Low key portrait. My first attempt so any critic welcome

[mjamil81]

 

[mjamil81]

https://flic.kr/p/KVeVo5

 

[UaeExile]

Hi Mohsin, It's a tad underexposed and flat if I'm honest. Looks like the light is coming from her left, so it might have been an idea to have her looking that way to put some catchlights in the eyes.

 

[mjamil81]

Thanks. Still learning and struggling with the lighting setup. What do you suggest fot lighting setup?

 

[Phil V]

Thanks. Still learning and struggling with the lighting setup. What do you suggest fot lighting setup?

Shadows create shape, the whole point of a photograph is to capture a 3D object as a 2d image that gives us back 3 dimensions.

Bizarrely, give most photographers control of a light, and they instantly think they need 'an even light' (destroying any shape)

I like to think that the starting point should be above the head in the direction the subject is looking. (In a domestic setting that's ceiling height for most people, and close enough so that you're struggling to keep a softbox out of shot)

There are subtleties around this that we can discuss till the cows come home, but as a start point, that'll create an 'interesting and natural light'.

And you're not the first to make this mistake, but that's technically not 'low key', but most people think low key means black background and high key means white background, so you're far from alone.