Measuring Exposure - part one

The first part of this assignment involved intentionally under or over exposing shots in order to create effect. As I have spent a lot of this summer photographing people, I decided to concentrate in this area.

I have used three different over exposed shots and for similar reasons; I find that over exposing brings an air of innocence, quite an ethereal quality as well as evening the skin and enhancing the eyes. I first discovered this while studying strength of colour, taking several shots of my daughter at varying exposures. As the colours became more washed out, I found the image took on a totally different quality. Still focussing on people, I have also under exposed three images, although my reasons for these vary slightly.

My first pair of shots are of a two month old baby, my first photo-shoot of anyone quite so young so it was quite a learning curve. Considering the innocent appearance brought on by over exposure, I felt that this was an obvious starting point. As babies have much more basic expressions than adults, I felt that the added focus to the eyes would create a more powerful image. 

The second image was under exposed as I felt it worked well with the baby’s sleepy appearance. The dim lighting softly draws attention to the baby’s face and shoulder, creating a calming image.

 

My next pair of images are taken at a wedding during the summer and both show the bride and groom kissing. I feel that for such intimate moments, under or over exposure can both work well. Under exposure in the first image moves the main attention to the lighting, chiefly down the back of the bridal gown. This enables the image to show the romantic nature of the moment, yet the silhouetted kiss prevents their privacy from being invaded.

 

The second of this pair shows a close up of a kiss, which at a normal exposure may have looked intrusive and unromantic. This over exposure brings a more angelic nature to the shot, while at the same time evening the skin and making the couple appear younger.

 

   My last two shots were taken on holiday and my reasons for these techniques vary from those above. The close up of my daughter was taken whilst reading in the caravan next to the window. My main reason for over exposing this shot was to blast out any detail seen through the window and to create a clean white backdrop, however I do like added attention this treatment draws to the eyes.

 

The final image shows my daughter again, riding a bike which powered the lights on a sign. Under exposure was necessary in this image to darken the background and highlight the lights against the white letters.

 

I seem to have hit common themes with these images; my main use of over exposure is to add innocence and enhance eyes, whereas I mainly use under exposure to enhance qualities of light. As I move through this unit, I suspect I will find many more uses for these techniques.

Assignment three: Colour (draft)

My aim in this assignment is to show how colour can be used in order to make a photograph more balanced as well as creating harmony and tension using complementary and contrasting colours respectively.

Complementary colours are those which face each other across the colour circle, such as red and green or orange and blue. The values poet, J.W.Von Geothe assigned to the primary and secondary colours according to their brightness are ; yellow 9, orange 8, red and green 6, blue 4 and violet 3. These values can be used to enable us to create the correct proportions of colour in an image, those for complimentary colours being;

red:green – 1:1

orange:blue – 1:2

yellow:violet – 1:3

01. ’01 - Text-talk’ shows a red mobile phone cover against the green backdrop of a garden lawn. The large blocks of colour are balanced in a 1:1 proportion, consisting of similar amounts of each hue.

02. A red/green combination is also shown in ’02 – Bride’ although both colours are in much more muted tones.

03. The bright yellow centre of the flower in ‘03 - Sun Salutation’ is about a third of the size of the violet petals. Had the photograph been taken from above, showing the petals to their full extent, the violet may have overpowered the yellow. This side view lessens the proportion of the violet area, creating a more harmonious balance. 

 

04. ’04- Cool’ is an example of how a desaturation can affect the balance of an image. Although the proportion of orange:blue is around 1:2, fitting with Geothe’s values, the orange can obviously stands out as the main focus of the image. Factors such as depth of field and perspective play a part, however the intensity of the orange compared to the subtle blues really swing this balance. I like the imbalance in this image; for me it creates a certain amount of tension which fits with the need for a cool drink on a hot day.

 

Harmony can also be created using similar colours, those which are close together on the colour wheel. This often consists of placing warm colours together such as red and orange or cool colours such as blue and green.

05. The deep pink of the flowers in ’05 – Marry Me’ would be between red and violet on the colour wheel, which is very close to the violet of their backdrop. The similarity of the hues creates harmony in the image. Although the colours are similar, the slight blue edge to the violet backdrop cools the otherwise warm tones, giving a fresh feel to the flowers.

