Image Bank - High Key Lighting

High key lighting is used a lot in beauty, fashion and advertising. This is because the photographer is aiming to make the subject or object look extremely appealing to the viewer. This is achieved through a plain white background and very bright lighting; the object/subject will then stand out from the whole picture, eliminating any distractions. In the first picture, it is clear that the photographer was aiming to show off the eyes of his subjects, which is why he used white feathers to hide the rest of the lady's face - he didn't think a blank background would be enough as it wouldn't get rid of the rest of her face. In the third picture, the colour of the cat and its healthy fur. Its eyes are also a big focus and because the whole scene is white, there is a huge contrast shown between the ginger cat and the white in the background - this causes the animal to really stand out.

In the fifth picture, colour is used in a bold way, the red lipstick matches the red flower and contrasts with the green stem, which contrasts with the woman's fair skin, which then contrasts with the bright white background. Although more than one colour is included in this photograph, the viewer's eyes are most likely to go straight to the red lips; this is because the red is the boldest colour in this picture and is highlighted through the use of the other colours, which all compliment each other and help each other stand out, showing contrast.