“I used this old-school exposure trick to make these flamingos look like they were photographed in a studio!”

Flamingo photographed against a dark background to create low-key effect.

You would be forgiven for thinking I took this shot of a flamingo in a photo studio with lights and a black background. However, for this shot of the flamingo in late winter sunshine at WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK, I used a classic ‘low-key’ photography technique. 

It’s easier than you might think. First you need subjects to be a lighter colour and brightly lit by the sun, then position yourself so backgrounds behind the subjects are in deep shadow. With the correct exposure for the light levels on the bird, you can render the darker background to appear totally black in the shot.