 

06. I spotted the row of boats in ’06 – Boat trip’ after taking my children rowing on the lake. The Vivid blues and greens are used to create harmony through similarity in the image.

 

07. The yellow t-shirts worn by the performers in ’07 – Sundance’ fit perfectly with the outdoor environment as they harmonised with the grass and sky. I felt that using the greenery alone as a backdrop would create an overly yellow image, therefore I adopted a low angle to include more sky. As yellow, green and blue flow through the colour wheel mainly on the cooler side, harmony is created through similarity. The blue and green accents to the outfits adds a smaller, yet more intense version of these hues, balancing the bright yellow.

 

08. While waiting for the comedian to appear at a recent festival, I noticed that the clothing of the two girls in ’08 – Tent’ almost mirrored the decor in the tent. I added this image to the similar colours section as the first thing I noticed were the blues of the hoodie and walls and the purples of the t-shirt and roof. On editing, I also noticed the golden tones in the girls’ hair and tent accessories which compliment the purples.

 

 

 

Colours spaced a third of the way round the colour wheel such as blue and red can create a striking contrast, sometimes to the point where they clash. This contrast can be used to create striking images.

09. The red leaves in ’09 – Flame’ create a dramatic contrast with the blue sky. When composing the shot, I kept Geothe’s values in mind, ensuring that the image contained slightly more blue than red.

10. The muted green and violet in ’10 – Dandy’ are too washed out to create a striking contrast; however the contrasting tones do add some interest to the image.

 

11. The bins in ’11 – Bins’ were in a busy area of a festival, making it very difficult to get a shot from the right angle. On the last morning whilst eating breakfast, I finally got my shot. I composed in order to include less orange than green in line with Geothe’s proportions.

 

 

12. Instinctively, I felt that the colours in ’12 – shack’ balanced very well but didn’t really think about why until I had uploaded the image. The main subjects of the image are made up of the three contrasting hues; blue, red and yellow. The plastic sheeting and roof show the largest area but most muted tones of blue. Also on the roof and in the barrow, slightly smaller areas yet brighter tones of red are shown and then smaller yet more saturated patches of yellow are present in the bags. I feel that the green elements to the corners add a softness to an otherwise contrasting image.

 

 

 

My final selection of images displays accent colours, created when a large area of colour is broken by a small splash of another colour. Accent colours can be used with complimentary, similar or contrasting colours.

13. A complimentary combination is shown in ’13 – Peek-a-boo’ with a red accent sitting in a large area of green, drawing attention to the little girl peeking through the door. The impact is muted slightly by the earthy tones interspersed with the greens.

 

14. The yellow flowers in ’14 – Meadow’ provide an accent to the similarly coloured greens; however I feel that it is the complimentary link between the yellow and violet which creates the harmony in this image. Without the yellow accent, the green and violet create too sharp a contrast for such a relaxing image. If the violet were omitted, the similarity of the green and yellow would not create enough impact for an interesting image.

15. The green of the cucumber in ’15 – Pimbino’ provides a vibrant contrast to the orange jug, enhanced by the uneven proportion of the two hues. This contrast, however is slightly softened by the red and yellow accents.

16. Warm hues are used in ’16 – Humber Accent’ with very pale shades of violet and pink. Had the background been blues or greens or the boat yellow, the impact of the accent would have been much greater. However, as the image contains similar colours, the red of the boat does not leap out of the page and demand attention in the way that a contrasting accent would. Instead it sits calmly, adding interest but not detracting too much from the peaceful nature of the overall image.

 

Colours into tones in black and white

The purpose of this exercise was to experiment with different coloured filters in black and white photography. I created a still life shot which included the colours red, green, blue and yellow and used Photoshop Elements to digitally create filter effects.

 

I converted the original image to black and white and set all the sliders; red, green and blue to the same level. This gave a very dark image which I used as a starting point each time. In order to then create the effect of a red filter, I moved the red slider up gradually until I was happy that the effect appeared obvious, yet still gave a pleasing image. As shown, the filter allows the red of the jugs to pass through, yet blocks opposite colours such as greens which appear very dark. I repeated the exercise, in turn moving the green and blue sliders with similar effect.  

