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What's Your Key? - part 2 of 1 2

Published 01/03/2003

In portraits of children high key offers alternatives to low key that can be absolutely delightful. There is something special about little people on white grounds that often are as emotionally exciting as any of those that are captured in dramatic low key.

Essentially what I am suggesting is that there are many different options and from a business point of view creating images in different keys offers your clients a choice and also shows that you are the master of your craft. Building a reputation for your particular art means you will specialize in one key while offering a little of another so as to create a little diversity.

If you master the techniques in all three keys you can create a marketing plan with diversity and excitement. You can plan a programme of portrait and bridals that your competition cannot match. Additionally you can offer your brides a studio portrait in beautiful high key, something that your competition never thought of. At your next wedding first look for the light which is always the first consideration, then seek out a white background and place your bride so as to be able to render the background white or relatively bright and so that the light skims across her gown. You will love what you see and so will she.

Don't miss the opportunity to do the same with flower girls and bridesmaids. Work to create a seamless impression in the same key so that there are no low or middle key intrusions that break down the light patterns. Your end result will be a delightful rendering of delicate tones that will charm your clients. This development of style will set you apart from your professional colleagues and create a niche market for your work.

What this discussion is about is what David Ziser described as "The difference is the difference" and how true this is. The success of the great photographers in wedding and portrait photography has as much to do about being different as it has to being better. In fact being better is of itself is not enough. The real success is about being different. So look around and check out your professional colleagues and see what they are doing. Take note of their style. If they do not appear to have one they are not your competition. If they have a style that is obvious then you need to find a way to be different. Your potential clients are those that will find something in your style that is different from your colleagues. When there is no difference between services and styles it comes down to price unless the quality is so obvious as to be a real issue.

There is also the fact that many of our potential clients may not appreciate that your quality is so much better than some one else's. Many brides-to-be are captivated by what they see in magazines and we know that much of what they find appealing is not very good photography. But they find it refreshingly different and that is the difference.

So this is my challenge to you. Be different and if you have not considered working in high key take a good hard look at its possibilities. You may well see an opportunity that you have previously completely missed.

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• By Norman Phillips
  
  What's Your Key? page 1
  
• What's Your Key? page 2
  

1st Published 01/03/2003
last update 09/12/2022 15:00:22

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