Low Key Beauty - Definition and Technique

Defintion

Low-key photography: A low-key image is one that contains predominantly dark tones and colours. Like high-key images, they convey atmosphere and mood. But where a high-key image feels airy and light, a low-key is usually dramatic and full of mystery.

Beauty: a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.

Technique

Camera Settings: f/11, 1/125, ISO 200.

Lighting: fill light, beauty dish, background lights.

Equipment: tripod, snoot, colour gels, honeycomb grid, reflector dish.

Examples

Multiple Flash - Definition and Technique

Definition

A camera that implements multiple flashes can be used to find depth edges or create stylized images. Successive flashing of strategically placed flash mechanisms results in shadows along the depths of the scene. This information can be manipulated to suppress or enhance details or capture the intricate geometric features of a scene (even those hidden from the eye), to create a non-photorealistic image form. Such images could be useful in technical or medical imaging.

Technique


Camera Settings: f/16, 6", ISO 200.

Lighting: studio lights.

Equipment: camera, soft box lights, hot shoe, tripod

Examples

Multiple Exposure - Definiton and Technique

Definition

Multiple Exposure: In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be identical to each other.

Technique

Camera Settings: 1/125, f/5.6, ISO 200

Lighting: natural lighting, soft box lighting

Equipment: tripod, soft box lights, tripod

How to Create Multiple Exposure

On the camera:

1. Turn auto gain off.
2. Number of shots (2).
3. Turn multiple exposure mode on.
4. Spot metering mode.
5. Aperture priority mode.
6. Focus point in centre.
7. White out background.
8. Take first picture.
9. Turn up the exposure composition by two points.

In photoshop:

1. Layer the two images.
2. Change the top layer to 'screen'.

Examples

Location Portraiture - Definition and Technique

Definiton

Lighting on location can often influence the way a photograph is taken. A technique often used in location portraiture is adjusting the aperture to obtain a shallow depth of field. This throws the background out of focus and allows you to shoot in dimmer lighting conditions as the shutter speeds at an f-stop of around f5.6 with be fast. It is also common for photographers to shoot in manual focus whilst doing location portraiture as it allows them to get a sharp focus on the subject's eyes or face. A key part of getting a good portrait image on location is to ensure that the person in the photograph is comfortable and that you are interacting with them. This will make the image seem more natural and the image will appear less stiff and set up. Many photographers work with a tripod when shooting on location - an example photographer is Alec Soth. Examples of his work are below.

Technique

Camera Settings: f/4, 1/200, ISO 200

Lighting: natural lighting/artifical lighting within stores.

Equipment: tripod.

Examples

Animated Gif - Definition

Animated GIF: this is an image encoded in graphics interchange format (GIF),which contains a number of images or frames in a single file and is described by its own graphic control extension. The frames are presented in a specific order in order to convey animation. Below are some examples of gifs.

Macro - Definition and Technique

Definition

Macro: macro photography refers to the technique of taking a photograph of a small object, which will appear larger than life size in the photograph.

Technique

Equipment: camera, macro lens, table, tripod, small objects

Settings: 1/250, f5.6, ISO 200

Lighting: soft box lights

Examples

Wide Angle Close Up - Defintion and Technique

Definitions

Wide Angle: use of a shorter focal length resulting in a wider shot.

Close Up: tight framing around an object within a photograph.

Technique

Equipment: camera, tripod 

Camera settings: 1/125, f/5.6, ISO 200

Lighting: studio lights

Examples of Wide Angle Close Up