Film noir/Low Key/Sin City

[Vihao Pham]

Does anybody have examples of photos using low key lighting in the style of film noir? I've seen a lot of high key stuff floating around, but I haven't found any good film noir pictures to give me ideas and directions.

 

[Ed Halley]

Hm, seem to find a few here...

http://images.google.com/images?q=low+key

--
[ e d @ h a l l e y . c c ] http://www.halley.cc/pix/

 

[Vihao Pham]

Thanks. I was hoping to see some examples produced by forum posters so I can also pick their brains for advice. I've seen a few "These are my high key portraits and this is how I did it" threads, but they're lacking for film noir.

 

[David Habercom]

While not exactly on noir lighting, this book is a good start:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1584281200/qid=1115144633/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-3850190-9445635?v=glance&s=books

 

[Ted Wilson]

--
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has
genius, power and magic in it. - Goethe

http://www.tedwilsonphoto.com/

 

[RDKirk]

--
RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'

 

[RDKirk]

There is some similarity between film noir and the "Hurrell" style Hollywood ligting from the same era. If you do a search on "Hurrell" for posts by SrHookEm, you'll find an example of that.

The major difference between film noir lighting and Hurrell lighting that I see is that film noir is far more discordant--shadows and highlights placed with very little appareant regard for the subject. IOW, "the light of the urban jungle as it is found."

--
RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'

 

[James Mogul]

noir film still style photography:

http://www.lafterhall.com/filmnoir.html

Good luck!
James

 

[Vihao Pham]

That's pretty close to what I had in mind, and in line with RDKirk's Hurrell suggestion.

 

[Vihao Pham]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks, Jim. The stairwell and hall shots are amazing. Are you using strobes or hot lights? What kinds of light modifiers do you find yourself using most often?

 

[James Mogul]

Hi -

This is not my photography, I'm just passing on the link. Glad you find it helpful!

Best,
James

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks, Jim. The
stairwell and hall shots are amazing. Are you using strobes or hot
lights? What kinds of light modifiers do you find yourself using
most often?

 

[Legacys_Quest7]

camera. I'll post one of them.

 

[Dirk Vermeirre]

Hi,

Searched a bit in my galleries, maybe these can help a bit.













With very kind regards,

Dirk

'Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and
mind are the true lens of the camera. '
Yousuf Karsh

http://www.dievee.be

 

[Vihao Pham]

I saw James and Jim, and in my head they became one and the same. Thanks for the link.

 

[Vihao Pham]

These are great, Dirk. Are these all available lighting shots?

 

[Dirk Vermeirre]

These are great, Dirk. Are these all available lighting shots?

Hi Vihao,

Thanks, not all, the third and the fourth were done with lamps (TTL vibration free light).

With very kind regards,

Dirk

'Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and
mind are the true lens of the camera. '
Yousuf Karsh

http://www.dievee.be