Low key photography

[Lauffray]

Hello all,
I have a question on how to shoot a low key picture, I'm particularly interested in portraits. I come across a tutorial online involving some lights, reflectors, angles and a complicated setup.
I don't have all that gear, and frankly not a lot of patience. I hate posed pictures and I'm shooting film so I don't feel like snapping 20 billion pictures before nailing it.
So any nice tricks to "cheat" and make low key portraits?

[mwooten]

By "low key" do you mean relaxed? If so, then I like to talk to the person I'm photographing. It relaxes both of us.

--michael

[Steve Karr]

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9494/jasong.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/i/jasong.jpg/)
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/1963/gia12.jpg (http://img193.imageshack.us/i/gia12.jpg/)
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/7215/gia14.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/i/gia14.jpg/)
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8559/marco1sc.jpg (http://img692.imageshack.us/i/marco1sc.jpg/)
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8397/marcoxr4.jpg (http://img52.imageshack.us/i/marcoxr4.jpg/)

You know ... I think "Low Key" is like saying "Sexy" ... you don't light in a certain way, you think in a certain way and that is how your pictures come.

The low key feel is something elusive in the realm of most photographers because it calls on you to interpret how something is to feel rather than light every square inch of it & shoot at f/16 to make sure everything is sharp.

My .07 cents

[35mmdelux]

"Low key" is a lighting term which basically means low light. "High Key" means lots of light. Dont need much stuff for low key. For high key lots of reflective areas are used.

[Steve Karr]

... I shot all those samples with a 2400 speedo head 3-4 feet from my subject, Thou I was shooting 1 asa wet process, Really. CRACK!

I think it's about washing everything with Zone 15. Leave something for the shadows, you know ... mystery.

[Merkin]

If you just want to give it a go without spending much money, you can do it with one of those swivelly desk lamps and a reflective car windshield screen. Cut off all the lights except the desk lamp, position it so it is lighting your subject from the side, and then put the reflector in a position where it will bounce some of the light back on to the other side of the subject. Spot meter the lit side of the subject, and then bracket to be on the safe side. You might need a reasonably fast film, depending on the strength of the lightbulb.

[djonesii]

It's difficult to do for free, but doable for cheap ....

There are daylight balanced low energy bulbs, get one with the equivalent output of around 500W, it should run you about $30. Use a 4 foot long piece of reflective ducting as a reflector. This is from home depot or Lowes, it's the kind that is slit longways, but stays more or less circular in cross section, and finally a holder for the bulb. A light stand helps, but if you have a floor lamp, that will do. You may need a roll of gaffer tape to hold the whole setup stable. This will give you the same effect as strip softbox.

Unless you have done this a lot, it's best to shoot digital until you get it dialed in. The only way you have to vary the lighting is by distance, but its not that hard. I have shot using this setup before, and its cheap and effective.

See this link for the bulbs ...

http://www.buylighting.com/Non-Dimmable-Compact-Fluorescent-s/75.htm

Dave

[Melvin]

You might try windows with white curtains, indirect sun, like northern exposure. Place the subject farther rather than closer to the window or the contrast ratio is too high.

[kuzano]

Look on eBay for some of the lighting stations for ebay. They usually consist of a couple of light stands with daylight balance continuous lighting and a nylon light diffusion box or screen.

Also, there is the practice of setting up a static or studio display, putting the camera on a long exposure and "painting with light", ie, using a flashlight to wash light over your subject until the exposure is finished or you close the shutter if using a bulb setting.

Look up "painting with light" under photo sites or in the book stores.. B&N, Amazon, etc.

[peterm1]

If you are shooting film this may not help unless you scan the negs. I often create low key in Photoshop as I like to play with effects that enhance my images (think creative application of a vignette for example to focus attention on the key subject.) here are a couple where I have taken that philisophy to more or less an extreme for a low key result. Its all about selecting regions and lightening or darkening them to get what you want.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3569305173_8d6b2cd4bb_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3560525721_6afcc80115_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3543/3534016169_910b4c610b_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2209/3534015953_a76fb25f39_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/3877697628_e14fbc3f86_o.jpg

[Steve M.]

Just like painting, make sure you have northern exposure for your natural light and all will be fine.

[peterm1]

Just like painting, make sure you have northern exposure for your natural light and all will be fine.

Chiaroscuro (Italian for light-dark) is a term in art for a contrast between light and dark. The term is usually applied to bold contrasts ...

[Damaso]

Shooting near a window is always a good idea. In reality you're going to have to practice a lot to achieve the effect you want...

[Steve Karr]

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1944/jasongallery1.jpg (http://img404.imageshack.us/i/jasongallery1.jpg/)

[fhaueyas]

Good work !
Very cool, looking great so far. Keep going, I wanna see it finished!