Low Key lightning

N

naavt

Well-known member
Hi all,

How do you prefer to achieve Low Key lightning?

a. Lit with the Rims touching almost 100IRE and the fall off shadows somewhat in the mid greys to achieve a higher DR and "underexpose" in the final grading or...

b. Lit the Rims for a mid grey and underexpose the shadows when shooting?

c. Other solutions welcome.

Thanks
 
I think A would probably be a better way to go, as that way you don't have so much noise in the shadows. If you can get your desired effect that way, it's the way to go. Just bring the midtones down in the grading.
 
RyanT said:
...as that way you don't have so much noise in the shadows. If you can get your desired effect that way, it's the way to go. Just bring the midtones down in the grading.
Click to expand...

I also prefer A for that same reason, but many are in favour of underexposing when shooting and it seems that's no consensus on the best way to achieve the look...
 
It really depends on the job. Does it allow time for color correction or are you going to have to shoot as close to what you want as possible? A is the smarter option, but not always possible.

Also, I definitely wouldn't have the rims be lit so far down on the scale if you did do B. Having it at 50 IRE is pretty low. No matter how you shoot, you should always expose to the right. That means something should always always always almost be touching the top of the scale.

Seems like you already understand it, but here's something for those who don't:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposing_to_the_right

Also, I would tend to avoid the light meter if I were you. While it does help to tell you ratios, it does nothing to tell you if you're over or underexposed. We're also not shooting film, so there's a monitor that actually shows you what the given ratio will look like. The digital thing is cool like that. :)
 
5:1 to 6:1 contrast ratio for nice low key, and 8:1 for the noir style of low key...that's how I perfer to have my lighting setup at

Not as important to meter your ratios if you are on digital, as your screen will show you approx. what you have, but I still do anyway. On film it's crucial, even if you have a tap on your camera, as most taps aren't very effective at all (obviously) when it comes to your final exposed image on film
 
RyanT said:
Does it allow time for color correction or are you going to have to shoot as close to what you want as possible? A is the smarter option, but not always possible.
Click to expand...

Yes. Shooting with color correction in mind. For that reason option A always seemed the right choice for me, but from time to time someone comes along to argue that I should underexpose on the set even if the colorist is going to color correct it in post!!!
 
I've shot both methods before, and A definitely yields better results. Cleaner image, more range, and easier to work with in post.

I've noticed B tends to come out of a lack of time, as RyanT alluded to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top