High and Low Key Images

So, what is a high key image and what is a low key image? In short and just to confuse you (!), high key images are low contrast and low key images are high contrast, simples, right?! Well, contrast is a huge factor in both, but in very different ways. Let's start with high key first.

High key images are images that will contain very bright lighting that blow out most shadows. The subject of high key photos will tend to be of a positive mood or of nature and flowers, for example. You could try thinking of it as 'highlighting' a beautiful subject. High key images are also used a lot for advertising, with products on white backgrounds, because our minds believe these will be of higher quality.

High key images are images that really push the highlights of a photograph and contain little contrast. They are usually of a softer subject matter and have a 'happy' feel to them. But beware of over exposing you image! 

Now for low key images. Again they make use of contrast but in a completely different way. Low key images offer a moodier, dramatic angle to your image. Obviously these images will be dark and there should only be one or two highlights to show off the subject. Low key images are easier shot inside, compared with high key images and should not be confused with under exposing an image.

The key to these both sorts of images is referring to, and getting to know your in-camera metering. It will average out the lighting in the whole scene and will therefore tell you to over expose a low key image and under expose a high key. If you are pushed for time, you need to work out if the in-camera meter is being fooled and adjust the exposure by one or two stops either side. But ideally, to make sure you get the correct exposure for what you require in your shot, it is always best to bracket your images.

The Sunny F/16 Rule.... Explained!

I think the name for this method of photography is a bit misleading or sounds too restrictive. It's not a 'rule' as such, but more a guide to help you get the right exposure settings quickly when you perhaps don't have time to play around or use a light meter. 

The joy of this rule is that you don't just have to use it for sunny situations, it will also help you expose on a cloudy day. And, more importantly, if you get a correct exposure, there's less editing required after, trying to make up for lost detail.

So, the rule is, on a sunny day, with a front lit subject, set your aperture to F/16 and then set your shutter speed to the reciprocal of your ISO. 

F/16 ISO 100 Shutter Speed 1/100 second

or

F/16 ISO 200 Shutter Speed 1/200 second

F/16 ISO 400 Shutter Speed 1/400 second

(as you can see from the photo's below the exposure is the same despite the different settings because when you change the ISO, you adjust the shutter speed to compensate. Left is ISO 100, then ISO 200 and finally ISO 400)

If you need to shoot on a cloudy day or you want to adjust your depth of field, you can change the aperture but you have to change the shutter speed to compensate. For example;

On a cloudy day or a if a shallow depth of field is needed, if you changed your aperture to 

F/4 ISO 100, you would need to change your shutter speed to 1/1600 second and you can do this for settings anywhere inbetween. This is because, with this example, the aperture has changed by 4 full stops, so the shutter speed needs changing by 4 full stops as well. 

****Note at this point that some camera's are calibrated in third stops. So three clicks of the wheel on your camera will equate to one full stop.****

The image to the left is F/11 ISO 100 Shutter Speed 1/200. So, I have changed the aperture from F/16 by one full stop, therefore I need to change the shutter speed by one full stop from 1/100 to 1/200.

The image to the right is F/8 ISO 100 Shutter Speed 1/400. This time the settings have been changed by two full stops yet as you can see with both images, the exposure is the same.

Here is a guide for the settings in any weather condition which I hope you find useful:

Snow or Sand: F/22 

Sunny: F/16 

Slightly overcast: F/11 

Overcast: F/8 

Heavy overcast: F/5.6 

Open shade or sunset: F/4 

I hope this blog has helped you understand the rule a little better. Please feel free to comment below and let me know what you think or if you found it helpful. Now go and practise! It's an invaluable tool to have as a photographer as I have learnt in only a matter of weeks.

Metering

Whilst I am on this course and learning, I thought I might as well pass on some of my newly gained knowledge. This module is about exposure and metering, and how to calculate the right settings. So that's what you're being treated to today, albeit a much shorter, less technical version!

