Our readings this week focus on the use of contrast, high-key and low-key lighting in the composition and creative direction of a shot. However my camera does not have the technical freedom of a DSLR so I will have to accomplish most of the techniques discussed in these chapters via post-processing.
My goal today was to find a subject that I knew would translate well to black and white and still retain its texture when put in a high-key format. Thankfully the sun was out in full-force today which helped the snow to appear to be even whiter (which really plays well in to high-key processing).
This shot was taken in color, but I saw it and planned for it to be edited in black and white. I did my usual routine of defining the sharpness of the shot and upping the saturation and temperature in the color setting. I then converted the shot to black and white using a yellow-green filter to "wash-out" the highlights. I did this on purpose, even though I planned for the shot to be more high key. I wanted to control the lighting as if I was controlling it in the camera rather than in the processing. Once converted I went back into the basic menu and pushed the exposure up for the high-key effect. I then adjusted the shadows and highlights to accentuate the texture of the bark. This could probably be accomplished in under the contrast option also, but I wanted to work with the exposure instead this time so that it was like working all the tonal nuances in camera rather than in processing. As the final step I added a very light gray frame so that the trunk as well as the small section of trees in the background are anchored to something tangible in the picture. The frame also serves as a boundary and gives your eyes a place to stop.
@nanalisarocks Thank you Lisa and thank you so much for the fav! @dibzgreasley Thank you Debbie! @taffy Thank you Taffy! I did see it as a painting- a lesser version of something Andrew Wyeth might do if he were to paint snow encasing a tree trunk. @alia_801 Thanks Alia! Texture was a huge part of the goal. @yaorenliu Thank you Yao! @steveh Thanks Steve! @cocobella Thank you Corrine! It truly caught my eye and said, "I am a picture waiting to happen!" @tuya Thank you Claire! @allie912 Thank you Allison! Peterson was really driving home the point to see things in black and white so this was a good exercise I gave to myself. @nicolecampbell Thanks Nicole! Yes, it is! lol I had thought in my mind that I would work on low-key shots this week, but the snow is meant for high-key! @kerristephens Thank you Kerri! @bill_fe Thanks Bill! @ruthmouch Thank you Ruth! @cimes1 Thank you Carole! @digitalrn Thanks Rick!
Thank you so much everyone! This is the second shot that has made it to the Trending page this week. How exciting!!
@dibzgreasley Thank you Debbie!
@taffy Thank you Taffy! I did see it as a painting- a lesser version of something Andrew Wyeth might do if he were to paint snow encasing a tree trunk.
@alia_801 Thanks Alia! Texture was a huge part of the goal.
@yaorenliu Thank you Yao!
@steveh Thanks Steve!
@cocobella Thank you Corrine! It truly caught my eye and said, "I am a picture waiting to happen!"
@tuya Thank you Claire!
@allie912 Thank you Allison! Peterson was really driving home the point to see things in black and white so this was a good exercise I gave to myself.
@nicolecampbell Thanks Nicole! Yes, it is! lol I had thought in my mind that I would work on low-key shots this week, but the snow is meant for high-key!
@kerristephens Thank you Kerri!
@bill_fe Thanks Bill!
@ruthmouch Thank you Ruth!
@cimes1 Thank you Carole!
@digitalrn Thanks Rick!
Thank you so much everyone! This is the second shot that has made it to the Trending page this week. How exciting!!
Thank you Daisy, Bev, Cindy, Vesna, and Shawna! I so appreciate all your kind words!