Techniques: High Key Lighting: Image Bank -

High Key Lighting - 

Defintions:

• High Key Lighting: Modern lighting technique that is based on using mid-tone greys through to bright whites. The use of bright white lighting  helps to to eliminate shadow and reduce the contrasts in the photograph. 
• Key Light: Main light used in the shot; usually a fill light.
• Beauty Dish: A circular dish which is flexible to have either white or silver inside. White is more diffused and silver is more directional.
• Diffusion Sock: Can be placed over the batty dish to diffuse the light more equally rather than being direct.
• Honeycomb Grid: Restricting the spread of the light evening in the image.
• Colour Gel: A filter placed over the light to give colour to he image. Often complimentary colours are used such as blue and orange to create an intriguing atmosphere.
• Fill Light: Fills in the shadows of the image.
• Back Light/ Clip Light: Lighting behind the subject aimed towards the model to raise the subject away from the backdrop.
• Diffusion Filter: Lens filter placed on the camera lens to diffuse the lighting further.
• Lighting Diagram: A diagram displaying the lighting setup to make note of layout and techniques used.

Layout:

 

Skills:

• Measure light with light metre, with intention to have more light on backdrop than foreground.
• To do this you can set the key light (main light) on the subject to F/8.
• The light on the backdrop will be set to F/11 or F/16 which is one stop, two stops higher than the foreground.

Examples:

(Richard Avedon)

(Rankin)

(Rankin)

(Unknown)

(James Nader)