Improvising with Dark Portraits

Dark portrait photography is a great way to create a dramatic and compelling portrait. The ideal method of creating a photograph like this would require a pitch black room and special lighting equipment. However, since many of us are not fortunate enough to have such resources, there are ways to improvise.

This is a photograph of my pup, Max. Believe is or not, this was taken in my living room with natural light. The sun was perfectly streaming through the blinds, so I propped little Max up and made it work. I kept my ISO low, and slightly under exposed the photograph to show the details of just his face. Since the light was on him and no where else in the room, this was the result. Crisp blacks, vibrant whites, and lots of detail. Not bad for a low budget photograph!