CREATE HIGH KEY IMAGES
Make the most of highlights to shoot bright and airy minimalist scenes
When it comes to black and white images there is a significant difference in the most effective style for each scene. One approach does not fit all conditions, and just as with the choice to convert to monochrome or leave it in colour, the style of black and white exposure and processing must be tailored for the scene currently being studied.
As such, low-key lighting will not fit all types of landscape or lighting. In these cases we can try adjusting our low-key approach to make exposure more appropriate for the scene, or alternatively we can instead consider inverting the settings and trying our hand at high-key lighting.
Just as low key uses shadows to best effect, the high-key approach exploits the highlights. Originally used as a method of reducing contrast on a set or location to avoid tones falling outside of the dynamic range of the filmstock, high-key images can almost be considered overlit, since they remove shadows almost entirely.
In the natural landscape we can introduce this effect by biasing the exposure towards the upper midtones and highlights. In some cases this may even result in the loss of retrievable details in the brightest highlights. While this is something we are widely taught to avoid at all costs, for our purposes here it can be advantageous. A bright white background adds a ‘blank canvas’ aspect that works to increase the visibility of other landscape features.
The key concept when attempting a style such as this is to clearly communicate your intent, especially when shooting a subject that is often approached in a highly formulaic way, such as a landscape. If your shot is to appear overexposed this must be your goal from the outset, and it must be evident that it is an intentional creative decision, not a miscalculation in exposure.
By pushing the shadow/highlight balance to the extremes we can give our images a bright lifestyle-type atmosphere. This can greatly benefit minimalist scenes or juxtapose those that usually display strong colour and detail, producing a surprising and intriguing tonality to a shot.