Not To Be Coy...

Bitter Jeweler

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I'm trying to figure out the Low Key / High Key technique.

Is this a successful example of a Low Key image?
#1
Shutter: 1/100, Ap: F4.5, Exp-Comp -1/3, ISO: 100
I think the image sets a solemn, somber tone.

3627587368_cb5ed3159f_o.jpg


I removed the High Key image, cuz it wasn't, at all :meh:
I'll have to work on it more :grumpy:
 
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Sorry, Azriel, I pulled it because it wasn't a good example of a High Key image...I'm working on a replacement.
 
very nice picture.

I think that the ripple on the over right of the fish is a little distracting. But I know you have absolutely no control over ripples..... Unless your aquaman.... :shock:
 
I find this image a little creepy... :) The way the scales are captured almost makes the fish look skeletal. I think you've got a basic grasp on the low key aspect (though I'm not sure I really understand it myself). My only issue is the blown out white on the top of the fish's head. As far as low key, I'm not sure that part of the photo works.

The photo in general is fantastic, however. I love the curves and lines and the almost 3D look given by the colors and shadows. I keep staring at the fins under the water and thinking, "Wow, that's awesome." It almost looks like an oil painting.

Great job.
 
I'm with Baaaark. :greenpbl:

High and low key just refer to the predominant tones. So a high key shot has a whole lot of white, some highlights, some lights and midtones. It's, say, predominantly to the right of the histogram. The opposite is true for low-key. Often having some black in a high-key or white in a low-key shot is effective to bring more contrast...but really, TMK there aren't any hard-fast rules for such shots.

I wouldn't call the above low-key; the subject is just a bit too bright for that. But that's 100% my subjective, flawed opinion.
 
That's a nice capture...looks like it could be on the cover of a book on koi.

A friend of mine posted this shot a few days ago which we all got a kick out of.
 
Wow, such a rich colour rendition from your work here.

Seriously, this is very hard to do.
Well, that is certainly a big part of low key imagery. Deeper colors typically result from underexposure of this nature, which is why it can be so powerful.

Good shot! You should post your "high-key" image in another thread so I can see it even if it doesnt work in that respect.
 
very nice picture.

I think that the ripple on the over right of the fish is a little distracting. But I know you have absolutely no control over ripples..... Unless your aquaman.... :shock:

If you are talking about the area just behind the gill, and in line with the back fin, that is scar tissue from when this fish was diseased. I shopped out a lot of surface bubbles though. At first I just blew this image off as junk, because of all the bubbles. After looking at it again and again, I thought, hey at least give it a shot. :D

Sorry, Azriel, I pulled it because it wasn't a good example of a High Key image...I'm working on a replacement.

Can you tell me about that shot and how you shot and processed it?

Hmm...I played with the color levels with the B&W Tool, made it sepia, and brightened it.

I find this image a little creepy... :) The way the scales are captured almost makes the fish look skeletal. I think you've got a basic grasp on the low key aspect (though I'm not sure I really understand it myself). My only issue is the blown out white on the top of the fish's head. As far as low key, I'm not sure that part of the photo works.

The photo in general is fantastic, however. I love the curves and lines and the almost 3D look given by the colors and shadows. I keep staring at the fins under the water and thinking, "Wow, that's awesome." It almost looks like an oil painting.

Great job.

It was my understanding of low key imagery to have the highlight on the edge and the rest of the subject kinda falling off. I know in playing with the levels and contrast it kinda blew the white, but at the same time, I really felt it was most effective in this shot. Otherwise it was kinda muddy, and it lost the "wowwee" impact that at least I like. ;)

I totally thought "oil painting" too! It was suggested to me to have this printed on canvas, and do some over painting on it. For me, I see the bright area, investigate that, and then spend more time going through the murky depths. I like the erieness of it a lot.

I'm with Baaaark. :greenpbl:

High and low key just refer to the predominant tones. So a high key shot has a whole lot of white, some highlights, some lights and midtones. It's, say, predominantly to the right of the histogram. The opposite is true for low-key. Often having some black in a high-key or white in a low-key shot is effective to bring more contrast...but really, TMK there aren't any hard-fast rules for such shots.

I wouldn't call the above low-key; the subject is just a bit too bright for that. But that's 100% my subjective, flawed opinion.

I understand that, but at the same time, isn't a low key shot supposed to have a "dark" feel to it? Even with the highlight, it still retains a dark feel, no?

That's a nice capture...looks like it could be on the cover of a book on koi.

A friend of mine posted this shot a few days ago which we all got a kick out of.

Thanks Samamnax. I love the image you linked to. That is pretty awesome, and quite lucky to capture! Fish are pretty hard to wait for the "good" shots, especially when there are a lot of fish, and when they see you standing there, they go into a feeding frenzy of anticipation.

Thanks for all the comments, everyone.
 

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