High Key Lighting - Straight Image

High Key Lighting - Work Diary

For this session we looked into the technique of high key lighting. I have used high key lighting in shoots before but I have never thought about the technique itself and never experimented with it.  This influenced my focus for this task - I wanted to focus more on experimenting with the lighting and set up of the shoot than the actual pictures I took. I wanted to gain more experience in setting up a shoot and learn how to create good quality photographs with high-key lighting. I feel that I was successful in following my goals for this shoot as I definitely have more knowledge in setting up a shoot for high-key lighting and now know how to perfectly set up lights for this technique.

This was my favourite photograph from the shoot. I feel that it is a great example of high-key lighting and that the image is vibrant and bold without the use of bright colours. As the background exposure was one stop higher than the foreground, it appears whiter and pulls all of your focus to the girl. This is exactly what I wanted from my images.

This was an image I did not like. When I begun my shoot, I had trouble getting my pictures at the right exposure and my images were coming out misty and therefore out of focus. The image above is an example of that. This was because my lens was dirty and I hadn't realised - once I cleaned it, I encountered no problems. But, this meant that my first few photographs were unusable.

Progression

If I use high-key lighting again, I will ensure that my lens is cleaned as this majorly interfered with my shoot in the beginning. I will also try to incorporate more colours into my images as I focussed too much on whites during this shoot. I will also try and conduct a shoot where I focus on the actual images rather than the technique now that I have come to grips with it.

Can I use this in my project?

Whilst I had not planned on using this in my project as I am doing photo documentary, I could explore this technique alongside my current plan and I could use it to document the styles and fashions of youth culture today.

High Key Lighting - Image Bank

This photographer has used only black make up to create extreme contrast against the model's pale skin, light hair and the white background. This has created a black and white effect without the use of  Photoshop. This harsh contrast of black and white makes the blue of the woman's eyes pop and seem much more piercing - this is the punctum of the image.

Much like the image above, this photographer has used make up to create an effect within the photograph that would otherwise be done in Photoshop. The make up artist has used a blue lipstick to make the lips appear to break off in pixels. This could connote how the woman is losing her freedom of speech as her mouth is 'breaking off'.

This image has used make up and body paint to make the model completely white - this makes the blue on her cheeks and her blue eyes pop. This also makes the black make-up around her eyes seem darker and contrast greater against her skin. The make-up used in this image is very unique and stands out in the image, making it the punctum. The black make-up around each eye resembles birds, which could connote the strength and freedom of the woman.

This image uses sequencing to show the transition of this woman having more and more paint being added to her body. The vibrant colours of paint used really make this image pop and make it more eye-catching. The use of paint in the image is the punctum as it isn't something you would see in ordinary life - a person isn't likely to do this everyday or leave the house like this. This image could connote how far women go to reach beauty standards as they 'paint themselves' with make up. In this situation, they have actually used paint to represent this.

This image uses bright, pastel colours to add to the high-key lighting of the image. There is a lot of pink and white in this image, which are colours that, stereotypically, girls are supposed to like. This contrasts against the bright blue and yellow of her eye make-up and really makes it pop, drawing you towards her eyes over any other part of the image. As mentioned, this image uses stereotypical 'girly' colours of pink and white, and so this picture could connote conformity to gender stereotypes.

High Key Lighting - Definition and Technique

Definition

High-Key Photography: High key photography is a modern lighting technique that is based on using mid-tone greys through to bright whites. The use of bright lights and lighting to eliminate shadow reduced the contrasts in the picture.

Key-Light: the main light used.

Beauty Dish: a circular dish which comes in white or silver - if white is used inside, it is more diffused. If silver is used, the light is more directional.

Diffusion Sock: a cover added to the beauty dish to diffuse the light further. 

Honeycomb Grid: placed over the light in order to control/restrict the spread of the light.

Colour-Gel: a toned gel which is placed over a light to alter the colour.

Fill Light: a light which fills in shadows.

Back Light/Clip Light: adds direct light behind the model to create a silhouette.

Diffusion Filter: a lens added to the camera to diffuse the actual image.

Lighting Diagram: a map of how the studio has been set out.

Technique

Camera Settings: f16, 1/125, ISO 200

Skills: Measure light with the intention of gaining more light in the background. Set key light at f8, set background lights two stops higher (f16).

Lighting: beauty dish, soft box, clip light.

Equipment: honeycomb grid, diffusion sock, colour gel, tripod.

Lighting Diagram:



Examples: