High Key vs Low Key

In photography, if you want to create a different mood, one of the things that you can do is use "high and low key lighting". These basic lighting styles are simple, yet an important way to help craft your image.

High Key? Low Key? What does it all mean? How do you recognize the difference?

There is an easy way to determine whether something is high key or low key. High key photos are bright, and do not have many shadows. Low key photos are darker, and have more shadows.

Lets take a look at some examples below:

High Key Examples

Low Key Examples

Determining what style of lighting you will use depends highly on your subject, and the final end use of your image.

-High key portraits, for example, would be great for a NASCAR driver. It would be an effective way to light the subject but also showcase the sponsors. Pure, clean, minimalist, and elegant are words that come to mind with high key lighting. High key lighting for commercial portraits is often used by brands that are associated with sophistication.

-Low key portraits are great for invoking mood and tension. Using shadow and light- you can create mystery for your subject. It is an effective way to photograph actors, musicians or any other character. All it has to do is fit the specific ambiance that you want to create, or follow the brand vision you have from your client.

Which do you prefer? Let me know!