Low Key

[gladesman]

I want to render some images in low key. This means among other tweaks, that I'll need to darken backgrounds and I'm wondering which is the best way to select and invert the subject? Or does anyone have other methods with which to take a properly exposed image and make it low key?

[mistermonday]

You might achieve the effect you desire by adding a Channel Mixer Adjustment layer above the background. Check the Monochrome box. Adjust the sliders (try reducing R and G a lot and raise the B). When done, change the blend mode of that layer to Overlay or one of the other blend modes. You can also play with the opacity to obtain a wide range of adjustment.
Regards, Murray

[gladesman]

Thanks, Murray. I'll give it a go.

Wayne

[William Wilson]

Low key isn't about darkening the background it about lighting the contour of the subject to produce a sense of drama, emphasis say a profile with light skimming over the subject. The egret is a properly exposed subject on a dark background giving a high contrast but not low key.

If you create a contour from one edge of the bird, imagine a very low or angular light source striking one side of the bird rather than from the camera axis like a sliver of light cutting through the foliage or if from above the tree canopy leaving the background you would be closer.

I hope this gives you some ideas on what approach to take.

[William Wilson]

Pardon my crude D&B it's just to show you what's more in keeping with a low key image.

[0lBaldy]

I didn't invert the subject or change the light direction

You might also do something with PWL (Paint With Light)
or
As William said, some D&B (Dodge & Burn) might also serve you well to get a more dramatic effect

using multiply ~ using a plug-in

[gladesman]

I'm not sure that there is any one way of producing low key from normal exposure, at least not in photoshop, but rather there are several methods that lead to it, and its these I'm asking about.

I'm aware of the components of low key lighting from my film/portrait days. Low key possesses all the tonal attributes of a normal exposure, but is more direct when it comes to mood shaping.

I think that to produce low key from my example image it will require shaping the light on both background and subject, although separately. By shaping I mean producing gradated darkened tones.

Appreciate the techniques you all have mentioned, and if there are more I'd like to hear about them.

[0lBaldy]

One more final stab at it from me..

Tis hard going to be pretty difficult getting a Low Key interpretation with such a bright subject against such a dark and contrasty background Good Luck!

I started out getting a good shadow highlight rendition sort of a bright HDR
Then ran a Color range.. selecting Brightness, Midtones, Shadows for each pass and feathered each selection.. then did a curves/levels after each run
Burned the highlights around the bird (branches)
Ctrl+J (Copy layer)
Ctrl+Alt+Tilde to get selection, feathered selection
mask from selection Inverted mask.. darkened shadows on mask
On layer with mask.. darkened bird (curves/levels)
Shft+Ctrl+Alt+N+E (new layer combined all showing)
Ctrl+J (Copy layer)
Channel Mixer as explained by Murray
mode set to difference @26%
Shft+Ctrl+Alt+N+E (new layer combined all showing)
Ctrl+J (Copy layer) Reduce red a bit, invert layer, Overlay mode @26%
Curves Adjustment layer with a B/W Radial Gradient (white center on bird)
Copy of adjuster starting picture brought to top, mode set to luminosity @12%

Plus stuff I probably forgot but this is the essence of my trial and error approach to the results presented here.. which probably ain't even close.. but I had fun!!

Good Luck and looking forward to see YOUR results when you nail it down!!

Start Image ~ Dark N Moody

[William Wilson]

Of course it's difficult to know the posters skill set if you aren't known or have seen your work before, at least you have the background knowledge making it much easier to give advice.

Dark and moody yeah that sums it up painting with light to sculpt the 2D white bird into a low key lighting style is going to be time consuming and might never look convincing I know I tried to improve my effort and ended binning it.

Backlighting was my approach that way you reduce the subject exposure then rerun the edge highlights through a mask. Of course simply doing that and moving the intended light source around the frame wold show where it was best to create the mask giving lots of potential.

Once you know what lighting you are looking for it should be relatively easy using any of the methods to build up the effect. I would leave the background as it is so it wouldn't get totally blocked up a it's pretty well low key as it is

[palms]

Here is a cheat as i personally do not know what makes a
"low key"

used nik color efex 3 low key filter then masked back to the original bird

Nice capture

would of helped if i had attached the image


Palms

[LonK]

Interesting challenge, gladesman.

Something like this perhaps?

[gladesman]

Attached is what I've got so far. First I combined two images from RAW, brushed with a mask and then used Murray's channel mixer idea, overlay, curves to darken, masked hue and saturation, and some D&B.
The second image here is from the Raw with very little PP done on it. The low key effect came from the available lighting. I posted it to show the effect I'm looking for by applying PP to normal images.

I'm convinced that proper low key comes from the lighting itself, but that we can come close to it in photoshop. The easiest images to work with seem to be those with fairly strong directional lighting to start with.

I'm a long way from the finish line, but am sure the answers are in this forum.
What is interesting is these posts that include edge highlighting.

[chillin]

I think most of the adjustments you could do in camera raw editing.

[gladesman]

Originally Posted by chillin

I think most of the adjustments you could do in camera raw editing.

I see what you mean, but it leaves shadows blocked, and there isn't a lot of detail in the highlights, either. Maybe a combination.

[palms]

Originally Posted by gladesman

Attached is what I've got so far. First I combined two images from RAW, brushed with a mask and then used Murray's channel mixer idea, overlay, curves to darken, masked hue and saturation, and some D&B.
The second image here is from the Raw with very little PP done on it. The low key effect came from the available lighting. I posted it to show the effect I'm looking for by applying PP to normal images.

I'm convinced that proper low key comes from the lighting itself, but that we can come close to it in photoshop. The easiest images to work with seem to be those with fairly strong directional lighting to start with.

I'm a long way from the finish line, but am sure the answers are in this forum.
What is interesting is these posts that include edge highlighting.

Love the second shot ( and i have now attached the image ! ! !)

Palms

[gladesman]

Originally Posted by palms1

Love the second shot ( and i have now attached the image ! ! !)

Palms

Yeah, helps to include the image. That's pretty good for a short cut.
Question, how do you attach a web address? So I put it in my signature? Thanks.

[William Wilson]

Top left menu item - User CP > Edit Signature and add your url

[gladesman]

Did it. See if it works.

[palms]

Originally Posted by gladesman

Did it. See if it works.

It works

and nice work from you

Palms

[gladesman]

Appreciate you looking.

[igot2pman]

Just another opinion...

Originally Posted by gladesman

II'm wondering which is the best way to select and invert the subject?

The select color range tool in PS works very well. In the below image, I used it to select the background, the tree, and the bird. I used the selection to make a mask (after selecting ok, you create a mask in the layer desired). After masking, I will mask more to what I want to be shown or not.

Originally Posted by gladesman

Or does anyone have other methods with which to take a properly exposed image and make it low key?

I also made a copy of the image and set it to overlay blending mode.

Adding blacks is a good idea and when used with a mask, it can add total control. I didnt use pure black, I used RGB 2,2,2. Setting the black to Multiply or overlay can also help. Just use the mask.

I added more contrast to the over exposed bird.

Hope it helps,
-Keven