This was a picture I took for the Low Key Challenge, of our cat sitting on the couch. I used a camping LED lantern as the only light source.
I am not sure I got what I set out to do, but I like the picture anyhow.
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Initial impression: I love cats and own two, so was glad to see a cat in the shot. This is a very peaceful shot, showing what cats do best...waking from a nap, about to nap, or falling into a nap. :-)
Technical: As has been noted, composition is a little centred; and as you went b/w you want to watch your tones. The more gradients of grey, the better. Like the highlight in Kitty's eye. Kitty is almost asleep, an ISO of 400 or even less, 200, would have been more than enough. With a tripod, and an aperture of a half-second to full second, could have made a ton of difference. That would have also allowed you to experiment with stopping down to, say, f4 - get more depth.
Artistic: Good use of the single light as a light source. Must be careful in challenges like Low- or High-Key, because too much or too little, and you get blasted.
FWIW: Kitty is almost asleep, so I would have tried to get more of a 3/4 profile on the face, that would put the bulk of the body behind it. With the paw stretched out in front as it is, may have resulted in some kitty bokeh, too.
Overall: A pretty good attempt especially for a first try at Low Key. If you don't already have a tripod, can get an inexpensive one at Wal-mart or similar. For shots like this, the tripod is your friend. Don't be afraid to mess with the settings and see what you get. Lighting can make or break a shot.
Thanks for all the feedback. I wasn't quite sure what Low-Key meant and eventually went with what wikipedia had to say about it. Centering the subject has always been an issue for me and it's something I need to work on.
Many challenge entries have too many highlights for low key... yours is the opposite for me and has too few highlights. The cats face is mainly in midtones with no real highlights. Also, the composition may have been more effective with the cat less centered in the frame.
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