High Key Lighting Work Diary

When shooting for high key, I used 3 lights to help with the exposure of the image. I 

 The way it was set up, was that there was a key light next to the camera, pointing down at our subject, we then had a reflector board placed next to where the subject would stand, this would enhance the amount of light bouncing back on my subject. Then in the background, we used a white back drop, with two of the smaller lights pointing onto the backdrop, this was to make sure the background was more more over exposures than the subject- giving it a "high key lighting" effect. To set up the lighting, we needed to make sure the main key light, had an F.stop of 8 and the background lights had a higher F.stop- in our case it was between 11-12.

In this shot 

High Key Lighting Straight Images

High Key Lighting Image Bank

The image has a very goof tonality, the contrast between the bees and the skin tone of the man are really diverse in tone levels, the frame also helps to add contrast and definition to the shot. The high Key lighting is what really helps to bring out the parity and definition, ensuring the whole shot is in focus and there is no point in the picture that you focus on more than any other. The dead pan expression helps to add to the overall feel of the shot as it is very melancholy and blank in feeling.

Glamour and art is the main theme behind this shot, there has been a lot of work done by the set producer/ makeup artist to achieve this look, there doesn't seem to be a strong message behind the image, but just an art shot. The photographer has chosen high key lighting, as to give the best effect in showing off the makeup and atmosphere, as the image looks very surreal and pop art like. The eyes as lips shows off femininity. The shadow underneath the chin, helps show depth of field and definition in the shot.

This image is very clear and crisp, I like the detail of the water droplets on the petals of the flower, the focus on the image is over the whole of the shot, this helps to add to the clarity, especially due to the high key lighting as, there is not a part in the picture that is more in focus than another. The high key lighting illuminates the swirls and contrasts of colour in the image. The overall look of the photo is glossy and clear.

The tonality of the shot is very mute, as it is only a white backdrop, and the baby's body, and therefore a new born baby is very pale, the most contrast in the shot is between the backdrop, the subject and the subjects eyes. The overall high key lighting helps to add the focus, as the baby's head is the most in focus part of the whole shot as, its body is further away from the camera. The lighting also helps to add an airy, natural, clean feel to the shot.

The colours are very pale and white washed, despite this there is a lot of contrast, even in the mute tone changes, the colour of the subjects hair, backdrop, skin and eyes, show beautifully how high key lighting helps to illuminate and give natural, honest portrayal of a subject, there is no shadow in the image, this helps to add to the raw, non-artificial look. The minimal makeup the model has on also adds to the stripped back look and of course since she is naked in the shot, it adds a very honest dimension to the piece.

High Key Lighting Technique Post

Key Light- Main studio light.
Beauty Dish- Circular dish flexible white for diffuse light or silver for directional light.
Diffusion Sock- Diffuses light throughout picture makes it more even.
Honeycomb (Grid)- Used to direct light, put over light. 
Fill Light- Comes up and fills in the shadows.
Back Light- Light put behind the subject to make them stand out from the background. 
Colour gel- put over the light to alter colour.
Lighting Diagram- Shows how the light is layered.

Main light in soft box in front of and slightly above model. Exposure is two stops less than background. (if this was f 11 double (f22) for background so becomes over exposed).

Rear flashes cross each other for even light exposure off background at least 2 stood greater than exposure in model's face.

Flashes in stands about head height.

White paper background. 

High Key Lighting- 
High-key lighting is a style of lighting for film, television, or photography that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This was originally done partly for technological reasons, since early film and television did not deal well with high contrast ratios, but now is used to suggest an upbeat mood.

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 contests in the picture.