce]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

How touching. You have here an opportunity to learn what the terms mean. I am not the moron here.

I have explained and given you examples of high key and low key.

Don't contradict those who know what they are talking about.

Hahahahahahahaha....I am so sorry....i will bow before your greatness...please sir....do teach me more!

 

[Taylor510ce]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

How touching. You have here an opportunity to learn what the terms mean. I am not the moron here.

I have explained and given you examples of high key and low key.

Don't contradict those who know what they are talking about.

Can we see some of your examples, what key is this

I would say that is high key. Evenly lit no heavy shadows on the subject yet a dark background. Looks like some backlighting or hairlight or something giving slight highlights to the right.

 

[gsgary]

When i was at college it was mid key, there was 3 lights on that shot

 

[JG_Coleman]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

How touching. You have here an opportunity to learn what the terms mean. I am not the moron here.

I have explained and given you examples of high key and low key.

Don't contradict those who know what they are talking about.

Well, I don't really have any stock in this thread. But, Petraio... your advice is entirely worthless.

Your condescending attitude makes your posts in this thread so unbearable to deal with that beginners or professionals alike can't possibly bear to bother with really even taking in what you have to say.

Congratulations... you've made your own two cents entirely worthless by your own pompous antics.

Oh... and... don't contradict me... there's really no back-pedalling from being a conceited a**.

 

[Helen B]

I'd suggest moving the key light further to the side or even partly behind the subject to form a bright-ish outline - keep the proportion and weight of bright areas as low as possible. Then reflect just a little light to fill in the face dimly. Low key is not just contrasty lighting - it's also light positioning, the quality of the key light, exposure and content. Think of it as assembling shadowy forms and suggestions of forms, not simply presenting a light subject in contrasty light with a black background.

There's no way that I would call the picture of the dog 'high key'. Once again, it is not just the lighting ratio, but the overall feel of the picture - the lighting ratio, the lighting direction, the exposure and the entire picture content should all contribute to create an overall feeling of light.

Hope that suggestion helps.

Best,
Helen

 

[kundalini]

Take a look at his gallery, nothing to write home about

Apparently these days it is perfectly acceptable to take snapshots while continually espousing oneself an expert. I'm in need to update my CV as well. Obviously I posess more skills than previoudly considered. Snapshots must be en vogue this season.

 

[Petraio Prime]

I'd suggest moving the key light further to the side or even partly behind the subject to form a bright-ish outline - keep the proportion and weight of bright areas as low as possible. Then reflect just a little light to fill in the face dimly. Low key is not just contrasty lighting - it's also light positioning, the quality of the key light, exposure and content. Think of it as assembling shadowy forms and suggestions of forms, not simply presenting a light subject in contrasty light with a black background.

There's no way that I would call the picture of the dog 'high key'. Once again, it is not just the lighting ratio, but the overall feel of the picture - the lighting ratio, the lighting direction, the exposure and the entire picture content should all contribute to create an overall feeling of light.

Hope that suggestion helps.

Best,
Helen

This is high key:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ksfuoxp96u1qan7jho1_400.jpg

 

[Petraio Prime]

Its like talking to a brick wall.....if the brick wall was a pompous twit. Don't assume anything anything about my photography all the crap you talk and yet you never show your such superior photography. You my friend are a moron who shall be the first on my ignore list. BTW color and tones are caused by light. Its all light related. No light meansno tones and no colors.

How touching. You have here an opportunity to learn what the terms mean. I am not the moron here.

I have explained and given you examples of high key and low key.

Don't contradict those who know what they are talking about.

Well, I don't really have any stock in this thread. But, Petraio... your advice is entirely worthless.

Your condescending attitude makes your posts in this thread so unbearable to deal with that beginners or professionals alike can't possibly bear to bother with really even taking in what you have to say.

Congratulations... you've made your own two cents entirely worthless by your own pompous antics.

Oh... and... don't contradict me... there's really no back-pedalling from being a conceited a**.

I haven't the slightest interest in your opinions or in "political correctness". I do know what I'm talking about. If you and others like you would just stop and listen to what I write for a moment maybe you would learn something. It's your loss if you don't.

Not all opinions are of equal value. Some people know things that others don't.