Colours and Abstracts Photography
This time it's going to be about abstracts and colours. So dig around for the most colourful things you can find so you can play around putting them together. The more colourful the better so as to make bold vivid statements.
I'm all for bold, vivid statements. I fancy a bit of abstract. Hey how about this book for something colourful: Cookery for Dummies.
Err no. Anyway it's all different colours. Here's a bunch of random objects from the kitchen. Think we can do something with these?
Fig. 1 - BASIC INGREDIENTS
I can't say I'm inspired.
That's just because they're stuck in a group. Take the mug first. Look at it carefully and think out of the box. Try it on the blue plate and look at it from different angles. You're going in close on this otherwise it's simply a blue and yellow mug on a blue plate.
Ah. I see what you're getting at. That's a nice contrast in colour and if you do a narrow focus on it at about f5.6 the yellow can be a highlight amongst a blue background. And there's a nice curve too.
Go for it then.
OK. Ta-daaaaaa
Fig. 2 - MUG 1
Canon EOS 300D
1/30 @ f5.6 DISO 100 18-55mm @ 55mm
WB Tungsten, flash.
Very subtle. The light in the middle lifts it. If you put your finger over that highlight you can see how it brings the lighting down.
Try it again with a fraction longer exposure and we'll have a play with it.
Fig. 3 - MUG 2
Canon EOS 300D
1/15 @ f5.6 DISO 100 18-55mm @ 55mm
WB tungsten, flash.
OK now take it into your software programme. Add an extra layer at about 5% Gaussian blur. Don't erase any of it, just flatten the two layers. That gives you a nice velvet softness overall. Now go into colour management and bring the saturation of the blue up very slightly so that it becomes a little more luminous in contrast with the yellow.
Ooo. I'm liking this.
Looks OK doesn't it. Now give it a border at top and bottom by going into resize image and select canvas. It will show you the current size of the image. Give it two more pixels left and right, i.e. width, and then 50 extra pixels altogether for height. That will give you 25 top and bottom and one each to each side. That works doesn't it.
It sure does. The black really contrasts nicely with that blue and the softness makes it feel very textural and warm. I like it. Next!
OK! Let's go for a really vivid contrast. Red and yellow. You've got a nice curve on the lemon and you can echo that in the curve of the bowl.
Fig. 4 - BOWL
Canon EOS 300D
1/50 @ f5.6 DISO 100 18-55mm @ 55mm
WB tungsten, flash.
That works. In fact it's the lemon that gives it context. If you just look at it as colours and shapes it's a simple abstract, but that extra detail makes you see it in two different ways. Next!
Right! Unroll the aluminium foil and put the roll on the kitchen window sill so that it falls down across the worktop. Now put the blue glass bottle on top. On its side maybe. See how the daylight is falling through the glass and reflecting on the foil? That's what you're after.
Isn't the flash going to blow out the highlights on the foil?
Not necessarily. Have it aiming upwards so it doesn't reflect and you can either use your hand to shield some of the light or use a diffuser. Then take it into the software - bring up another layer at 5% Gaussian blur. Use a big soft brush to do a quick erase through the middle along the line of the creases to expose some of that detail. Then reduce the opacity of the brush to about 10% and erase a little more.
Fig. 5 - FOIL
Canon EOS 300D
1/60 @ f4.5 DISO 100 18-55mm @ 50mm
WB shade, flash
It's like ice isn't it. Or water. You'd never know it was just a glass bottle stuck on a sheet of foil. Unless you look really carefully. Hey that was great!
No problem! I'll leave you to it.
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Colours and Abstracts Photography
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