The next task was to create the same image with a yellow filter. As the primary colours using light; red/green/blue are different from those we learn using paint; red/yellow/blue, the yellow filter would have to be created by enhancing both the red and green to create the effect of yellow. As expected, this had a similar effect to reducing the blue; the blues appeared darker and the yellows appeared lighter. I also created experimented with the effects of boosting blue and green together, having the effect of increasing cyan and reducing red and then boosting red and blue together, having the effect of increasing magenta and reducing green.

 

My favourite image in this experiment is the one using the yellow filter; the blue background and toothbrush have created a dark background and foreground, creating balance and more contrast in the image. My least favourite, probably due to the lack of contrast is the magenta version. In black and white photography, contrast is important in creating the lines and shapes which balance an image. Until now, I have always used the pre-set filter effects when converting to black and white but this experiment has given me the confidence to take control and find the right balance manually.

 

Colour relationships

Colour Relationships – part one

My mini-project on the red/green relationship taught me how different saturations of colour can have an added effect on the balance of an image. As I move onto other relationships; orange/blue, yellow/violet and beyond, I will focus mainly on images in which the colours used are of a similar level of saturation.

As discussed previously, red and green are well balanced in an image using 1:1 proportions because the two colours are equal in brightness. When using other colour combinations in their purest form, the proportions need to be adjusted in order to account for differences in brightness. German poet and playwright J.W.Von Geothe assigned the following values to the primary and secondary colours according to their brightness; yellow 9, orange 8, red and green 6, blue 4 and violet 3. These values can be used to enable us to create the correct proportions of colour in an image, those for complimentary colours being;

red:green – 1:1

orange:blue – 1:2

yellow:violet – 1:3

My project on red/green relationships showed these colours creating balance using 1:1 proportions. In order to create my orange:blue image, I placed an orange flower in front of a blue plant pot in a local garden centre. As the vase was much larger than the flower, it was easy to compose the image in order to create the 1:2 proportion.

 

I found an example of a yellow/violet relationship in my mum’s garden. Behind these bluebells were other plants, some being yellow and the yellow/green colour of grass, stalks and leaves. Using a shallow depth of field to blur the background colours and slight overexposure, I created a mass of yellow, complimenting the violet colour of the bluebells. Due to the nature of wildlife and the lack of a macro lens, the original image is slightly larger than the one shown but was taken with the intention of cropping to the correct size and proportions once uploaded.

 

Colour Relationships – part two

The second part of the exercise was to create more images in which the colour combinations appeal to me. I noticed my first example as my daughter was eating spaghetti, not the most attractive sight but the colours struck me as I watched her. Given the values red 6 and blue 4, the proportions should be red:blue – 2:3 meaning that there should be slightly more blue than red. This was a spur of the moment snap shot taken at proportions which I instinctively felt balanced. On studying the given rules, the proportion of red may be too high, however the combination appeals to me. The spaghetti and computer desk also give a slightly yellow element, completing the three primary colours, red/blue/yellow.

 

My second shot also shows the yellow/red/blue combination but in a different way. I originally took this shot to show the contrast in the old and new buildings without noticing the colours but as I looked through my photos for pleasing combinations, this kept jumping out at me. The positions of the colours appeal to me as well as the proportions, with the yellow buildings being framed by the blue sky and water. The blue and yellow alone might have created a rather lacklustre image but the vibrancy of the deep red brick buildings to the right and centre really draw my eye into the image giving warmth and depth.

 

The orange and green in this shot clash slightly, providing a contrast that may not appeal to all but works for me. I like the division of the shot with the top showing orange/red with a splash of green and the bottom green with a splash of orange. The expression on my daughter’s face works well with the citrus colours and the sharp contrast.

 

A photo shoot with friends provided my last two examples for this exercise. This old factory building with brightly coloured doors created a great backdrop and a selection of mats gave a wealth of options for colour combinations. In the first image, the orange in the yoga pants and door balance out the blues, also in the pants and in the mat. Although the proportions for orange:blue should be 1:2, the blue/cyan colour in the pants is very bright and a larger proportion of this colour would take over the image.

 

The last shot mainly contains a yellows and reds which according to Geothe, should show proportions yellow:red – 2:3. The proportion of red is higher than recommended as well as being the brightest form of its colour in the image. This gives a dramatic impact to the shot and draws attention to the bend in the girl’s body, showing the yoga pose to its full extent. I feel that the muted red wall surrounding the door and the muted yellow ground surrounding the bright yellow mat help to calm drama created by the more intense colours.  In all of the examples I have chosen, this is the only image made up of only warm colours, the others being a combination of warm and cool colours.

