It’s is a new month over at Who We Become and we will be delving into tonality as a means to create or enhance the mood of our images. While not a compositional technique, our goal is to intentionally match the lighting quality in our images with our subject matter. Tonality includes the amount of contrast as well as the qualities of the whites and blacks within an image. For this first week we will be using high key lighting to set the tone for our compositions. This lighting technique is most often used to create very bright, clean images, lacking in shadows and darker tones. Much commercial work has this look, as it is most easily achieved in a studio setting using artificial lighting and a white or similarly light background. Upbeat, modern and distraction-free are hallmarks of a high key image.

I am very HAPPY that spring is here and decided to take advantage of the gorgeous blooming flowers all around the city.  These were taken at the Japanese Gardens that are part of the University of Washington’s Arboretum.  It’s beautiful there and I highly recommend a visit if you are in town.

Please click HERE to visit Who We Become and see the mosaic of high key images.