Let’s approach the idea of composition with color from a decidedly less colorful point of view. Namely, black and white of course.
Composition using color can take on many different styles. From vibrant, bright colors, to soft pastel, to nearly monochromatic – but still in full color – images.
Here are three of mine.
The dark blue sky sets off the warmth of the light and the bright red of the sandstone.
The soft, nearly monochromatic wheat and dirt behind her let the red of her dress and her skin tone stand out.
Other than the splash of blue on the shoes, the rest of the tones are very similar. Skin tone, wall, dress.
Three very similar post-processing results, and one rather dramatic approach.
https://youtu.be/oF2PvuKg4h4
Dramatic Portrait on Location
Dramatic use of tones in the composition can create a more exciting portrait. In this image, I wanted the face to stand way out from the background, hair, and leather jacket.
https://youtu.be/3sEiiPwEUYM
I wanted the face to be very bright against a dark surround. Using the face as the luminance area is a common approach, but I wanted the final shot to be so much more dramatic than the rather bland color image.
I wanted to get his photograph, but he was only willing to give me one pose, in one direction. I was telling him to move a bit and such, but he maintained that one pose for every exposure. I didn’t want to keep him from whatever he was doing (wow, was he a talker) so I took the shot and got on my bike.
Still took me 10 more minutes to leave.
ASSIGNMENT:
A black and white portrait that is “composed” for a black and white, using very dark and very light tones.
IMAGE REVIEW MAY 6, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQa0IZA38yw
