Opening Summary
High key and low key are terms used to describe the overall brightness or darkness of a photo or video scene. High key refers to a scene that is brightly lit with minimal shadows, creating a light, airy feel. Low key refers to a scene that is dimly lit with strong contrasts between light and dark areas, creating a moody, dramatic atmosphere. The key is controlled through lighting choices and camera exposure settings. High key uses bright, diffuse lighting and overexposure to blow out shadows. Low key uses harsh, directional lighting and underexposure to create deep shadows. Key impacts the mood and draws attention to different elements. High key emphasizes highlights and tones down shadows. Low key accentuates shadows and silhouettes subjects. Key should complement the conceptual intention. High key pairs well with light, upbeat stories. Low key matches serious, edgy themes. With practice, photographers and videographers learn to craft high key and low key scenes.
What is High Key Lighting?
High key lighting refers to a scene that is brightly lit overall, with minimal shadows. The term comes from the key light – the main light source that provides the primary illumination. In high key, the key light is bright and optionally supplemented by fill lighting to further raise shadows. This creates an abundance of light that reduces image contrast. Shadows and dark tones are minimized. The overall look is bright, low in contrast, and evenly lit.
Some defining characteristics of high key lighting:
- Bright, diffuse key light source
- Minimal, soft shadows if any
- Low contrast between highlights and shadows
- Light, bright, airy mood
- Emphasis on brightly lit subject and background
- Whites close to overexposure; darks as middle grays
High key creates an upbeat, lighthearted, optimistic mood. It’s clean and easy on the eyes. High key can make a subject appear more pure, innocent and heavenly. It is commonly used in commercial product photography and for shooting blond hair and fair skin. High key works well with light, minimalist aesthetics. It pairs nicely with weightless, floating objects. High key lighting has a long history in painting and photography. Dutch still life paintings often used high key to convey a sense of calmness. Early black and white high key photography originated from the desire for technical purity and beauty.
How to Create High Key Lighting
There are several techniques photographers use to produce high key lighting:
- Overexpose the image – Increase ISO, use wider aperture, slow down shutter speed
- Add a bright key light – Soft box, beauty dish, reflector as the main light
- Include fill lighting – Reflectors or additional light to fill shadows
- Use large light sources – Create soft, diffused lighting
- Choose bright environments – White backgrounds, open shade outdoors
- Minimize shadows – Light background and foreground evenly
The first step is to intentionally overexpose the image. Photographers can increase ISO sensitivity, open up the aperture, and/or slow down the shutter speed to let in more light. This washes out darker tones and blows highlights, creating a low contrast, bright look.
Next, the key light should produce soft, diffused illumination. Large light sources like a soft box or beauty dish work better than a small, direct flash. Position the key light near the camera to evenly light the subject. Reflectors can be used on the opposite side to bounce light back in and fill any remaining shadows. Background elements should also receive ample illumination to avoid falling into shadows. For outdoor high key, shoot in bright open shade. Avoid direct sunlight which creates harsh shadows. The goal is to flood the entire scene with smooth, glowing light.
In post processing, increasing exposure and raising shadows can help achieve a high key look. Decreasing contrast also tones down dynamic range between the highlights and shadows. The subject should nearly match the brightness of the background. This unifies the lighting and removes unwanted shadows.
Low Key Lighting
Low key lighting refers to a scene that is dimly lit overall, with strong contrasts between bright and dark areas. As opposed to high key that aims to minimize shadows, low key does the opposite – it accentuates shadows. The result is an image layered in dark tones, conveyed through stark lighting.
Characteristics of low key lighting include:
- Harsh, directional key light
- Deep, exaggerated shadows
- High contrast between highlights and shadows
- Dark, moody atmosphere
- Subject spotlighted against dark background
- Blacks close to underexposure; highlights as bright spots
Low key creates a mysterious, gritty mood. The heavy shadows add intensity and depth. It is commonly used in noir, thriller, and horror genres. Low key can make a subject appear more dominant, powerful and sinister. When used in portraiture, it adds drama and intrigue. The chiaroscuro lighting effect builds dimension around subjects. Low key works well with dark, sinister themes. It pairs nicely with shadows, silhouettes, and night settings.
How to Create Low Key Lighting
Photographers use these techniques to produce low key lighting:
- Underexpose the image – Decrease ISO, use narrower aperture, speed up shutter
- Add a harsh key light – Small direct flash or spotlight as main light
- Position light high and to the side – Creates shadows and modeling
- Use small light sources – Exaggerates hard shadows
- Choose dark environments – Black backgrounds, night settings
- Maximize shadows – Light subject against an unlit background
The process starts by underexposing the scene. Lower the ISO, stop down the aperture, and increase the shutter speed to create a darker exposure. This makes the shadows black rather than gray.
Next, use a hard, directional key light positioned high and to the side of the subject. On camera flash can serve as a direct key light. The smaller the light source, the sharper and more defined the shadows will be. Position background elements in the shadows so they appear as silhouettes. For outdoor low key, shoot at night or in thick shade. Avoid bright sunlight that would fill in shadows. The goal is to carve the subject out of the darkness with a spotlight effect.
In post processing, decreasing exposure and crushing the blacks can help achieve a low key look. Increasing contrast also amplifies the gap between the highlights and shadows. The background should fall close to black. This simplifies the scene into two tones – light subject and dark environment.
High Key vs. Low Key Lighting
Here is a comparison summary between high key and low key lighting:
| High Key Lighting | Low Key Lighting |
|---|---|
| Bright, diffused illumination | Dark, harsh illumination |
| Soft, minimal shadows | Hard, exaggerated shadows |
| Low contrast | High contrast |
| Light, uplifting mood | Dark, serious mood |
| Emphasis on highlights | Emphasis on shadows |
| Whites close to overexposure | Blacks close to underexposure |
| Works well with upbeat themes | Works well with edgy themes |
In summary, high key lighting minimizes shadows through diffuse, bright illumination to create a light, low contrast look. Low key lighting exaggerates shadows using harsh, directional lighting to create high contrast scenes layered in darkness.
Using Both High Key and Low Key
While high key and low key lighting inherently have different moods, photographers can combine both techniques in creative ways:
- High key subject against low key background – Pops subject out from moody environment
- Low key subject and high key background – Creates glowing silhouette effect
- High key and low key areas in same frame – Provides visual interest and depth
- Transition high key to low key or vice versa – Shows passage of time and evolving tone
Carefully controlling the lighting allows photographers to convey different conceptual ideas within a single image. For example, a brightly lit subject surrounded by ominous darkness takes on an heroic feel. A dark, backlit silhouette against a light background evokes mystery. Using both high key and low key together provides contrast and layers the lighting to match the intended theme.
Conclusion
High key and low key lighting provides powerful stylistic tools for photographers and cinematographers. Mastering light shaping techniques allows creative control over the visual atmosphere. Mood and emotion can be altered simply by adjusting the key, fill, and background lighting. High key’s bright, diffuse illumination produces upbeat aesthetics. Low key’s harsh, directional lighting generates serious, edgy looks. While conventionally used for different ends of the tonal spectrum, high key and low key can be combined to develop conceptual lighting narratives. With practice, high key and low key lighting give visual artists new ways to tell impactful stories with light.