| Author | Thread |
|
|
06/21/2003 12:12:54 PM · #1 |
I think people are misunderstanding what low-key photography is. Many people think it has to be in black and white. And others think that the picture has to be very very dark.
"Low key pictures concentrate on the darker tones, often conveying an atmosphere of tension or a powerful deep strength. This has sometimes been use for male portraits, though more often a fuller tonal range with hard lighting is used.
Although low key often uses high contrast lighting, most of the subject is likely to be in shadow, with relatively small areas brightly lit."
Taken from: this side
Here is a link that shows the different between low-key and hi-key photos.
"Low level dark tones and shadow densities. A predominantly dark image but correctly exposed."
Taken from: this side
Altough the picture are supposed to be dark they are also supposed to be correctly exposed. |
|
|
|
06/21/2003 12:25:55 PM · #2 |
It would help if we got tutorials for these things before the challenge starts. As is, it's hard to fault people for not knowing something when they weren't told. Of course you can search for low-key online, but you can't really search for black on black and get anything relevant. The pics atleast fit the title/topic of the challenge even if they don't fit the concept exactly.
My high scores are going to those that actually have detail in the shadows though. The pictures that managed to be exposed so as to maintain detail even in the darker areas rather than just blacking out the majority of the frame and leaving a bit of the subject lit... I personally think they fit the challenge best and are harder to execute. |
|
|
|
06/21/2003 12:37:57 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by arnit:
I think people are misunderstanding what low-key photography is. Many people think it has to be in black and white. And others think that the picture has to be very very dark.
"Low key pictures concentrate on the darker tones, often conveying an atmosphere of tension or a powerful deep strength. This has sometimes been use for male portraits, though more often a fuller tonal range with hard lighting is used.
Although low key often uses high contrast lighting, most of the subject is likely to be in shadow, with relatively small areas brightly lit."
Taken from: this side
Here is a link that shows the different between low-key and hi-key photos.
"Low level dark tones and shadow densities. A predominantly dark image but correctly exposed."
Taken from: this side
Altough the picture are supposed to be dark they are also supposed to be correctly exposed. |
last week I posted a page from Tom Ang's digital photography book about this very thing. The problem is this: if, as you say, many people misunderstand it, your score will suffer unless you do what fits the general voters ideal(if you care about such things). I'm sure many people who shot low key colour images, for example, will have lower scores because of it. I've seen comments on others pix "it's too bright to be low key"
lucky there's no money involved, huh?
Pedro |
|
|
|
06/21/2003 01:08:37 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by pedromarlinez:
last week I posted a page from Tom Ang's digital photography book about this very thing. The problem is this: if, as you say, many people misunderstand it, your score will suffer unless you do what fits the general voters ideal(if you care about such things). I'm sure many people who shot low key colour images, for example, will have lower scores because of it. I've seen comments on others pix "it's too bright to be low key"
lucky there's no money involved, huh?
Pedro |
I think part of the confusion comes from the inclusion of "Black on Black" as a title for low-key images. If a newbie (such as myself) were trying to comply with challenge requirements, color wouldn't seem to fit in. I think some of the voting will be influenced by the title of the challenge, although I've changed my viewpoint and not just a few scores as well.
|
|
|
|
06/21/2003 01:21:15 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by kavamama:
Originally posted by pedromarlinez:
last week I posted a page from Tom Ang's digital photography book about this very thing. The problem is this: if, as you say, many people misunderstand it, your score will suffer unless you do what fits the general voters ideal(if you care about such things). I'm sure many people who shot low key colour images, for example, will have lower scores because of it. I've seen comments on others pix "it's too bright to be low key"
lucky there's no money involved, huh?
Pedro |
I think part of the confusion comes from the inclusion of "Black on Black" as a title for low-key images. If a newbie (such as myself) were trying to comply with challenge requirements, color wouldn't seem to fit in. I think some of the voting will be influenced by the title of the challenge, although I've changed my viewpoint and not just a few scores as well. |
you're absolutely right. good for you for going back though... :) |
|
|
|
06/21/2003 01:29:05 PM · #6 |
| thx arnit for the explanation, though I did not enter that challenge it is great to add a new term to my photography vocab. I do think it would of been helpful to submiters and voters to know this before though. |
|
|
|
06/21/2003 01:58:08 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by indigo997:
It would help if we got tutorials for these things before the challenge starts. As is, it's hard to fault people for not knowing something when they weren't told. Of course you can search for low-key online, but you can't really search for black on black and get anything relevant. The pics atleast fit the title/topic of the challenge even if they don't fit the concept exactly.
