Whats the best way to set up a "low key" studio shoot?

Question

I can get studio time, theres no technical help...
Any info on how to set it up and why it works. or diagrams and such like things would be of great help

Answer 1

Get a black sheet or a gray sheet something darker and hang it up on your wall somehow. Go to home depot and buy a $10 desk lamp, something that bends . If you want you can get a smaller one put it behind the sheet for a hair light or a back light. And that's all you need. Make sure the subject is lit the way you want with one light you will have a nice shadow make sure you position it so there isn't too much shadow unless thats what you want. If u want no shadows get to lights and light your subject from both sides.

This technique worked for me. I think there should be a class called poorman's photography.

If you need a reflector you can take some cardboard and wrap it in tinfoil. You can make a fill card with cardboard. You can paint it white or find something white like a sheet to cover it.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

1. Low key means that the majority of the exposure values in the picture are below the midline (darker than 18% gray). This generally means a black or dark background.

2. Low key setups are *typically* used with dramatic lighting styles. This means high-ratios of key:fill are used (the key light is much more powerful than any fill). 2 stops of difference between key:fill is a good place to start, and adjust to taste.

3. Especially if the subject has dark hair, separation from the background is often crucial (unless you are specifically trying to fade the subject into darkness). Pay special attention to the shadow side of the face. One option is to use a hair or rim light to brighten the edge of the subject and separate them from the dark background. Another option is to use a low-powered background light to bring up the background just a hint brighter than the shadow side of the subject.

4. The subjects clothing should also typically be dark-toned. One doesn't typically use light clothing for low key shooting, as the light clothes will contrast as much or more with the background than the subject's face. This will draw attention from the face, which should be the center-of-interest for the portrait.

5. Lighting control is crucial here, as is subject-to-background distance. If you are not careful and allow too much of your subject lights to spill onto the background, you may get a lighter-than-desired background, even if you use a black backdrop. Having a decent distance between the subject and the background, and generally using lights at oblique angles to the background (often with grids) will help here.

Hope these tips help!

Answer 3

Hi my suggestion would be to contact a local photographer of a SMALL operation & ask if they would like to have an opportunity to do a few practice shots.

Ask for a few friends or acquaintences to come over to be your models or makeup artists or both.

Supply pizza, wine and fruit as payment.