Shoot a moody low-key portrait

Shut out the ambient light to plunge the backdrop in deep shadows, and use a flashgun to light your subject for an atmospheric portrait

Low-key portraits make the most of dark tones and shadows to create drama and atmosphere. Unlike high-key photography, which requires plenty of natural or artificial light, a low-key shoot requires very little. The backdrop needs to be mostly hidden in the shadows, while particular features on the subject are illuminated to make them stand out. This means that when you're shooting low-key portraits you don't need much in the way of lighting kit ­ a single flashgun mounted off-camera will be adequate. Some D-SLRs, such as the 60D, 600D and 7D, have an Integrated Speedlite Transmitter, which enables you to fire a compatible external flash via the camera's pop-up flash. If your camera doesn't have this feature you'll need a wireless flash trigger, which is mounted on your camera's hotshoe.…

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