Hello, I'm new to the fstoppers community here. I recently purchased my first of camera flash and this was my first go at a low key portrait. Any CC welcome!
Hello, I'm new to the fstoppers community here. I recently purchased my first of camera flash and this was my first go at a low key portrait. Any CC welcome!
Low key is all about large areas of darkness, where the light levels are low, but other areas of additional brightness. Note I did not write underexposed. In short, it is helpful to have dark coloured subject matter and localaised areas of light that is brighter than the remainder of the image. Set the exposure to record correctly the bright parts of the picture, ensuring the darker areas are as you want, neither too dark or too light.
This image has what appears to be darkish tones but has been underexposed, not the same thing at all, or just made too dark in photoshop, which is also not right. I would have had a spot of slightly brighter light on the face. I would then have exposed so the face looked correct. This would leave the rest as darker tones, so low key, not underexposed.
The bright part does not have to be the face, depends on what your artistic vision needs.
Stick at it.
Thank you very much for your well thought, detailed response, it is much appreciated.
To add to Ian, the skin would also need some work, as it has a very blotchy appearance. Blotchy as in, uneven transitions from light to dark on the face. If you wish to, you can fix this by looking up some "Frequency Separation" tutorials.
Thank you Mike, I noticed that as well but didn't know where to start as far as fixing it, now I do.
Thanks again!