HIGH KEY and LOW KEY PICTURES |
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| by Ted Peterson |
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| All people when they go to a camera club meeting or a photographic class will hear the words "That is a High Key or That is a Low Key print". When you hear that, it would help to know what they are talking about. |
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| | When they say "High Key" what they mean is that the print is prodominantly with light tones. When they say "Low Key" they mean that the picture has prodominantly dark tones. |
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| What ever you do, even if you have a High Key Print you have to have a full range of tones from black to white. If you do not, most people will think that that the print is printed wrong on you did not expose it correctly. The same is true if you have a Low Key Print. |
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| If you are trying to make a "High Key" or a "Low Key" print you have to have the correct background and subject. If you are taking a picture of a white dog and you would like to make a High Key print you would use some type of light background. You would not use a black background. The same thing if you would like to take a picture of a dark brown dog and you would like to make a Low Key Print, you would use some type of dark background. You would not use a black background as the black or dark brown dog would not show. |
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| For a High Key effect your light must be full and soft. Fill lights on the shadows should be as strong as the key light. Backgrounds must have their own lights otherwise they will be too dark. For a Low Key effect do the opposite. |
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