There are times when you want to capture your subject without a background. You may even have a brief, where the image is for use on a white page. High key photography is the technique you’ll need to know for this.
The concept of high key photography is easy, but the execution can be tricky.
Read our article below to know what high key photography is, and how to achieve it.
Lights. And more lights. That’s how you do high key photography. Adding a little contrast, but not too much, also helps. This is different from low key photographer, where high contrast is what you want.
High key photos are mostly light. One main light, the key light, provides the primary illumination. One or more lights, or reflectors, are then utilised to fill in all or most of the shadows.
High key photography is all about balancing the light ratio.
Unbalanced lighting will result in too much shadow. This is not integral to high key photography. The key light must provide the primary illumination for the photo.
Other lights then must have a lower output to complement the main light. Balancing the secondary lights will reduce shadows cast by the key light.
High key lighting results in photographs with a narrow tone range. There won’t be much difference in the light reflecting off the lightest and darkest parts of a high key photo.
Including a small amount of dark shadow or tone in your high key photos will provide some depth to them.
Balancing light and shadow is foundational to a good photograph. You can create and change the mood of a photograph with the careful manipulation of light and shade.
Images with heavy, dark shadows will convey a moody atmosphere. This is a very different feeling from photos made with high key lighting.
As you are setting up your high key photo start with one main light. This is your key light. Watch where the shadows are falling.
Place your secondary lights or reflectors so that they fill in the shadows.
Working with continuous light is easier when making high key photos. This is because you can see where the shadows fall.
You need to control the amount of light from your secondary lights. This way you keep the shadows limited.
LEDs or other sources of electric light are controllable in three ways:
There are too many variables when discussing flash. Here, I will stick to a few basics in this article, covering the essentials.
Start with the key light on quarter power. This will give you some flexibility when setting your other lights. Keep your secondary lights on auto and check the results.
If you are not satisfied and there’s too much shadow, set the secondary light(s) to manual. Adjust the output so it is one stop less than your key light.
If your key light is set to one-quarter output, your other light(s) will be set to about one eighth. Moving your lights closer or further away from your subject will also affect the results.
The type and amount of diffusion will impact the output too, as will the size of the diffuser. These variables need experimentation as they are different in each situation.
I have suggested using auto settings for your strobes first. This is because manual control of this type of lighting can be challenging if you are not used to it.
Use manual if you have time to. Familiarise yourself with the characteristics of your light. This will give you greater control over them.
The more you can spread the light, the more effective your high key photos will be. The aim is to cover as much of your subject as possible. Using large light sources will aid you in achieving the spread of light.
A small light source produces a harsher light and harder-edged shadow. The larger your light source, the more the light will spread and the softer the shadows will be.
If you only have a small light source, such as a flash, it is best to add a diffuser.
Attaching a softbox or photographic umbrella will make an impressive difference. Your light will spread and softer and even over your subject.
Adding any diffusion to your light will reduce the amount of light hitting your subject. So the more powerful your lights the better.
With almost any style of photography, there is a way to make the desired result look natural.
I love to find situations where the available light will produce a high key portrait.
I was with a friend at one of the many temples in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was near the middle of a bright sunny day.
She was in the shade and there was a lot of light reflecting off the surrounding buildings in the courtyard. The sunlight was harsh, but we were in the shade.
The light reflecting off the large white surfaces provides soft and bright illumination. I have also overexposed this photo to enhance the feeling.
Balancing the background light well is important. You do not want a dark, moody background for a nice high key portrait.
Choosing a white or light colored background will help but is not necessary. If you have enough light on a darker background this can also produce pleasing results.
For this portrait, I positioned my model so the background became overexposed. The light coming from her left was a little stronger than the light from her right.
Both these light sources were a little lower than the light in the background. The light was balanced, diffused and from large enough sources to drop most of the shadows.
Having your camera set to overexpose can help in creating high key photos. Choosing to let more light affect the sensor helps reduce the shadows.
Post processing, as with any style of photography, can help enhance the lighting. Start by lowering the contrast.
Then lessen the amount of blacks and shadows. Boosting the whites and highlights will also help. It will enhance the high key lighting effect.
Producing a balanced, soft lighting for your photos will give you the best results.
Attempting to make a high key photo during post-processing will be more difficult. This is especially true if there’s a lot of shadow areas in the photo.
High key lighting produces photos with a good feeling and upbeat emotion. Advertisers often prefer this style of photo to help present their products. This is because they have a feel-good mood to them.
Comedy shows use a high key lighting set up. This is because it provides the desired atmosphere.
Eliminating most shadows from photos presents the subject pleasing manner. Whether you are photographing a product, person or flower, go for high key photography.
An even, soft lighting set up produces a pleasant outcome.
As with most things photography, there are many ways to achieve similar results. Having a vision for the high key photo you want to create is the best place to start.
Once you have a clear idea about your photo, then set about painting light on your subject. This will bring out the best of it and reduce the shadows.
High key photography is as much about lighting and camera settings as it is about the mood you will create. Choosing the right subject to convey this mood is also essential.
Don’t think you have to stick to the ‘rules’ or ideas I have outlined in this article. Use them as guidelines and then experiment.
Watch where the shadows are falling and then fill them in with reflectors or other lights. This will produce good feeling high key photos.