experiment with selective colour - please critique
Started by troporobo ·
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experiment with selective colour - please critique
8 posts
This experiment started with a desire to salvage a photo where the subject was well captured but the background was horrible and distracting. I started to wonder about using the technique in a slightly more creative way to make a subject pop out more dramatically. Most of these photos had in common a background very close in colour and texture to the the animal itself.
My non-diving friends seem to like these, but divers and photographers mostly don't. True, they are obviously artificial and are the sort of thing that you might find on a postcard in a seaside gift shop, but there is no attempt here to hide the technique. On the other hand, we know what the environment should look like and it is disorienting to see monochrome coral, not to mention that eliminating colour selectively takes away from the wonderful demonstration of how some animals fit into their habitat so well.
I wonder if anyone else thinks this could be an interesting effect if applied selectively from time to time? Let me have your thoughts, and don't hold back!
Gets a thumbs up from me. I like it! The porcelain crab and the Bargibanti especially.
I think you are right, it has to be used sparingly, but it has impact when it is used.
I used the same technique in post-production for poppies on World War 1trenches at Vimy Ridge. I thought it added to the drama.
Once again, I agree with TimG. Years ago, I played around with a similar technique by hand coloring B&W images. That was even more artificial, but it had some interest. Used sparingly, I think that these images are definitely interesting, and unusual.
I like the technique, but it works better with some images than other. If there is structure in the part that you are desaturating, it works well (porcelain crab) but if it is just a "messy" background, not so well (ribbon eel).
Adam
Thanks a lot for the feedback guys. I've played around a little more and some images definitely don't work whereas others do. I think Adam hit the nail on the head with his comment about structured vs. messy backgrounds.
Thanks a lot for the feedback guys. I've played around a little more and some images definitely don't work whereas others do. I think Adam hit the nail on the head with his comment about structured vs. messy backgrounds.
Yeah, I agree. I hadn't thought of that before, but yes, it does work much better against a bokeh-type or blurry, undefined background. Good point, Adam.
I prefer the first and the last image, where the coloured portions appear a little more saturated. Perhaps the drawback of the "more cluttered" backgrounds is that they are all grey? With a splash of black in the background the colours contrast nicely.
I agree about the benefit of some really dark areas. My family all made the same comment after I made some larger test prints. Wider dynamic range seems to make these work better.
