High Key Photography

[Michelle Jones]

I just ran across some images done in this format. How is it done? Can it be done without a studio? I LOVE the effect. Can you simulate this with PSCS2?
Michelle

[Tim Armes]

Hi Michelle,

Can you be more specific about what it is you want to achieve? High key means different things to different people.

Normally, however, most things in a high key photo are white. You need to dress the model appropriately, etc. The white background (is that what you're referring to) is best done in studio.

Tim

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Michelle,

Could you find some pictures that you would like to emulate. Then we could work backwards. That way we can see a lot of creativity.

This is a great topic, BTW.

Asher

[Edward Bussa]

I do mine in a bathtub! =D

Seriously, I was thinking "high-key" when I took this because of all the white reflective material in the tub. I turned up my flash Ev to +2 and started timing her movements...

Does this meet the criteria?

http://www.threadster.com/opf/honeyintub.jpg

[Kathy Rappaport]

http://i.pbase.com/g6/80/683780/2/76045159.lkPWEcz9.jpg

[Ken Tanaka]

When I was a teen there was a very popular cheap mens' after shave named High Key Rotty...any relationship?

Sorry.

Michelle: Pick up a good book on photographic and cinema lighting. There are dozens of titles. One of the better is Light Science & Magic; An Introduction to Photographic Lighting by Fil Hunter and Paul Fuqua (Focal Press). If you're not that serious about the subject, doing a basic Google search will summon basic info.

The answer to your direct question is no, high-key lighting is not a Photoshop effect. It requires some real lighting gear and skilled craftsmanship to do well.

[Michelle Jones]

That is what I was talking about. Here is another site that I post to that got me interested in high key....here are some samples...
http://www.eyefetch.com/search.aspx?q=high+key

[Alain Briot]

High Key means an image in which the highlights, or high tones, dominate. The "key" to the image, the most important aspect of the image (as far as tones are concerend) are the high tones, hence the name high key. Some high key images have no low tones, or no shadows.

Low key is the exact opposite. In a low key image the low tones, or the shadows, dominate the image. The "key" to this type of image are the low tones (again, in regards to tonality) hence the name low key. In some low key images there are no high tones whatsoever.