High Key???

[RachaelRenaesPhotos]

I was wondering how to get the high key look outdoors? It makes the skin very white yet pleasing. I'm in LOVE with this look. I am a natural light photographer. I see this everywhere around where I live, I'm not to sure if it is just the exposure or if they are using a external flash with a diffuser. Either way no one will share their secret! I have looked all over the internet and YouTube and continue to have no results. Please HELP It'd be much appreciated.

 

[DGMPhotography]

Well, pretty much anything can be accomplished in post production nowadays. Could you post some links to examples of what you're talking about?

 

[tirediron]

Stop being a "natural light" photographer and become a photograhper. Learn how to use and control "man-made" light sources. Sorry, but it really is that simple.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

Stop being a "natural light" photographer and become a photograhper. Learn how to use and control "man-made" light sources. Sorry, but it really is that simple.

I've always been confused when photographers call themselves "natural light" photographers, because if they are indoors, they use the lighting from lamps, etc.

I think what they really mean to say is "I'm a 'I'm scared to use external flashes, strobes, and studio lighting because I don't understand it' type of photographer."

I agree. You're not going to get high key photography without some source of man manipulated light source. Even if you use the sun as a backlight, you're still going to need fill flash.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Stop being a "natural light" photographer and become a photographer. Learn how to use and control "man-made" light sources. Sorry, but it really is that simple.

And that's putting it NICELY!

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Is this you? Rachel Renee Photography - Fashion Photography, NYC

 

[amolitor]

High key outdoors is the same as high key indoors, EXCEPT that you will need to balance with ambient light. Think of it as two separate exposures, one from the ambient, natural light, and the other from the flash(es).

You'll set the aperture for the flash exposure, and then set the shutter speed for the natural light exposure. The shutter speed should be "correct" for the natural light exposure, so the background doesn't look weird and dark. Your aperture controls the amount of flash the camera sees, since the strobe much faster than the shutter, shutter speed doesn't matter. You probably want to underexpose the "flash exposure" a bit, since you're just looking to brighten up the skin, not provide all the light for the subject.

You can start out with on camera flash in a fill flash setting, or manually dialed down to quite a low setting. You can diffuse the on camera flash with a bit of tissue loosely taped over it, or with a variety of home-made or purchased diffusers.

Moving on, you can use two lights, one on each side set at around 45 degrees, to start to get the classic "high key" look.

The hard part is balancing the flash and the natural light. Be gentle with the flash, otherwise you start to look like cheesy and fake.

ETA: Flash is just a tool, yelling at someone for not knowing how to use it isn't very productive or mature.

 

[KmH]

High key means a very low lighting ratio between the background and the subject. High key is often shot on a white background.
So, high key is as much about lighting the background as it is about lighting the subject, which is why high key can't be done very effectively without quite a bit of supplemental lighting.

Lighting ratio in photography refers to the amount of key light (the main source of light from which shadows fall) to the fill light (the light that fills in the shadow areas). The higher the lighting ratio, the higher the contrast of the image; the lower the ratio, the lower the contrast. Since the lighting ratio is the ratio of the light levels on the brightest lit to the least lit parts of the subject, and the brightest lit are lit by both key (K) and fill (F), therefore the lighting ratio is sometimes expressed as (K+F):F although for contrast ratios of 4:1 or more (high lighting ratio), then K:F is sufficiently accurate.

Being able to consistently make high quality available light photographs requires photographic lighting technique knowledge. The use of a key light, fill, accent light, rim light, side light, etc is still required. Your key light can be the Sun or the sky if you are using open shade, and your fill can be from a reflector, but the available light photographer has a lot less control over the placement, color temperature, quality, and intensity of the light used.

Doug Box's Available Light Photography: Techniques for Digital Photographers
Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources
Lighting Techniques for High Key Portrait Photography

Online resources: High key and Low key lighting tutorial
The Complete Beginner?s Guide to Shooting High Key
simple high key lighting photography tips

 

[amolitor]

High Key is actually a rather strange term. Despite the fact that it suggests a bright key light, what it really means is low ratio lighting. Originally it was 1:1 lighting, and in fact 1:1:1 (left, center, right). Nowadays the term has evolved to something a little more vague and general:

- bright, a lot of whites
- often a white background
- lowered constrast, shadows shallow to non-existant (which is the thing closest to the original)

That's what I suggested using two strobes, one on each side, specially to brighten while retaining a relatively low contrast look.

 

[o hey tyler]

Is this you? Rachel Renee Photography - Fashion Photography, NYC

The first and last names are spelled different and the OP is from Missouri. Try harder next time.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Is this you? Rachel Renee Photography - Fashion Photography, NYC

The first and last names are spelled different and the OP is from Missouri. Try harder next time.

Or perhaps I'll be more attentive before pasting and asking about google search results - thanks

 

[cgipson1]

Is this you? Rachel Renee Photography - Fashion Photography, NYC

That is not her... this is her: https://www.facebook.com/rachael.renaes.photography

 

[AaronLLockhart]

That is not her... this is her: https://www.facebook.com/rachael.renaes.photography

I'm no weatherman, but I predict some flaming coming in the near future.

 

[kundalini]

High Key portraits are also defined by having the entire frame with no elements lower than middle grey. Therefor, subjects with dark hair, clothing, shadows, etc., really do not not constitute a High Key portrait.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

High Key portraits are also defined by having the entire frame with no elements lower than middle grey. Therefor, subjects with dark hair, clothing, shadows, etc., really do not not constitute a High Key portrait.

So by your own definition, the only way to have a true high key image is to shoot a full frame shot of an 18% gray white balance card? Lol