Shedding Light on Low Key Photography

This time I am sharing with you my photos about a style of photography that I just recently discovered. It is called Low Key Photography.

Google defines Low Key (photography/art) as having a predominance of dark or muted tones. This style makes use of dark or black backgrounds and lighting effects to create contrasts to make a scene dramatic and mysterious. The subject is either lit entirely or selectively to cast shadows that adds a darker mood to the photo. The tricky part is on how to properly manipulate both the lighting and the subject to achieve the look. In terms of lighting, I prefer artificial light because it is easy to control. I think it would be difficult to produce a dark background when there is abundance of natural light.

Just like Flat Lay, Low Key is one of the styles of photography that I am fond of shooting but was clueless of its name. Actually, some of the photos below were taken before I even discovered the term.

I came across with the term Low Key through a post in one of the Facebook groups that I am a member of. It was actually a daily photo challenge and the theme was Low Key. I had no idea what it was so I had to ask Google for help and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here are five of my Low Key Photos in black and white:

“Naphtali”

“Rick Eye”

“Janine”

“Doleful Puppy”

“Leap of Faith”

Black and white may be the more popular choice because it intensifies the contrast and emphasizes the shadows, but sometimes it is fun to play with colors. Check my colored Low Key shots below.

“Fist Be With You”

“Nokia 01:09”

“Pliers for Liars”

“Yellow Scratcher”

“Globe”

 

All photos were shot using my LG V20 and were then enhanced using the mobile editing app Snapseed.