Low-key lighting at home

Low-key Lighting at Home

You're joining me in my studio, where I'll be showing you how to shoot a flower arrangement using low-key lighting. This is a technique that creates lighting conditions much like that painted by the Dutch masters.

In My Kit

• Camera
• 50mm lens
• Tripod
• Cable release
• A1 black poly boards

Settings

When photographing a floral arrangement, always work out which part you will focus on - it should be an element that's very clearly defined, such as the largest or brightest flower. Because I want the background to be soft, I have gone for a wider aperture of F/5.6 for a reasonably shallow depth of field. I am set to ISO 64 with a shutter speed of 1/2.

Low-key Lighting

Reminiscent of 'The Dutch Masters' style of lighting, low-key lighting is a technique that uses a very small amount of light. It's a really easy way to shoot at home, as all you need is a small window, preferably north facing, and some pieces of black foam board or fabric. Ideally you want the room to have just one light source, as this will be much easier to control than multiple sources.

To begin, take a shot before you've done anything to control the light. This will give you an idea of what you have to work with and what you need to do.

Controlling Your Light Source

Your light source will most likely be coming from a window, and a curtain is the best way to control the amount of light coming through. You can test the strength of the light by using your hand to see what shadows are created.

Slowly reduce the light source, while still making sure there's enough light falling in a pleasing way onto your subject. With every adjustment, take another picture.

Controlling the Light on the Background

If you want to reduce the light on your background, you can use A1 black poly boards clamped to a stand to block the light. Place the boards as close as possible to the background, angled to block the light coming from the source.

Controlling the Shadows

Having controlled the light from the side of the light source, I am now going to control the light on the opposite side too. Ordinarily, you might use a reflector to bounce more light into the frame, but for this style of photography, I'm going to make the shadows even more dramatic.

Hanging a piece of black velvet beside your subject on the side of the shadows will absorb the light and add more shading to the image. Play around with the positioning until you have your desired effect, going as close to the subject as you can without going into frame.

Suggested Reading

'The Dutch Masters'

Your Assignment

Have a go at creating your own low-key lighting set-up at home. Play around with positioning the black card or material in different places, and observe the effect each movement has on the image.