My high scores are going to those that actually have detail in the shadows though. The pictures that managed to be exposed so as to maintain detail even in the darker areas rather than just blacking out the majority of the frame and leaving a bit of the subject lit... I personally think they fit the challenge best and are harder to execute. |
That's true, but by giving us the challenge, that encourages us to research these things. I have never heard of Leading Lines, until I saw the images from that challenge. I'd heard of the term Negative Space before, but I hadn't really seen it in action until that challenge.
I'm glad we get challenges like these that introduce us to new terms and styles of photography. And just another compliment to all the photographers who entered. I think there is very fine photography in this challenge, despite what scores are given and received. |
|
|
|
06/21/2003 11:24:15 PM · #8 |
There were many good links posted which I checked out and I thank you. They were great. My attempts were not great. I had to laugh. I got way too many low-lights when I wasn't trying to achieve a low-light. When I tried, they looked really bad. Very dark, grainy, not clear, all of the above...
|
|
|
|
06/21/2003 11:49:32 PM · #9 |
I agree with dsidwell, I love challenges like this that force you to learn the "style" of the challenge and then give it your best shot. Like a lot of people in this challenge my score is relatively low, and I have only 2 comments which don't tell me anything I did wrong. One comment mentions that I get a 3 and then posts a link that has ONE paragraph describing low-key! LOL.
Well I did a little more research then this, and read several pages and found that "low-key" is much more then just black and white tones at "18% grey, blah blah blah". "Low-key" can have color, and doesn't even need to have black/grey tones. I think that the problem was the "Black on Black" and then mentioning "Low-Key" also. This confused a lot of people that just figured "Low-Key" = "Black on Black" (ie. no color), but it's two different things I think.
|
|
|
|
06/22/2003 06:19:52 AM · #10 |
If enough people feel so strongly about the wording of the challenge being in conflict, then don't you have the option of petitioning the site council and administrators to have the whole challenge scrapped? It was an extra challenge afterall. Guess I'll tick someone else off now, will I? You probably already know my opinion on the challenge.....so I won't go there.
Owen
|
|
|
|
06/22/2003 10:08:28 AM · #11 |
i figure, since it's just a weekly challenge, for no prize other than bragging rights, we'll just chalk it up as a learning experience :)
|
|
|
|
06/22/2003 11:02:59 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by magnetic9999:
i figure, since it's just a weekly challenge, for no prize other than bragging rights, we'll just chalk it up as a learning experience :) |
Just wish we were learning more about photography than psychology or syntax. |
|
|
|
06/22/2003 11:46:43 AM · #13 |
true. but it's not like this particular problem happens every week. this might be the first time there's been such a disconnect between challenge title and description.
but you know, no one's perfect; even drew and langdon can make a mistake once in awhile .
no one will even remember this a few days from now, so i don't get why people are so affected in the short term by these things :)
|
|
|
|
06/22/2003 11:51:57 AM · #14 |
Yes my zen master...I will chill out and take a vicotin.
|
|
|
|
06/22/2003 12:26:05 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by arnit:
I think people are misunderstanding what low-key photography is. Many people think it has to be in black and white. And others think that the picture has to be very very dark.
"Low key pictures concentrate on the darker tones, often conveying an atmosphere of tension or a powerful deep strength. This has sometimes been use for male portraits, though more often a fuller tonal range with hard lighting is used.
Although low key often uses high contrast lighting, most of the subject is likely to be in shadow, with relatively small areas brightly lit." |
Since you PM'ed me with this exact text, you must think I've commented on your shot in a way not consistent with it. This is incorrect. I did comment on a few shots (since I don't know, and don't particularly want to know till voting's over, which yours is, I can't be specific) that white was far too predominant or that the main feel was grey, or that it was overall brighter than I'd like to see for a low-key, black-on-black challenge. However, the definition you quote was one of my primary criteria for judging what was and was not low-key (the other being the 'color ranges from black to 18% grey' one someone quoted here in the forums before).
Originally posted by arnit:
Here is a link that shows the different between low-key and hi-key photos. |
I'm afraid that in my mind neither the bird photo nor the flower photo is actually 'low-key' to me -- just because it says it is on a website doesn't mean it's not wrong. They're both DRAMATIC, but that's not the same thing. To me, a perfect example of low-key are the egg and dancer photos that were posted before the challenge, as well as some like this:
//images.dpchallenge.com/images_challenge/72/13494.jpg
However, photos like this one below are, to me, not as low-key or as 'on-topic' for this particular challenge, even if they're beautiful images:
//images.dpchallenge.com/images_challenge/72/13380.jpg
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/29/2025 06:39:08 PM EDT.
