Just as some edits and lighting styles give you a soft-feeling photo, the opposite exists too. Meet the opposite of High Key. Meet Low Key... and learn to create harsher, grittier photos. You can use it for photos of senior citizens, photos of manly men (often the same thing!)... and even for nudes. Read on to find out how to create Low Key photos.

Every now and then a photo just doesn’t look how you want. Underexposure is one frequent problem – maybe you were rushed and didn’t have time to adjust the camera, maybe you used automatic exposure when shooting against the light. One way or the other, now you’ve got a dark photo. But luckily you’ve also got Zoner Photo Studio X to fix it!

Shorter days have one definite advantage for photographers: an abundance of time for exterior photoshoots in the dark. Dark alleyways, brick walls lit by streetlamps, reflections of light on a river’s surface, or the elongated shadow of a black cat crossing your path. This type of atmosphere and abundance of time make for the perfect conditions for low key photography in the moody, cinematic style of Film Noir. Take a look at how it’s done...if you dare.