As the 3 or 4 readers who actually read my photoblog must have realised, I really like colour and there's gobs of it in my shots. Not that I don't like B+W mind you -- I used to shoot a lot of B+W when I shot film and there are a few B+W shots on this site -- but I think it's easy to make an interesting B+W shot, but a LOT harder to take a good colour shot. Why? Well, when working with colour you actually have to additionally consider whether colours in the background are going to impact your shot and distract from the subject matter. You don't have this problem when shooting in B+W.
The other thing is that I notice B+W seems to have gained a kind of snob factor amongst photographers -- some of whom seem to think that shooting everything in B+W makes them an artist. Well nuts to you -- I have more respect for photographers who can shoot good colour candids or street shots than those that shoot 'exclusively' in B+W.
By the way, I do not bump up colour saturation in my shots -- I just set the D70 to the sRGB IIIa colourspace and leave colour saturation at normal. sRGB IIIa gives slightly more saturation than the regular Ia setting on the D70 and this suits what I like to take just fine. I sometimes turn colour shots into B+W or desaturate the background when there's distracting colour.
3 comments:
Since you're talking about colour, I have a question for you.
I tried several times to take a photo of a framed picture. So that I don't get that burst of flash in my photo, I disable the flash.
Now, while it looks great on the LCD on the back of my digicam, the colours are washed out when I open the pix in a photo editor.
Suggestions?
ah I see, you mean you're trying to copy a photograph?
Well, without actually having a look at the shot you took, all I can tell you is that you should take the picture out of its frame, then take it outside (but NOT in direct sunlight) and shoot it from there.
The reason to take it out into bright daylight is that often, the ambient light which you shoot the photo will affect how saturated your photo looks. Removing the photo from its frame will also help as the perspex or glass on frames also cut down on contrast, also affecting colour. You are right to disable the flash.
Make sure there are no reflections and if you have a tripod, use it. Shoot near the telephoto end AND try to keep your camera square to the photo, to prevent distortion.
In the end, though, taking a photo of another photo sometimes produces less than saturated and low-contrast results -- that's just the way it works in digicams. I'm pretty sure your camera has some settings for colour and contrast -- try bumping these up a little when trying to copy this photo.
If all these don't work, send me a sample picture and I'll try to see what's wrong.
If all else fails, I can come over and make a copy for you with my camera and macro lens -- guaranteed results! :p
I paid to get it framed so I'm not about to take it out now.
I'll try adjusting the colour and contrast on my digicam and try again.
Will come see you if I still can't get it right, though.
Tks!
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