With Fabs last blog entry, actually our first and only, but soon to be followed by second, Greg Barsh suggested discussing high key images. Thought it was a great idea and here we go !!

 

Link to sample high key image http://1x.com/photo/653152/all:user:127901

 

I enjoy seeing high key images as much as I enjoy making them. The right conditions are needed to produce such an image, they can't be forced and many times it is the only option. The example came from Sanibel Island in the Florida West Coast, during a bright heavy overcast day. Trying anything different would have not yielded a good image. A conventional image would have had a gray sky with an under exposed bird. The wind was blowing hard making flight images easier.

 

For this image all you needed was a bird flying overhead, setting the aperture in manual mode and compensating + 2 2/3 stops. Histogram will look peculiar since you see the entire sky blown, totally correct, and only the bird well exposed. We were photographing from a pier but if you try the same from the beach with the bird hovering over the sand, the exposure compensation will be less than + 2 2/3 since there will be a strong reflection from the sand right up to the bird. My linked image had the bird flying over water.

 

Just wanted to get the topic started with this example. You do not need a white bird with cloudy skies for high key image, many other ways can be made. Suggestions, comments and ideas would be appreciated. I think this is a topic which will benefit all and personally looking forward to learning a few things.

 

al

You can also have high key images with dark subjects. If you are working against the light and you want to expose the subject correctly, you have no choice but to blow the background. Sorry, you do have another choice, for a totally different look: Expose for the background and light your subject with flash. But that will not be a high key images, which is what we are discussing here.

Example:

 

http://1x.com/photo/655254/all:user:146947

 

Female Anhinga calling, Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park.

Couldn't let Al and Fabs be the only contributors to this topic!

 

In other genres, high-key seems to work well to convey a mood that is high-tech and modern (think Apple) or fresh and naive (think commercial shots of babies in baskets). For Nature, I think it's more challenging--not to capture and present a high-key image--but to find a subject and setting in which a high-key choice enhances and/or adds to the impact/message. Bright backgrounds tend to isolate the subject (good) and remove environmental context (usually not so good).

 

Here's an attempt (not very successful) to use high-key to convey a sense of youth:

http://1x.com/photo/655511/group:8

 

juvenile Great Blue Heron (would probably have been better to catch this one as a fledgling rather than juvenile).

 

 

Hi Greg Thanks for the Topic Suggestion !!!

 

Like your example, exposed for the background, would have given a much bluer image and a dark bird. Some photographers choose to expose for the background then use fill flash for the bird. I think this approach is more natural.

 

Usually when I go high key, all the whites are totally blown in the background. A bit more radical but as I mentioned on the first post, its all dictated by conditions.

 

Glad you posted a Juvi rather than adult or fledgling :) They do seem to have more character !!!

 

Thanks for the contribution and have a couple other ideas in the back of my head :)

 

al

I personally like extreme high key as an artistic tool. Unfortunately I am in a minority on this and rarely get to see it.

I just now received permission from the photographer to link to his photo: http://1x.com/photo/644275/all:user:108103.

My thanks to Veli Aydogdu!.

I suspect that I will humbly submit something of mine to the WT.

Best Regards to All,

Leigh

 

 

Hi Leigh I love them also, just find them so difficult to make. Still trying at every opportunity. Gorgeous example you posted, everything melts into white !! Fine looking Persian kitty !!!

 

btw I did see a couple during curation yesterday and favored both, very well done and appealing.

 

Best Wishes

al

This week's theme has me happier than a pig in ....... well, very happy. Leigh

 

................. :) will be fun !!!!