Shot this Great Egret against a boring white sky and I thought it could be a good candidate for a B&W High Key image.
This is what I got, but I feel there is something missing.
A very interesting approach. I love it and I think the high-key treatment really brings out the otherwise fairly plain feeling that white-sky images often have. A couple thoughts:
- I think the bright look works but I think the faded blacks don't go as well with it. Perhaps lowering the black level could be an interesting experiment
- I would also lower the black level in the pupil
- I am also wondering if the tonal range in the egret itself became a little flattened due to pushing the tones quite high. Perhaps enhancing the tonal contrast in the egret will give it a little more punch without sacrificing the overall look
- Slight critique of pose: the right wing passes through the curve on the neck/back, breaking up the form.
JasonTheBirder wrote:
A very interesting approach. I love it and I think the high-key treatment really brings out the otherwise fairly plain feeling that white-sky images often have. A couple thoughts:
- I think the bright look works but I think the faded blacks don't go as well with it. Perhaps lowering the black level could be an interesting experiment
- I would also lower the black level in the pupil
- I am also wondering if the tonal range in the egret itself became a little flattened due to pushing the tones quite high. Perhaps enhancing the tonal contrast in the egret will give it a little more punch without sacrificing the overall look
- Slight critique of pose: the right wing passes through the curve on the neck/back, breaking up the form....Show more →
Thanks Jason. Your input is very much appreciated.
It is the level of the black/middle tones I have been struggling with. And I can see I did push the white level too much. The intent was to impart an airy feeling. But I can see the subject looks kind of flat in my edit.
Your point about the pose made me think that maybe that is one of the reasons I was not happy with the results. Glad you mentioned it. I have the whole sequence of this Egret IF transitioning from a blue sky to a white one. So, I chose a different pose and that has helped.
I am still looking for that dreamy, ethereal mood, and to my eyes the darker tones are helping, which has allowed me to push more the ethereal effect I was looking for.
Here is what I came up with. I like this better, and I can know “feel” the image. Something I was missing in my first edit.
I know “ethereal” is not for everybody, but that was the vision I had when I saw the image. What do you think?
Camperjim wrote:
I would consider the opposite direction and darken the subject.
Thanks, Jim. You are right.
Yeah, an image will get more impact when opposite tonal values are present. So, some dark pixels in a high key photo can make the photo much more interesting.
Unfortunately, my subject lacks texture, so you cannot go too far with contrast.
I believe you need to have the right BG and the right subject for this kind of photography, not something you can really plan. One thing I like about high key images is the positive, calm mood that imparts and that pencil sketch look. .
Shasoc wrote:
Thanks Jason. Your input is very much appreciated.
It is the level of the black/middle tones I have been struggling with. And I can see I did push the white level too much. The intent was to impart an airy feeling. But I can see the subject looks kind of flat in my edit.
Your point about the pose made me think that maybe that is one of the reasons I was not happy with the results. Glad you mentioned it. I have the whole sequence of this Egret IF transitioning from a blue sky to a white one. So, I chose a different pose and that has helped.
I am still looking for that dreamy, ethereal mood, and to my eyes the darker tones are helping, which has allowed me to push more the ethereal effect I was looking for.
Here is what I came up with. I like this better, and I can know “feel” the image. Something I was missing in my first edit.
I know “ethereal” is not for everybody, but that was the vision I had when I saw the image. What do you think?
Better, I think. Not exactly mainstream, but I think the point is to be deliberate and intentional, and the newer one has a better feel of intent to it. I like the idea. I do think the darker band on the underwings is a bit dark and soft and takes a bit too much away from the softness of the rest of the bird, and I'd be careful about the left wing outermost feather which is quite faint and hard to see. I'd keep experimenting with this style and I do enjoy the pose more here without that intersection. Nice work!
JasonTheBirder wrote:
Better, I think. Not exactly mainstream, but I think the point is to be deliberate and intentional, and the newer one has a better feel of intent to it. I like the idea. I do think the darker band on the underwings is a bit dark and soft and takes a bit too much away from the softness of the rest of the bird, and I'd be careful about the left wing outermost feather which is quite faint and hard to see. I'd keep experimenting with this style and I do enjoy the pose more here without that intersection. Nice work! ...Show more →
Thanks for the comments, Jason.
This is my first attempt to high key images and I will definitely keep experimenting with this style.
I have done some research on line, but I found contrasting statements. I think this kind of photography is more about creativity then capturing what is in front of you. And I have seen some beautiful high key images that speak better than anything else.
This is my first attempt to high key images and I will definitely keep experimenting with this style.
I have done some research on line, but I found contrasting statements. I think this kind of photography is more about creativity then capturing what is in front of you. And I have seen some beautiful high key images that speak better than anything else.
Socrate
High key is absolutely a creative approach in concept ... vs. a technical recording.
Imo, the concept of high key vs. low key is inline with the concept of noir. I say, that to mean that the point (imo) of high key (referencing the higher exposure levels of key lighting, relative to a "normal" key lighting exposure) or low key (inversely) to create a mood from that differs from the "normal" or "correct" exposure of the key light.
Because normal exposure is predicated on middle grey (looking like middle grey), the brighter key light can move middle grey into the whites / lighter tones by having a greater amount of exposure of the key light. Again, this is definitely a creative (vs. technical recording capture) choice that is often associated to the mood / intent of the message desired to be conveyed.
That's not to say that it is necessarily overexposed, but that the tonal range has been moved. Part of the decision that goes along with that is not only how much to move things into the whites, etc. ... but, how much do your drag the blacks / shadows up into the middle (or higher) ... vs. do you keep the shadows / blacks a bit lower, while mostly move the mids > whites, etc.
Yeah ... it's creative vs. technical recording. Imo, that's a given, when folks understand the namesake tells it ... high key (high exposure of the key lighting).
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