Low Key

paulzeee · Feb 3, 2015

funwitha7d · Feb 4, 2015

well IMO I like these moody shots, its dark but that adds mystery and atmosphere, what did the model think?

KenC · Feb 4, 2015

I like the lighting and processing, but why is there extra space on the right? I'd prefer to see the middle of her face in the middle of the frame, so there would be a dark half and a lighter half, but maybe that's just me.

paulzeee · Feb 4, 2015

I'm new to off camera flash, especially with a human in front of the camera. It took me a while to get the look I imagined. I tried to limit the amount of spill that reached her shoulder camera right, but looking at the outcome I like how it supports that side of the frame.

No real reason for the space on the right other than lack of attention. I'll try another crop.

AKUK · Feb 4, 2015

I think it's been a successful experiment if you are new to OFC. One of the hardest things for beginners is to know what to do with a flash, where to position it and what modifier to use to achieve certain looks. You may find my guide to lighting styles useful, just to give you some idea on future shots to create dramatic lighting. They are just the basic styles and there is nothing stopping you adding additional lights to further increase the mood/ambiance in a shot.

For example, my profile picture (you can see a larger version of it in my gallery) was lit in a Rembrandt broad style, with a rim light, fill and backdrop light too. Most people think I used two lights for this photo.

paulzeee · Feb 4, 2015

It has been fun playing with off camera light. I've been following the strobist blog and going through the exercises outlined there. Thanks for the link

W.Y.Photo · Feb 5, 2015

I think if you brought up the mid-tones (and possibly the highlights) a bit without effecting the blacks That would work wonders on this image. Even though its low key that doesn't mean everything on the histogram needs to be to the left.

The color cast is excellent.

For next time: Try bringing the light a bit closer to you so as to fill in that shadow on the eye then use a card to eliminate any fall-off on the other side of her face.