Low Key

I am not a major fan of low key photography.  But, I have to say, it can be dramatic, sculpting, dynamic (in a shadowy way) and certainly does grab my eye to study the photograph a bit more to find the hidden nuances.

I had some gray paper set up in the studio from a previous session, so I grabbed Billie for today's blog photos, as I like the tonal qualities to be similar in low key photographs.  Both of the images you see here are done using only one light and a reflector.

Billie is a mover and a shaker, so getting her to sit still for even a millisecond is next to impossible.  In the end I tired her out and she just hoped that single light would burn out.

The upper image was taken with a 50mm 1.4 lens and the light set off over her right shoulder.  The second image was taken with a 70-200mm 2.8 lens and the light was brought a bit more forward.  Which do you prefer?

For more on low key lighting and images, check out the blog circle, which is, once again, somewhat smaller this week.  It's that weekend where we all set back the clocks one hour, and darkness comes at 5:00 p.m., so it's only fitting we are doing low key images.  Don't forget to set your clocks back before you go to bed on Saturday night, and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!

Next up is Tracy Allard of Penny Whistle Photography, fetching portraits in Coppell and surrounding communities in Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas.