Perhaps you are familiar with the phrase going to extremes. It is often used to describe intense behavior that veers outside the norm. But going to extremes is also a way of creating compositions that are both surprising and dramatic by letting color or tone dominate. When that color or tone consists of mostly white, it is referred to as high-key contrast; when it is mostly black, it is referred to as low-key contrast. The use of a dominant color or tone is a great way to exaggerate the main subject, which is often quite small in the overall composition.