Day: May 25, 2024

A couple of my (now diminishing) group of working photographers was sitting round a table the other day, as we occasionally do. Discussions rarely move away from something photographic, as you’d expect.
One question that always comes up. “Whatchaworknon”? It used to be the catch-cry many years ago, but sadly, I think, we have pretty much accepted status quo, and just work away at what we are familiar with. The cool part of the “What” is ideas often cross-pollinate, or someone has been trying out this or that technique and their insights perhaps help problem solve.

Anyway, as it turned out, the big topic of the day was High Key portraits and Food photography -or product photography, in general.

High Key gives that ‘breathless ‘ feel of bright, light and energetic. It is at one level, a particularly challenging mode. The whites have to stay white, the mid-tones need to go to the lighter end, the shadows need to have a lovely pliable mellowness to them, bordering on the translucent. Or as someone once said, “Diaphanous” Bet that sent you to Uncle google.

And. It’s all about the light, and for us studio/product photographers with a grand studio, plenty of available light (as in every light available) it can be wonderful to work against one of those curved, endless horizon Cyclorama walls, or (cheaper) white fabric or backdrop.
I used to know a photographer who specialised in promo work for vehicle manufacturers. He converted an old warehouse into a huge Cyc wall so that even a prime-mover could fit in through the roller door, directly on to the set.
As an aside, he had to repaint the floor after each shoot to remove the tire tracks.:-)

But, for birds, well, we get it for free. Just ask anyone who’s been out lately in the foggy overcast atmospherics, that we euphemistically call, ‘weather’. Now the challenge is white bird on white backdrop. Hard to get the right exposure, and even harder to keep just enough form, shape and texture detail to prevent the feathers disappearing into the backdrop.
Easier to sit around a table, with a coffee at Gerry’s and talk about highkey.

I love Ibis. I know they get a bad rap from the press. But as a young kid roaming the irrigation channels of the river country, Ibis were everywhere, and never seemed to be a problem in the town. Perhaps the human condition of disposing of everything unwanted has been the real cause and not the bird’s need to find a meal.

This one swept into a small pondage where we were looking for Grebes.
It’s hard to explain the whiffling motion as they work out the suitable landing spot.

This one really wanted to get the best view of the pond.

Enjoy.