First low key

Midknightc3

I have been having a lot of trouble controlling my light and seeing which light is going where, so I thought doing a low key shoot would help me really figure things out...I was right, and I really like low key! I think this was the most fun I'v had attempting studio :ivar

1 and 2


3 and 4


Thoughts? Lighting was two 550EX's with shoot through umbrellas positioned close in so I could use lower power. 430EX was used to light the background and 580EX as the master but it did not fire.

Clark

D3Sshooter

Hi, well first off all I would say that none of them meets the definition of a low key picture. Some are standard shots that are underexposed, and others like the last one are basically a standard shot. What I am not saying is that they are bad, I think you have a couple of great shots, especially the second and the last one are great pictures.

I would like to come back to your lighting technique:

"Lighting was two 550EX's with shoot through umbrellas positioned close in so I could use lower power. 430EX was used to light the background and 580EX as the master but it did not fire."

- The first part of your statement, Umbrellas and low power: That explains the under exposure feeling and secondly umbrellas are not the kind of light shapers one would use for typical LK shots. The reason is that they spread the light to out, where as a strip box would do much better. With a strip box, you can direct the light exactly to where you want to have and placing accents on the contours or unique details that you want to emphasis. There is a common misunderstanding that Low key must be done with low power settings, fact is use sufficient power but direct the light,

- The second part "430ex....background", in a typical LK picture there is never a background light. That background if lit, will only pull the attention away from the key area's. So don't use it for LK.

- And at last 580EX is the master but did not fire, well in that case I can not judge it where it was and how it was set-up. If it has no effect on the lighting of the picture then don't mention it as it has no added value for us to look at.


Maybe you can try this, one flash with stripbox behind the model, direct it with the pilot light so that one contour of the model is lit. The strip box is directed light and has a nice and soft light fall-off at the edges, creating a feeling of depth.

Good luck

Midknightc3

Thanks for the comment D3. You are absolutely right, looking at them now I can see they are not low key. Currently the umbrellas are the only things I have, but I am meeting a local photographer who has some equipment to sell, hopefully I will be able to add to my setup so I can follow some more of your advice!

Thanks!
Clark