 

Colour Relationships - Red and Green

I have found this part of the course quite fascinating as I have always had an interest in the psychology of colour. I knew from past experience that I would find a wealth of red/green examples as this is my favourite combination and is found in abundance in nature as well as in manmade subjects. As I struggled to pick out one image to sum up my findings in this area, I have turned a few of my favourites into a mini-project within the set Colour Relationships project.

My first examples show a 1:1 ratio of red to green, fitting in with the given proportions. The leaves and tree bark have slightly muted colours in both the reds and greens creating balance in the images.

 

 

The picture of the boy shows much bolder, more pure versions of the two colours. Balance is again created with the 1:1 ratio, yet the intensity of colour creates a greater impact within the shot; the image feels much more vibrant and active which works well with the subject matter.

The carousel shot combines colour theory with the elements of design learned in the previous unit. This image is split simply across the middle with the green windows at the top balancing the red of the carousel and pebbles to the bottom. The vertical lines of the window frames lead down towards the ride while the triangular roof of the carousel leads up to the windows. If the colours had been more intense, I feel that the many lines in this shot may have created a cluttered, overbearing image; however the muted tones and simple division of colour work in almost the same way as a monotone image, enabling the main focus to be on the lines created.

 

While attempting to create a 1:1 ratio, I discovered that this did not always create a pleasing image. The red in the images of the tulip and the berries seemed to overpower the green, mainly because of an imbalance in the strength of the colours.

As in both images, the red appeared stronger; I recomposed to allow the more muted greens to come through.

 

My daughter gave me the opportunity to experiment with colour strength as she lay in a park wearing a red t-shirt. I took five shots of the same image, a stop apart varying from -2 to +2 and viewed the results. At -2 and -1, the red appears stronger than the green enabling the t-shirt to be the main focus of the image.

 

At the correct exposure according to my camera, the colours appear equally prominent and the lush green grass becomes part of the subject matter.

 

Moving onto +1, the red of the t-shirt is beginning to appear bleached leaving the green as the stronger colour.

 

By +2, the green still appears stronger than the red but neither appears particularly strong. The folds in the t-shirt which had before appeared black are now stronger in colour. Although the subjects intended for this purpose have been washed out, this is my favourite image of the set. This is because, with the bright colours muted, the main focus is now on Amber’s eye, showing her mood and giving a different feel to the image.

 

The ‘Private’ image shows that depth of field can also have an impact when balancing colours. Although the green is quite prevalent and of a similar strength to the reds, the softer focus lessens the impact and attention is drawn to the sharply focussed reds.

 

This element also comes into play in the image below. The vibrancy and size of the boxes would normally make them take over this image; however the soft focus lessens the impact. The leading line created by the two boxes also leads the eye towards the green caravan where the eye rests. I do not feel that the balance is fully corrected by the depth of field in this shot; however some movement and tension have been created by the imbalance which I feel makes it an interesting image.

 

Primary and secondary colours

Although this is a seemingly small task, these images were taken over several months. I have enjoyed taking my time over this unit during relaxing walks, idling away the pressures of work and other studies. I have taken many images; whenever I have spotted a colour which may match the given spectrum and have uploaded the six which I feel show the closest match.

 

Putting the lessons learned on controlling strength into practice, I used bracketed shots, from -1 to +1 for each image and chose the best match once processed. The blue plant pots and yellow flower were both half a stop underexposed, whereas the orange gas sign was overexposed in order to make the colour less intense.

I discovered a good mix of natural sources and manmade subjects.

Control the strength of a colour

For this experiment I used a green garage door and my red sofa. For both subjects, I used the AV function on my camera, allowing for automatic shutter speed setting and varied the exposure compensation gradually from -2 to +2.

 

 

 

The images gradually change from very dark to very light shades of green and red as exposure increases. At the lighter end of the scale, both hues appear as pastel shades, the red taking on more of the qualities of pink. This also has an effect on the strength of the colours. The colours in both images appear to be most intense at half a stop below average exposure and seem gradually less intense as they become darker and lighter.  This would be something to bear in mind when attempting to show strong, bold colours in my photography.