Learning High Key

Yesterday afternoon and evening I decided to toy with some techniques. What started out being an attempt at bracketing some shots for testing out HDR in CS3, turned into an amazing find. I found one of my shots turned out a natural High Key effect shot.
[Light from bathroom doorway (incandescent)to the left of the model; natural light streaming in from the right; no flash] (0.5 f/2.7 ISO 200)]

I of course looked at my settings and proceeded to try it again (could it have just been a fluke? Unfortunately my second attempt on my oldest son proved more difficult, it was taken several hours later, so the natural light had disappeared. I had to rely strictly on my flash and two static lights placed to each side of the model.

[The conflict of the flash color/static lights (incandscent)caused this image to need a lot of work in Photoshop CS3 to recover the true white] [1/60, f/3.5, ISO 200; flash set at full with Gary Fong Diffuser]

I had a willing victim with my younger son Michael, he decided to be the ham of the evening. He was the most difficult because of his dramatic posing, after half a dozen shots, and the resulted harsh shadows, I couldn't test this technique with him lol. He kept moving forward past the lights causing those shadows, but I had to post this shot because it was so hilarious!

[1/8, f/2.7, ISO 200; on static light to each side of model outside of framing; no flash]

Upon my final trial, I used my youngest daughter Alexis. At this point there was no natural light coming in whatsoever(9pm). I positioned her in front of a bare wall, placed the two static lights to each side, again not using flash. This shot I would have to say was my favorite for the day.

[1/6, f/3.5, ISO 200; one static light to each side of model outside of framing; no flash]

In the end what did I learn? Lighting is the most important factor, learning your cameras settings are very important, and lastly, if you are looking for a point and shoot that can give you the quality and range of usage as an DSLR, the Canon S5 IS can give you the same technical rewards as an DSLR when trying out special techniques, for quite less the price. I love my S5!