Which type of lighting emphasizes specific areas by using darkness?

Low key lighting is characterized by a significant contrast between light and dark areas, emphasizing particular subjects or regions within a composition while allowing others to recede into shadows. This lighting technique creates a dramatic effect, guiding the viewer's focus to highlighted elements in the frame. It's commonly used in genres such as portrait photography, film noir, and other artistic expressions where mood and atmosphere are pivotal.

In contrast, high key lighting tends to produce an overall bright and evenly lit scene with minimal shadows, which doesn’t emphasize specific areas the way low key does. Soft lighting refers to the quality of light that diffuses smoothly across the subject, reducing harsh shadows, while hard lighting creates well-defined shadows and highlights, but does not inherently utilize darkness to emphasize certain areas.