High key lighting

Posts about Editorial Photography written by Anastasija

In this article, you'll learn when you might want to choose the high-key photography style and how you can achieve it both when shooting and in editing.

To recreate the Platon photography style, the amount of studio equipment you need is fairly modest. Ideally, you will need a couple of flash guns, but you can do it with one if you decide to turn the background white digitally.

The main light is just above the frame - 22" beauty dish with PCB Einstein Silver reflector beneath the model for extra pop and additional catch-lights in her eyes Two Alien Bees B160 lights into reflective umbrellas onto the white seamless paper for background. Two SB-26 lights right behind the umbrellas pointing back at the model for some hair light. Resulting picture is here: www.flickr.com/photos/alexv1n/7103799865

High-Key Lighting

You can also forget about expensive, elaborate studio kit; it’s perfectly possible to take creative images without the need to spend thousands. Even some simple net curtains can be put to good use as a portrait accessory; the key is knowing what you want to achieve and looking for ways to create it in-camera.

These days we most often see high key photography used for product photography, but its roots go back long before the internet. In fact, high-key photography has traditionally been used to add a light, airy, cheery mood to portraits. Never tried it before or not getting the results you like? Photographer Gavin Hoey explains not […]

simple high key lighting tips - Clickin Moms