PORTRAITS
Recording: Variables
With this project, I wanted to experiment with the colour and texture of backgrounds (as I had just used plain white/black backgrounds for my artist research and experimentation). Adding in this new element gave me a chance to introduce more diversity between my images. I wanted to analyse the effect of different backgrounds to see how they could benefit my photography.
After choosing and shooting a range of different backgrounds, I wanted to experiment with three particular editing effects to see how they could enhance my images. These were saturation, clarity and sharpness. The saturation of an image is often what is said to give it its 'happy' mood, as colour has great relation to joy and optimism. Sharpness can often make an image quite serious and grave, but it is very effective in bringing out detail. Clarity is very helpful for bringing out detail in a photo, including colour and light, however it can often make a photo too dark and structured.
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All the unedited versions of the images used in my 'variables' project are shown below and right. I have included the portrait and landscape photographs in separate slideshows.
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CLARITY
These three images (left, right and below) were my favourite photographs from my clarity increase shoot. I thought increasing the clarity worked exceptionally well in these photographs because of the rough textures in the background.
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The background was effective from both a zoomed and wide angle. I found from a wide angle it began to dominate the photograph, whereas in the closer shots it tends to just compliment the image.
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The colour of the model's clothes and bag worked well with the colours of the background as they were all quite simplistic and natural looking.
I was also pleased with these two images (left and right). The increase in clarity shows off the features of the girl's face very well, making them dark and vivid. Her coat and jeans both contained
detailed patterns that were effectively brought out by the clarity increase.
The photograph (right) was very eye-catching. The editing was successful as it lightened the girl and darkened the background. I loved the
slightly 'spotlight' effect created.
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The reason I preferred the above photographs was because the background was far more intriguing than the plain dark colours of these two. The
background above
really added to the quality of the images.
I separated these six images into two different rows. The row (above) is the photographs I believed to be the most successful. I liked these ones because of the structure and colour the clarity brought out. I liked the colour of the image (left) because I thought it created a nice contrast between the warm atmosphere of the orange light and inside of the shop captured and the outside, where the photo is being taken, and the coat wrapped around the girl for warmth.
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I did not like the bottom images (left and right) for a similar reason - they made the model's skin look an almost unnatural colour. This was more severe in the photograph on the right than the left. I think this is because the darkness of the background and girl's eyes made the model's face look even paler than it was before the clarity increase. The whiteness of her clothes enhanced this even further.
My second variable was colour. I took some of my photographs for this shoot in a park so I could draw on the vibrancy of green grass and warm orange autumn leaves. I also used a variety of different coloured textures such as a green painted wall and gray concrete to see how each could enhance my images.
SATURATION
In general, I really liked all the images used in my saturation shoot. The two up close shots (above) held a very happy and vibrant mood due to the colour apparent in the girl's face and in the background of the image. Her facial expression makes her look relaxed and content.
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In my opinion the two shots (below) gave off very different moods. The photograph (left) gave a rather soft and warm vibe due to the relaxation and peace suggested by the model's facial expression, the blur of the background and the darker shadows surrounding the girl's face. The photograph (right) held a harsher vibe as it was all in focus, quite light leaving the whole of the model's face exposed, and did not contain the same orange tint as the one of the left.
To make the saturation a key focus of these two images, I think I would have to have increased it slightly further than I have done, however I quite liked how the saturation only added to the quality of these images rather than taking them over.
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I think the orange and green colours visible in the background of these images added to their interest as they would have been quite plain without it as the model herself does not have much colour on her.
SHARPNESS
My final variable was sharpness. I really liked these images as I thought the sharpness worked very well in bringing out the fine detail of my photographs. Unlike the saturation and clarity shoots which had a variety of effects on its images, I think increasing the sharpness had a pretty similar effect on all of the images.
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As my following sequence was quite close up, increasing the sharpness worked really well. It made the small details in the photo such as the earring and strands of hair really stand out. I liked this sequence because of the simplicity of the colours used and the similarity of these colours present in all of them.
I cannot make up my mind as to whether or not I like the three photos (above). I think the darker objects such as the building, lamp post and tree were too dark to add to the quality of the image so increased saturation did very little.
Increasing the sharpness worked well more so on the darker images above than the lighter ones below. I think on lighter textures the sharpness increase seemed over the top. It made the photographs almost difficult to set your eyes on. I also think its effect was slightly unnatural-looking and too much of an increase made the sharpness start to look like grain.
In conclusion, I think the most effective of the editing techniques was a combination of the three.