High-Key portraits - advice needed please.

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Sorby - 25 Oct 2003 23:44 GMT

A friend has seen some lovely B&W high-key portraits and has asked me to
photograph her two young kids in this style.

There's no major pressure - she knows I'm an amateur but isn't too
bothered - if my shots aren't good enough she'll go to the pro's. :o)

Perhaps some of you can help me with a few queries I have please?

1) Do the pros use large expanses of white cloth or paper? Where do they get
it from? Is it expensive?

2) She wants the kids to be shot wearing *white* t-shirts and *dark* blue
jeans - that should be challenging! Any suggestions? And how do I make sure
the white t-shirts don't disappear against the white background!!

3) Finally, I don't have any studio flash or even an hot-shoe mounted
flash!! I don't mind hiring the necessary kit but wonder if there are any
short-cuts using natural light or normal constant lighting?

I'm shooting with an EOS 10D (so will easily be able to compensate for
colour temperature) and will probably use my 50mm f1.8 lense as my other two
lenses are optically inferior.

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks

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Sorby

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journalist-north - 26 Oct 2003 02:02 GMT

> A friend has seen some lovely B&W high-key portraits and has asked me to
> photograph her two young kids in this style.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> 1) Do the pros use large expanses of white cloth or paper? Where do they get
> it from? Is it expensive?

+++ You can get really creative here and try soft draped (white or very
light coloured) fabric for the BG. Probably cheep as well from an remnant
outlet and some "depth" can be styled into the BG that way to offset the
white shirts.

> 2) She wants the kids to be shot wearing *white* t-shirts and *dark* blue
> jeans - that should be challenging! Any suggestions? And how do I make sure
> the white t-shirts don't disappear against the white background!!

+++ White on white? This is a problem like that set for art-photo classes -
think "...shooting a Dalmatian in a snow storm". It has more to do with
composition and modelling and contrasting textures (rather than colours),
and in the final printing of the work, but exposure of the shirts in the
overall frame is critical. You have to concentrate there (on the shirts) for
the image - and in particular BRACKET X5 shots (2 up [-1 and -2] / 1 normal
meter / 2 down [+1 and +2]) or even X7 shots. Film is cheep compared to
managing the post-production corrections - digital is even cheaper. Meter on
a skin tone - the subject's face or the back of your hand - alternately, if
you have one, an 18% grey card then again on a white card to see the spot
differences for compensation purposes.

> 3) Finally, I don't have any studio flash or even an hot-shoe mounted
> flash!! I don't mind hiring the necessary kit but wonder if there are any
> short-cuts using natural light or normal constant lighting?

+++ If you can get the natural light use it. Constant source artificial
light being the next choice.The modelling will be inherently more natural in
natural light (see above). Suggest that you plan to make small fill
corrections using a simple reflector - even a piece of white poster card
will do - but you will need a helper to manipulate it as you observe the
effect. As soon as you get into flash you are in a whole different metering
ballgame.

> I'm shooting with an EOS 10D (so will easily be able to compensate for
> colour temperature) and will probably use my 50mm f1.8 lense as my other two
> lenses are optically inferior.
>
> Any advice gratefully received!

+++ Have a read here about shooting with digital cameras - especially check
out "exposure compensation" http://www.dpreview.com/learn/glossary

> Thanks
>
> Sorby

---------

Journalist

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Sorby - 26 Oct 2003 17:01 GMT

> > A friend has seen some lovely B&W high-key portraits and has asked me to
> > photograph her two young kids in this style.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> outlet and some "depth" can be styled into the BG that way to offset the
> white shirts.

> > Any advice gratefully received!
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Journalist

Thanks for the comprehensive reply. Much appreciated.

--
Sorby

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Michael Quack - 29 Oct 2003 19:40 GMT

> 1) Do the pros use large expanses of white cloth or paper?

For the backdrop? Yes. Or any other bright toned background.
A white wall would do as well.

> Where do they get it from? Is it expensive?

Pro stores with photo backdrops, stores with fabrics
(theater supply), expensive is relative, but given you
are an amateur you possibly consider it expensive, yes.

> 2) She wants the kids to be shot wearing *white* t-shirts
> and *dark* blue jeans - that should be challenging!

No, that is stupid. The concept of high key is bright
tones all over with either flat hard front lighting or
very soft overall lighting - minimize visible shadows.

> And how do I make sure the white t-shirts don't disappear
> against the white background!!

Give the light some direction, make sure the background
is either over or below the kids exposure to make a
difference.

> 3) Finally, I don't have any studio flash or even an
> hot-shoe mounted flash!!

That complicates things....

> I don't mind hiring the necessary kit but wonder if
> there are any short-cuts using natural light or normal
> constant lighting?

http://www.photoquack.de/tutorials/diylights.htm

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Michael Quack <michael@photoquack.de>

http://www.photoquack.de/glamour/1.htm
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Sorby - 31 Oct 2003 22:36 GMT

> > 1) Do the pros use large expanses of white cloth or paper?
>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> http://www.photoquack.de/tutorials/diylights.htm

Michael - thank you very much for taking the trouble to reply.
It is much appreciated. I'll let you know how I get on!

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