How to take a high key and low key image?
How can I take a high key and low key image?
My current equipment are:
Nikon D5000
Nikon 18-55mm kit lens
Sigma 70-300mm DG Macro
and nothing else.
Please give me some hints.
And can I take it outdoors? How?
"Key" means main light.
High-Key means high-lighting (low contrast). The subject, background, and entire photograph are all lit about the same. Low-Key means low-lighting (high contrast). Only part of the subject is illuminated, thereby creating somewhat of a moody photo.
A person with light coming from one side of their face, with the other side of the face in shadows is an example of low-key lighting.
You will need up to 3 studio strobes or flashes, stands, tripods, or other methods of placing them, and a method of remote triggering them, and a means to change their relative light output.
For your D5000, you may wish to look at a SU-800 wireless flash commander, then two or three SB-600 or SB-700 flashes. The SB-700 can take the place of the SU-800 as it has wireless flash commander built in (the SB-600 doesn't though). But all flashes should be off-camera, so you would have to use a TTL flash cable (they are available up to 10ft) to control the flash you use as the wireless remote commander (to control the other flashes) with the camera.
Your D5000 does not have remote flash commander capability, so you have to get the SU-800, which is a wireless flash commander, or something similar.
Here is a great video on high-key and low-key lighting, showing where to position the lights, how to set their intensity, and so on: