High Key Headshots in Philadelphia
Photography has grown and expanded so much since its inception over 100 years ago. Along with this is the advancement of technology to support and influence so many facets of this art form. The High Key Headshots in Philadelphia here gives some fine examples how one of those advancements, High Key, has become a standing option for many photographers.
Some history on the start of photography. The first device recognized as a photographic camera was built in 1816 by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.
- The Device: Niépce used a small wooden box equipped with a lens and a piece of sensitive paper to capture images projected by light, a concept adapted from the ancient optical tool called the camera obscura (a darkened room or box that lets light through a tiny hole to show an upside-down picture of the outside).
- The First Photo: Around 1826 or 1827, Niépce used a refined version of his apparatus to create View from the Window at Le Gras, which is the oldest surviving permanent photograph.
- How it Worked: He coated a pewter plate with bitumen of Judea (a type of asphalt) and exposed it to sunlight for several days. The light hardened the asphalt, and unexposed parts were washed away to leave a permanent image. He called this method heliography, meaning “sun drawing”.
- The Maker: Alphonse Giroux built the first commercially manufactured photographic camera in 1839.
- The Daguerreotype: It was created in partnership with Louis Daguerre (Niépce’s former partner) and used metal plates treated with chemicals to shorten exposure times down to minutes instead of days.
In short, high-key images are those that have few shadows and have the subject set against a very bright background. High-key images are often set against over-exposed backdrops. In high-key photos, the average of all the pixels in the image is very bright. High-key is the opposite of low-key images that are defined by their darker tones.
For landscape photography, snowy scenes are some of the best ways to take high-key photos. High-key images also work well in foggy conditions. There will only be a few shadow details in such a photo, while the rest can be bright or even completely white. A high-key photo has a bright, positive feel compared to a dramatic and moody low-key image. Some high-key images, like the one above, can be quite high in contrast. In other cases, like the photo below, high-key photography is used to brighten the entire photo and give a low-contrast, etherial emotion to the photo. This look is common in portraiture, but also works in other situations like snowy landscapes and sand dunes.
- Key light: Use a large softbox or octa modifier in front of or slightly above the subject for gentle light.
- Background light: Light the white seamless paper or fabric separately so it glows pure white.
- Fill reflector: Place a reflector under the subject’s face to bounce light back and lift any remaining shadows.
The advancement of technology has helped to propel the photography world into the enterprise it is today. This photo session, High Key Headshots in Philadelphia, helps to provide examples of this type of photographic ingenuity as it impacts the quality of headshots photography. The work captured here is by award-winning photographer, John Ryan, of J&J Studios of Philadelphia. The photos below show how the high-key approach can benefit the subject being photographed to provide a clear, crisp representation of what the camera lens can capture. Additionally, the High Key Headshots in Philadelphia photo shoot highlights some additional aspects. It shows how other aspects of the process can be implemented to add variety and enhance the mood of a photograph. Changes in lighting, wardrobe, posses, and angle are applied carefully and attentively by John Ryan in the photographs below to achieve what has turned out to be an impressive selection of headshots for the use and appreciation of the subject, whatever he need may be for them.
Headshots now serve more than just a personal memory for someone to share with friends or family. Now it can be used towards building the brand of someone either in a work environment or some other professional representation. Whatever the need, the world of photography can now provide anyone with the the kind of photographs that can be applied for their particular needs, and in the hands of talented and gifted photographers like John Ryan the finished product is always outstanding as displayed here in the High Key Headshots in Philadelphia photo collection.
