High key pictures - DPChallenge Forums

08/26/2004 08:11:35 AM · #1

Hey I have been looking for some informations and help about high key pictures but havent found anything
Anybody know about links or something?

mrorange002

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

08/26/2004 08:13:41 AM · #2

hi-key vs. low key
about.com
hi key with fiberglass

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 08:16:02.

08/26/2004 08:20:05 AM · #3

Thanks for the links
So high key picture does not need to be overexposured?
I´m a bit confused
I guess then you can call bright pictures high key
Would this be a high key picture?

Anybody got any examples(pictures)
Of a good high key picture?

08/26/2004 08:26:49 AM · #4

Hey Heida... check out my posts in this thread. I think there is a lot of confusion about what "high key" means, and it does not mean "overexposed"... it just means that the vast majority of the tones in the photograph are above middle gray (including the shadows) while still maintaining detail in the brightest areas. This is much different from the "fashion blowout" look that a lot of people think is "high key". There is a link in one my posts to a decent book on high key portrait photography.

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 08:30:09.

08/26/2004 08:30:07 AM · #5

Thanks a lot Eddy :)

08/26/2004 08:32:56 AM · #6

BTW: I would consider your excellent "Free Spirit" shot "high key". (I even looked at the histogram in Photoshop, and the entire image is almost entirely on the right side. =)

08/26/2004 09:44:09 AM · #7

Heida. High Keys is achieved through shooting something in high key colors (i,.e white)

People often think that they can shoot something colorful and overexpose it to achieve the high key effect - but obviously that doesn't work.

Examples of high key shots would be some porcelain with speckled hens eggs in a white porcelain bowl against an old white flakey wall.

A woman dressed in a white coat against a white background

Etc etc

08/26/2004 09:46:45 AM · #8

Originally posted by Heida:

Thanks for the links
So high key picture does not need to be overexposured?
I´m a bit confused
I guess then you can call bright pictures high key
Would this be a high key picture?

Anybody got any examples(pictures)
Of a good high key picture?

I wouldn't call it a proper high key shot myself. Although it's light it isn't high key. More middle key if ever there was one.

I can't agree with eddy about using a histogram for high key defenition as histograms are only useful in perfect exposure modes.

08/26/2004 09:54:24 AM · #9

High Key made from high key subjects

Just my interpretation.

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 09:54:55.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/26/2004 09:54:58 AM · #10

Hey I tried high key with the actions from the thread

Seems a little flat though?
I dont know what histogram is ... ? hmm

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

08/26/2004 09:57:35 AM · #11

A histogram is a graph (vertical bars) showing how many pixels there are at each brightness value. In Photoshop there's a command under the Image menu.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

08/26/2004 10:01:43 AM · #12

Originally posted by heida:

Hey I tried high key with the actions from the thread

Seems a little flat though?
I dont know what histogram is ... ? hmm

That is a high-key effect rather than a high key photo if you catch my drift.

If you were wearing a white hood with some white makeup then you ca shoot as normal and retain contrast and obtain a highkey shot.

I have one in a book that I will try to scan in and post.

Histogram is handy - it's that graph type thing that appears when you play with the levels in photoshop.

Basically every vertical line represents a number - 0 left to 255 on the right. 0 being black and 255 being pure white.

The more bunched up at the right usually means your image is light > to the left means it's very dark.

You can use it to good effect when shooting a bright scene - making sure you do not go to far right which means you have areas of pure white.

I am sure there must be a histogram on the EOS-10? I presume you also have a 255 warning flash (i.e if you preview your images, it will flash in the areas of pure white to show you blow-outs)

For a better explanation try this page - very worthwhile reading.

Histogram Explanation

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 11:06:55.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

08/26/2004 10:16:12 AM · #13

Here's the histogram of your image:

08/26/2004 10:19:28 AM · #14

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Here's the histogram of your image:

Ok thanks guys
So this histogram means overexposed?

There is warning flash in the camera yeah
this histogram Will it show you if something is overexposed?

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

08/26/2004 10:45:40 AM · #15

I had asked this question over in the self potraits thread, but I see you moved your high key discussion over here.

Anyway ... I like the photo. And I was wondering what it might look like if you brought back some of the blacks.

To try to give you an idea of what I mean, I modified the picture you posted... I'm sure, of course, that you can do a better job of this than I can (talent (!) ... plus access to the source image). But see what you think of this:

Original:

With more blacks:

soup

Canon EOS-30D

08/26/2004 10:49:41 AM · #16

turn on the info function for the LCD preview that will turn on the histogram for image preview and - that histogram will flash any parts that are over exposed ( outside the left of the histogram )
beyond white so to speak

Originally posted by heida:

There is warning flash in the camera yeah
this histogram Will it show you if something is overexposed?

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 10:50:37.

08/26/2004 11:14:22 AM · #17

Originally posted by jonpink:

I wouldn't call it a proper high key shot myself. Although it's light it isn't high key. More middle key if ever there was one.

Well, by my definition of "high key" (the vast majority of tones in the photo above middle gray), it qualifies.

I don't believe that everything in the photo has to be white or even light-colored for it to be high-key. Someone like Heiða can still have a high-key portrait taken of her, even though she has dark hair and eyes. Just the vast majority of tones -- including any shadows -- need to be above middle gray, and detail still needs to be maintained, even in the brightest portion of the image (excluding specular highlights, of course).

That's just my definition of "high key"; somebody else may have one that says high-key is only possible in situations where everything is practically white, but I think if you look in a book about high key photography (like this one) you'll see that is not the most common definition.

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 11:14:37.

kiwiness

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

08/26/2004 11:22:26 AM · #18

I had one go at hi-key portraits last year. But I forgot everything I did to it in photoshop. I really can't remember anything.... Must be getting old :)

Message edited by author 2004-08-26 11:23:27.

08/26/2004 11:26:11 AM · #19

Thanks for putting that picture back up Gary! I very much liked that picture of Katja and was bummed when it got removed from your portfolio! An outstanding photo.

kiwiness

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

08/26/2004 11:32:12 AM · #20

I remember you mentioning something about that in another thread a while back Eddy. I think it was the Dream Suite Plugin thread. This is also the portrait I used Dream Suite on slightly.

08/26/2004 11:37:17 AM · #21

Originally posted by kiwiness:

I had one go at hi-key portraits last year. But I forgot everything I did to it in photoshop. I really can't remember anything.... Must be getting old :)

This one is good you have no idea how you did it ? :o

Originally posted by soup:

I meant the histogram in photoshop
?

whiteroom

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

08/26/2004 11:37:28 AM · #22

tired of burning heida? now you going to be queen of high key too?
:)

08/26/2004 11:38:23 AM · #23

Originally posted by goodman:

tired of burning heida? now you going to be queen of high key too?
:)

I think its about time to learn more stuff :)

08/26/2004 11:40:09 AM · #24

Originally posted by dwterry:

Thanks for taking the time David
I think it looks much better with more blacks :)