5 Tips for Low Key Nature & Wildlife Photography

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

There's something magical about a low-key image - but what is it exactly?

The term "low-key" refers to the lighting used to create striking contrast between the subject and the background. It results in moody, dramatic images where the emphasis is on the subject, often with deep shadows and minimal distractions. It’s a great way to make your subject stand out and evoke strong emotions. If you haven't tried out this style of photography, this post will provide 5 tips for capturing excellent low-key images. 

#1 Lighting

Lighting is the most important factor in low key photography. The goal is to highlight the subject while letting the background fall into the shadows and that isn't always easy to create. The key is being able to identify situations that would lend themselves to low key photography and the hours around sunset and sunrise are ideal as side lighting is very effective in achieving this look. 

Light intensity influences the mood of the image as well. You can communicate different messages, such as mystery, fear, elegance, or suspense - all with light. 

Great Egret hunting at sunset - direct and contrasty light

Jaguar in soft light

#2 Background

As you can see from the examples in this post, a dark or completely black background allows the subject to stand out by creating high contrast between the subject and deep shadows. If you come across a scene where the subject is well lit, but the background is not in shadow, you can try walking around the scene to see if there are any compositions that might allow for a darker backdrop. 

The lighter your subject is, the more leeway you have in choosing a darker background. 

Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird

#3 Depth Of Field

Depth of field is an important tool for creating low key images. By choosing a wide aperture, you can create more separation between the subject and the background. Using a telephoto lens gives you even more compression and allows you to crop out unwanted distractions. If you are taking wildlife portraits, it also gives you much needed distance for safety.

It might be tempting to choose the widest aperture your lens allows but it could cause you to lose sharpness across your subject. Instead, consider stopping down to f8 to ensure sharpness on the parts that matter. 

Bison

#4 Exposure

By slightly under exposing the image, the highlights will be contained and shadows thrown into full darkness, so even something as simple as water and a rock can result in a dramatic image. 

Waterfall at sunrise

#5 Post Processing

Even the best lighting and exposure settings can be enhanced with some post processing. Here are some basic settings you can use to improve even a great low-key capture:

• Increase contrast
• Bring the shadows down 
• Increase the black point
• Add a vignette
• If using Lightroom, select background and apply some or all adjustments above to test out different looks. 

Ferns in the forest

Low-key nature photography can create dramatic images that highlight the subject's textures, colors, and patterns. This technique can be especially effective for wildlife photography. Try out these tips the next time you are out and see what magic you can create!