There are different types of metering that you can use to get the correct exposure. I will explain them briefly here:

Average Reflective Metering

This is where the meter measures the light reflecting off the subject and gives an average reading, which gives the image a mid-tone. The meter will take into account the highlights, mid tones and shadows and give an average of them all. (This sort of metering can also be found integrated in DSLRs). This form of metering is better when there is a good mix of tonal ranges, and not so good for images where the scene has more highlights or more shadows.

Incident Metering

Incident metering is a type of metering that measures the light falling on to the subject. This is a very effective form of metering if you are, for example, shooting with snow. You can use a grey card to take a reading for this sort of metering as long as you ensure you hold the grey card up to the subject and angle it so that the light is falling on it the same as it is the subject or you can use a handheld incident meter.

Spot Metering

With this light meter, an area of the scene is selected and used as the basis for the whole scene and when using a spot meter it is normal practise to take several readings at different points to get the correct exposure. This metering is also another form of reflective metering and whilst very accurate due to taking several readings, it takes practise to master. 

18% Grey card

Camera's have in-built reflective light meters and therefore, any scene it looks at, it assumes are a mid range of 18% grey. This poses a problem if you are in snowy conditions where there are predominantly lots of highlights, as the integrated light meter in the camera will give you a reading based on the highlights but assuming the highlights are 18% grey. So if you follow the meter on the camera, you will get an underexposed image. Similarly, in very shadowy conditions, the reading you get will mean you overexpose the image. Therefore a grey card should be used to calculate the correct exposure. The '18%' refers to the reflective quality of the card and you need to hold the grey card at the same angle as the light falling on the subject to get the reading.

Palm Metering

An excellent string to your bow if you know about palm metering because you literally have it to hand in any given situation, seeing as your palm is attached to your arm! It is similar to grey card metering but you must remember to increase the exposure by one stop (more or less, depending on if you have fairer or darker skin) to compensate for the difference in brightness between your palm and the grey card. And again, you need to angle your palm so that that the light falling on it is the same as the light falling on your subject.

So there you have it! A crash course in the different types of metering to help you get the correct exposure in as little takes as possible.

As part of this learning curve, I was also asked to calculate the dynamic range of my camera* (from darkest to brightest recording of object). Once you know the dynamic range of your camera, you can use this to correctly judge what exposure you will require for your scene but assessing the highlights and shadows and thinking about how much or how little detail you want to keep in the image. After taking lots of images, I was able to see how many 'zones' my camera has and what it's dynamic range is. From that, I was then able to make this I had to come up with a zone ruler which I can now use to help me with future work; I know the settings for the zones below and can use this knowledge when assessing my subject.

*Just FYI, my camera has a dynamic range of 10 and the human eye has a dynamic range of 15!

I hope you have found this post useful. As always, would love to hear your thoughts on it, or suggestions. :-)

Don't forget the Exhibition!

Just a gentle reminder that my night for the exhibition is fast approaching! 

'Windows' Exhibition 

Friday 1st February 2013

7pm

The Roisin Dubh (Kingsbury)

Click here for more information! Spread the word!

The Wedding of Michelle and Scott Myford

On 1st September 2012 I had the honour of being bridesmaid for one of my best friends. The weather was lovely, despite the recent grimness we'd had and the day was truly lovely, just like the couple tying the knot! Michelle is Disney crazy so there was a loose theme to the day and it certainly was sprinkled with a little magic. I, of course, took my SLR along and befriended the photographers taking the official photos, thus ensuring I got the best spots alongside them! Here are a few I took from the day. Hair was done by Trevor Holden of Texture Road and Make Up done by Emma Shepherd, Freelance Make up Artist.

     

  

      

Work for Sale

All work displayed on my blog is for sale, there are also some limited edition mini prints from the last exhibition, 'Endings'. If you are interested in the work you have seen, or, would like to enquire about commissioning me to do some particular work for you, please do not hesitate to contact me at feistyfotos@hotmail.co.uk