High key image. Comments welcome

[Peter Berressem]

Hmm.. let's try this URL (the portrait shot, last in the row, author Jos van Zetten):
http://www.lightstalking.com/high-key-tutorials
--
cheers, Peter
Germany

 

[carl english]

Yep, thats high key.

 

[sspivey]

I like it where I can see it.
(I think the OP's image is brilliant, BTW)

 

[carl english]

but is it a high key high key or a low key high key, that is the question.

 

[carl english]

Should have added that its a great picture.

 

[cs_foto]

Great lighting and composition!

Eye contact (and maybe face expression) could be improved though!

Bests

 

[itsDing]

l use this as a standard lighting setup for kiddie promotions in shopping centres, village halls, community centres etc. l call it my "McDonalds" setup. A simple recognisable product at reasonable prices. lt is simple and has to be as l am taking different kids with varying skin tones who sometimes wriggle about and cause mayhem. l use 3 Sunpak 555's (no leads to trip over) firing into brollies, one into the background (white roller blind) from behind and the other 2 for the subject with 1+1/3 stops between them. Posing table is about 2 feet from background. My whole shooting area is uncluttered. l only use this combination for these promos.
Bog standard 18-55 IS kit lens on a 40D.

 

[cs_foto]

l use this as a standard lighting setup for kiddie promotions in shopping centres, village halls, community centres etc. l call it my "McDonalds" setup. A simple recognisable product at reasonable prices. lt is simple and has to be as l am taking different kids with varying skin tones who sometimes wriggle about and cause mayhem. l use 3 Sunpak 555's (no leads to trip over) firing into brollies, one into the background (white roller blind) from behind and the other 2 for the subject with 1+1/3 stops between them. Posing table is about 2 feet from background. My whole shooting area is uncluttered. l only use this combination for these promos.
Bog standard 18-55 IS kit lens on a 40D.

Thanks for sharing your setup!

 

[Lance C]

Is where the subject is also a bit, for a lack of a better term, overexposed.

This is a gorgous shot, but I think the true technique is not HIGH KEY. High key does not have any deep shadows would be my first stab at a definition.

as per wiki: High-key lighting is usually quite homogeneous and free from dark shadows. The terminology comes from the key light (main light).

But again its a very nice shot.

 

[Lance C]

Great, you lit it perfectly as to not get any splashback light, but this is not High Key in my neck of the woods. If I hired a photog to give me a magazine spread on high key images I would not use this shot. Google High Key and you will see true high key images.

Carl, comments l was looking for were about the lighting of the subject. l take great pains to light subjects so there is minimal light hitting the sides of faces coming from the background. l see a lot of pro pictures and others which have this light on faces, its what l call splashback. l consider they should take more care not to have it. l would have been happy to describe my lighting technique had l been asked. lf l want light on the side of a face then l will use a seperate light.

 

[itsDing]

Over exposed!Thats strange Lance because when l meter the shooting area l underexpose the fill light by one tenth of a stop and the fill and key lights both on together by two tenths, this gives me a soft light. l bring the image up in levels in post. l must have a dodgy meter eh!

 

[carl english]

Certainly on my screen the exposure of subject is perfect, quite sure the customer would be delighted with result.

Carl

 

[itsDing]

The girl was a nightmare, kept moving about and running to mum (kids move, thats why l am on 400 iso and f13, flashes on half and qtr power for quick recycling), l normaly take 3/4 shots of each pose, l try to do 8 poses. Only managed 4 poses with a few shots of each with her. l got one good shot from each of the 4 tho. Mum was well pleased and spent a million quid, lol

 

[ColourBlind]

whatever key it's in. Even more impressive given the kit you used. Thanks for sharing with us.
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No more weddings for me though. YAY!

 

[itsDing]

Thanks Colourblind, dont think there would have been a difference had l used my Elinchrom, Bowens or Multiblitz lights, l must start selling the stuff l have accumulated over the years. Lights are lights, so long as they have the power you want and consistant output and recylcle at the speed your work demands. l prefer using my Sunpaks for this work. No power leads for customers to trip over and l can set up where l want.

 

[RedFox88]

Perhaps Red means those white background images where horrible light has reflected and splashed on the sides of subjects faces. l have carefully lit this image to stop that happening by ensuring the light from the background has fallen off enough so not to light the subject. What is a high key picture Red?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-key_lighting
And google high key image and most of which shows up is high key.

There are darker (shadow areas) in the OP's image as well as tones being exposed for normally which is not what gets rendered in a high key image. Note the girl's face looks like it would in a standard exposure.