There are those in the photography world who state that using colour selection in photography should not be used. They say that if you have to explain it, it doesn’t work. They say they tell you their favourite joke, but if they have to explain the punchline for you, then it’s not funny.
They say that you could take what you deem to be a good photo, but if you have to use spot color to draw the viewer’s attention where you want it, then it’s clearly not doing the job it’s supposed to.
I am not sure where I stand. I have seen some photos with excellent colour selection use, and I have seen some with absolutely awful use. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.
Where do you stand?
BTW - This is not a great photo to start with - either with or without colour selection - but it does fit the bill.
i have never used sc but do think that it can be used very effectively but it has to be done very selectively. i can tell you that in the photos where it has been done well, it is stunning. i remember one done by @rosiekind - i think it was last year, of a store mannequin, was so wonderful. and @summerfield has done some great ones, too.
We are partners in this weeks get pushed challenge. My challenge to you is to take a picture that has either a reflection or a shadow as it's focal point.
@catsmeowb - i did? why thank you. i myself don't care much for selective colouring and it took me a long time to convince myself to use it. i use it to highlight something interesting in a photo but due to my ineptness in the use of the camera, that something interesting gets lost in the shot especially when there's too much clutter.
in your photos above, frankly, i would not have used sc because the red leaves, with the light reflecting on them, are attractive enough that the other colours in the picture simply complement them. now if you had sc'd only the brown leaf on the grass, just that one leaf, maybe it would work but as it is, i like it in full colour.
for example, in this photo sc made the photo interesting, https://365project.org/summerfield/365-still/2014-02-21 it's winter, and the place was inner downtown with lots of old and new buildings and the ugly skeleton trees. it's colourful but still dull except for the yellow. there were other yellow spots in this photo but i thought highlighting just the yellow boots, their reflection and the traffic light were just enough to give the photo some interest and balance. there were other yellow objects but if i had sc'd all of them, the photo would look cluttered, uninteresting and cheap. not saying it's a great photo though, it's not. it's just the sc worked here.
in this other one, https://365project.org/summerfield/365-still/2016-10-27 taken around the same neighbourhood from the first photo i was confronted by the same problem of clutter. but it was taken purely for the balloons - they're lost in the colour version and even more so in black and white but using sc helped to draw attention to it.
my own rule when using sc is simply to use it sparingly.
I love using select color to highlight a color. I don't think you have to explain it at all. It makes the red stand out more. I don't use it often, but like any other photographic technique, you have to know when and how to use it. I don't use it often, but I do on occasion.
January 31st, 2017
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i totally agree beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
in your photos above, frankly, i would not have used sc because the red leaves, with the light reflecting on them, are attractive enough that the other colours in the picture simply complement them. now if you had sc'd only the brown leaf on the grass, just that one leaf, maybe it would work but as it is, i like it in full colour.
for example, in this photo sc made the photo interesting, https://365project.org/summerfield/365-still/2014-02-21 it's winter, and the place was inner downtown with lots of old and new buildings and the ugly skeleton trees. it's colourful but still dull except for the yellow. there were other yellow spots in this photo but i thought highlighting just the yellow boots, their reflection and the traffic light were just enough to give the photo some interest and balance. there were other yellow objects but if i had sc'd all of them, the photo would look cluttered, uninteresting and cheap. not saying it's a great photo though, it's not. it's just the sc worked here.
in this other one, https://365project.org/summerfield/365-still/2016-10-27 taken around the same neighbourhood from the first photo i was confronted by the same problem of clutter. but it was taken purely for the balloons - they're lost in the colour version and even more so in black and white but using sc helped to draw attention to it.
my own rule when using sc is simply to use it sparingly.