A high-key photo is basically white on white. This style of photography conveys a feeling of lightness and clarity. Exposing for this is fairly easy. With an in camera meter, you can measure the light hitting a white area, and open up two stops - such as changing the aperture from ƒ11 to ƒ5.6. Exercise: Put a large piece of white paper or white fabric on a table beside a large north facing window, place an egg in the middle. Take a picture with the whatever exposure the in camera meter suggests. You may have to use a tripod to keep the camera still if the shutter speed is too slow. You can also shoot a fair-haired person in light clothing against a light coloured background for a "high key portrait." Next, meter off a white area and open up two stops - as described at the top of the this page. Compare the images.You can also use a hand held meter to measure the light hitting the subject, which will be more accurate than the in-camera meter.
3rd Grade
Answer the 3rd Grade Quiz
