Yongnuo YN-565EX ETTL Speedlite Flash for Nikon Review. If you’re a photographer and you shoot on location chances are you’re going to have the opportunity to use a speedlight flash from time to time.
My first speedlight was a Nikon SB600, and then I bought the SB800 and finally an SB 900/910. The latter currently goes for $546.95! That’s a lot of money for a small battery operated flash. As a matter of fact you can get this Elinchrom BRX 250 Studio Strobe for only $524.99. I know that smaller electronics usually cost more than larger ones, but the cost of speedlights has always been a mystery to me. Initial Impressions For almost a quarter of the price of my professional speedlight I really wasn’t expecting very much in terms of quality. The Bottom Line My only concerns are those that have been voiced by others that have used Yongnuo speedlites. The question you’re asking right now is, “should I get one?” The answer to that is probably yes. You can get the Yongnuo YN-565EX ETTL Speedlite Flash here for Nikon and here for Canon.
Lighting - High Key and Low Key. After discussing contrast at a very top level view, I would like to introduce two twins, closely related to contrast – High Key and Low Key.
Both High Key images and Low Key images make an intensive use of contrast, but in a very different way. When approaching a shoot of a dramatic portrait, the decision of making it a High Key, Low Key or “just” a regular image has great impact about the mood that this picture will convey. While High Key images are considered happy and will show your subject as a tooth-paste poster; Low Key portraits are dramatic and convey a lot of atmosphere and tension. Let’s explore those two dramatic lighting alternatives. When looking at a High Key picture, you will probably notice two things right away.
The other noticeable feature of High Key images is the lack of contrast. A third feature, that need closer attention to notice is the lack of shadows in the picture. 12 Dramatic Low Key Black & White Portraits. The following two tabs change content below.
I'm Rob, the editor of Light Stalking. I try to keep this ship on course. Low key photography is associated with having high contrast with minimal highlight. Often the lighting will be just enough to outline the subject though that often varies. The main benefit of low key photographs is that they convey an incredibly dramatic effect by maximizing shadow and darkness. We are sure you will agree that the effect can be incredible. The low key black and white portraits almost made us shiver. 103 by Steph Carter. Heard Hard by Bukutgirl. The Invisible Black Backdrop - Photography Technique. Over the past few weeks in preparation for the launch of my new ‘InSight Photography Workshop’ I’ve been running ‘testers’ (mini workshops) with groups of photographers to teach a range of lighting techniques and also to get brutal honest feedback.
One of the techniques I’ve been teaching has become affectionately knows as ‘The Invisible Black Backdrop’ and without doubt has proven to be one of the most popular techniques amongst attendees. So, this got me thinking…why not write a tutorial, post it on the blog and then encourage those who give it a go to submit their photographs? …I mean, what better way to judge your teaching than by seeing the results achieved by others? So…what is the ‘Invisible Black Backdrop’? Well as the saying goes ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ so here’s what I mean: So, how do we achieve the ‘Black Backdrop’?
How to Create Dark Moody Low-Key Portraits with Minimal Gear. A Post By: Nick Fancher To paraphrase Samuel L.
Jackson in Jackie Brown, “Grids: when you absolutely, positively got to kill every lumen in the room, accept no substitutes.” Do you have a room or environment that you want to appear black? You don’t even need a black backdrop or the dark cover of night to create a dark, dramatic scene. All you need is a flash, a grid and enough space to allow your subject to be at least 5-10 feet away from any walls. The scene: If you want to black out your environment to create dark moody low-key images, look for shaded areas with enough space to allow at least 5-10 feet between your subject and the background.
The raw file: If you look closely, you will see that there is a bit of background detail, which can be easily eliminated in Lightroom. It was a particularly windy day that I photographed ballerina Kristie Latham. The final shot: Kristie is now completely isolated in the void. The setup: This scenario took place in a basement. The final shot. Low-Key Photography for Beginners – Enter the Dark Side. Low-key photography is a terrific challenge for both the novice and the experienced.
It is a very simple technique that brings instant drama to an image but could take a lifetime to master. Like most other forms of photography, it is all about illumination and elimination.