High Key Imaging

[Benji]

The term HIGH KEY is being thrown around on numerous web sites, so I believe we should first establish exactly what a high key image is. Since the advent of Photoshop and the internet, the definition of what a high key image is has seemed to have virtually overnight evolved into any image that is overexposed, or has a white background, or an image in which the subject is wearing white clothing, or any combination of any or all of the above. So I turned to Norman Phillips' book Lighting Techniques For High Key Portrait Photography for a definitive definition, and I quote, "High key is the term used to describe photographs with white or bright backgrounds and usually with bright lighting situations that render subjects in a light tone similiar to that of the background. The ultimate high key portrait is one in which the background is a clean white and the subjects are also attired in white. High key exists wherever the predominant tones in the image are somewhat brighter than the middle key."

The middle key in the digital world is 128 which is 18% gray and is exactly 1/2 way between pure black "0" and pure white "255."

Kenneth Hoffman in his internet article on High Key Photography states: In photography [High key] can easily be acheived by choosing elements of a white or pastel color placed on a white or very light background."

From DIY Photography.net. "To create a high key image you need to set your exposure levels to a high degree but watch out not to overexpose. High key images lack contrast and also there is a lack of shadows in the picture."

About.com Photography says, "High key pictures [can] contain small areas of dark tones, for example in the iris of the eyes in a portrait."

New York Institute of Photography Dictionary of Photography says under High Key: "A photograph made up entirely of tones above the middle tone with no heavy shadows."

Lastly a definition from the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (UK) and the British Professional Photographer's Association."High key-A scene with delicate tones or pastel colors. A photograph which contains large areas of light tones with few middle tones or shadows."

So according to the above, a high key image must have:
1-A white or very light pastel background.
2. Subjects(s) dressed in white or light pastel clothing.
3. Little or no contrast.
4. Very light (if any) shadows.
5. Few middle tones.

A high key image will not have:
1. Any overexposure of the subject.
2. Any areas below the middle tone except for small areas like the iris of the eyes.

The quintessential high key portrait image is a bride in a white gown on a white background. In my first image below everything falls above 128 except for her pupils, the green leaves of her bouquet, and the shadow on the left side of her face. The second image is a true high key image.

If you type in high key photography into any search engine you will find lots of photographers calling high contrast images high key, and overexposed images being called high key, but these are not true traditional high key images. I have posted examples of these images below.

You don't have to put more light onto the background than what is on the subject (my high key bride's background was lit by spill from the main and one small background light) but for a pure white background you will need to.

The question is, how much light is required to make a background pure white and how is it done? There are numerous ways. Most photographers start with a white background and put one or more lights onto it to overexpose it (overexposed when compared to the exposure used on the subject.) If you are shooting a head and shoulders image you will not need as elaborate a lighting system when compared to what is used for a full length image. For a head and shoulders high key background simply place a flash unit behind the subject aimed at the (white) background and make sure it meters about one and 2/3rds of a stop more than the shooting aperture and the correct exposure for the subject's skin. Obviously in any type of portraiture (except high contrast) the aperture of the camera must match the meter reading of the main light, otherwise you will wind up with an overexposed subject.

Here is how I do my high key images. My high key camera room has a white ceiling and black walls. The black walls prevent my background light(s) from striking them and bouncing light off of them and affecting my fill light exposure, and also the shadows on my subject. Some light does bounce off of the ceiling so I use it as my hair light. My fill light reading with the fill and background lights both on is F 5, and my main light reads F 8 (with the dome pointed toward the main light only.) My background lights read F 10 at the subject. I take ALL meter readings at the subject, so for my background light reading I place the dome of the meter right beside the cheek of the subject aimed at the background and I take my reading. I don't really care what the reading is on the background I only care what it is beside the subject. It must be between one and one and 2/3rds of a stop brighter than what the main light reading is (your white background may differ from mine so do your own tests.) If you put three or more stops of light onto the background than what is needed you will get ghosting on the edges of the subject. So with the main light reading at F 6.3 and the camera aperture set at F 6.3 (for properly exposed skin) and the background light metering at F 10 (1 and 2/3rds of a stop more than the main light reading) the background will be overexposed (255) which is white no detail. The difference between F 6.3 and F 10 is 1 and 2/3rds of a stop.

Benji

[Benji]

This is an overexposed high key image. What makes it a high key image is the white background and pink and white clothing, NOT the overexposure.

[Benji]

Another high key image. Note that all of her clothing is white, even down to her shoes and the prop is white.

I lit the background seperately on this image.

Benji

[Benji]

Here is a shot of my high key camera room. It is 16 feet wide by 20 feet long. The linoleum is 13 x 14. Note the background lights don't illuminate the front five or six feet of the floor. This is where I pose the subject. The main light is then feathered toward the front of the subject and the hot spot of the main light carries on the overexposure started by the background lights so the area in front of the subject is also pure white. Sometimes (especially if the subject is large) I will need to, in Photoshop, lightly dodge the area in front of the subject to maintain whiteness in that area. Note that the left wall is painted black. I have a roll of black seamless on the wall at right. I can roll it up and use that wall as a white background with the subject leaning against it and not overexpose her hair like it would if I leaned her against the back wall. I can also roll it up 1/2 way and allow the bounced background light to act as a kicker light on that side.

Benji

[Benji]

Here is a shot of the three flash units aimed up into a 16 x 2 x 2 foot rectangular hole in the ceiling. I lined it with aluminum foil. I laid down on my back and shot straight up to get this shot. The white area at the bottom is the ceiling and the top is the background (linoleum glued backwards on the wall and floor and painted white with latex house paint.)

Benji

[Benji]

Here is another view of the flash units. I stood back about six feet and shot upwards. The area at the bottom is the back wall, the top area is the ceiling.

Benji

[Benji]

This image is not a true high key image even though the background is white and her clothing is pastel because the prop is black and the shadows are fairly dark.
Benji

[Benji]

Here is what a pure white background looks like if there is no additional light added to it. This is the exact background as the image above, except the background lights were not turned on.

Benji

[Benji]

This is a high contrast black and white image.

Benji

[peterst6906]

Thanks Benji,

Typical of your style of tutorial - clear, concise, with all the information needed to understand it; and well written.

Nice shots of your flash setup for the background too.

Regards,

Peter