Use shadows and pools of light to achieve the stylised cinematic look of classic crime dramas
Difficulty level: Advanced Time taken: 1.5 hours
It is a testament to the versatility of photography that some of the most iconic images throughout history aren’t photographs at all, but stills from movies. Classic cinema is true art and it can be satisfying as a photographer to see how much effort was invested into making some of the best known films. You could even argue that cinema is the ultimate manifestation of imagemaking, as few still frames receive a comparable budget and personnel.
Film noir is a style that has influenced many great directors and photographers alike. Defined by low-key lighting, that is to say a predominance of shadows relative to highlights, images using this approach are often incredibly atmospheric and emotive. The look is frequently associated with classic American crime dramas of the 1950s and can be effectively applied to street photography and even travel images, giving your portfolio a unique touch.
In this shot, taken in the city of Rome, the sun has long since dropped below the horizon and wandering the unusually touristfree streets, I needed a way to communicate the intrigue of this lone figure climbing the steps. Monochrome was an easy choice, to make the most of the highcontrast lighting, but timing and careful processing would be needed to extract the maximum impact. Let’s look at the process behind the creation of the film noir style.
Shooting steps
1 Set Spot metering High contrast lighting can force a camera to under or overexpose quite easily. Our goal is to push much of the scene into shadow while managing the highlights effectively. Use Spot Metering mode to target Auto Exposure precisely in highlight areas, then use exposure compensation until you are happy.
2 Switch to manual Once you have some suggested exposure settings, switch to manual mode and dial those in using the control wheels. This will ensure the camera does not shift settings between shots, if you accidentally measure from a deep shadow, for example. Adjust shutter speed to fine-tune.
3 Set maximum aperture Choosing the widest aperture your lens offers will help control sharpness in the extreme darkness of a night cityscape, but it can also have creative advantages. At maximum f/stop, a subtle soft-focus effect can result, giving bright highlights a dreamy glow.
4 Increase sensitivity To prevent excessive subject movement, raise the ISO to a minimum of 800. Here, we selected ISO 1000, which also introduced s
