Burning Desire

How an image should be processed is subjective to the overall effect you are seeking to achieve. Your idea of what makes a good photograph, will often differ from the ideas others may have upon what makes or breaks a particular image. The important thing is to rely on your judgement, while being open to ideas and critique, so that you are always striving for self improvement and constantly learning with your photography.

Subscribing to any notion, that the 'quick fix' Auto Level or Auto Contrast post processing options, may address any abnormalities making the most of the captured digital data in your image, is all too often detrimental, to what can physically be achieved with a little more thought given to the quality of light and the tonal aspects within the photographic image. Quite often these blanket processing options will appear to flatten areas in an image as tonal contrasts are changed, stretched and ironed out by software logarithm.

The tonal aspects of an image (the mapping of "the intensities in Saturation and Hue" of all the colours) plays a fundamental part in the Composition of an image, simply because our eyes are naturally drawn to the intensity of light. Similarly (at the other extreme), a block of dark colour surrounded by a lighter area, may become an unwanted focal point at the side of a picture, drawing the eyes away from the main subject or theme within an image.

Again, (as it is worth a mention at this point) there is another 'quick fix' that is often over used, namely the Vignette tool; where the tonal values at the borders of the image may be intensified or subdued, feathering out the effect in its 'blanket cover' towards the centre of the photograph. That is not to say that a vignette should be avoided, but that it should be used to enhance the image, rather than to address any unwanted distraction that may or may not exist (depending upon the audience's taste).

So how can we identify or decide upon, the less obvious tonal areas that we may want to adjust in an image, towards any burning ambition for accolades?

One of the quickest methods I know for "seeing" the tonal map of an image; is to observe the image literally with half closed eyes, narrowing the eye lids until, the only light entering your eyes is that which is bouncing off or emanating from the image. In doing this, you should be able to then observe the 'intensities in Saturation and Hue' (tones) as blocks of colour (without the finer details). So all those folk in the Exhibition Galleries with squinting expressions, are pulling faces for good reason.

Viewing an image in this manner, will help to determine the various planes of depth (distance) tonally, and much in the same way as Perspective and aspects in Depth of Field convey distance, Dodging and Burning areas may assist in adding more visual impact to your photograph, propelling objects forward or further away as desired. Effectively controlling the viewer's eyes without their realisation.


In the first image below, a gentle Vignette was applied to a Duplicate Layer allowing the top right hand corner of the vignette effect to be removed with a feathered Eraser to help graduate distances.

In the second image, a little localised Burning of the brighter areas in the background to the left hand side was applied, and similarly, with a smaller brush size, an additional light Burning was applied to the left hand 'edges' of the Catkins to correspond to the reflected light within the image.


In the third image, the same principle of utilising the tonal aspect to convey more distance has been applied but in a different manner. Using three Layers, the Exposure levels were altered to deepen the foreground and middle ground areas, again utilising a feathered Erasing brush to graduate and soften the effect in changes; Before a final and faint localised Burning was applied, to address an imbalance in a small area of the sky between the branches on the left hand side.

© Andy D Kemp All rights reserved 2013

New Graphics for 2013

The Benefit of Concept Photography

The term Concept Photography best describes the creation of 'artistic' images created through the photographic process, where the photographer combines or introduces new pictorial elements into a photograph to form a cohesive or believable composition.

Unlike Digital Art where the imagery is painted in from scratch pixel by pixel or Collage, in Concept Photography the final photographic image takes into account all the aspects of the light within the main photograph, in such a manner as to convince the audience that the image may naturally exist as a single record of the scene.

Concept Photography is not a new form concurrent with the age of digital photography. It has been in existence ever since post processing and darkroom skills have been utilised to manipulate photographs to convince or fool the audience, on the preconception that the camera never lies. Many examples exist, like Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths photographs of the Cottingley Fairies (which I hasten to add are not that convincing when you consider how light casts the shadow), the secretly edited images utilised for propaganda purpose by various governments and media organisations over the years, to the vast array of manipulated imagery used in advertising and or present on the Internet.

In many ways Concept Photography perhaps truly defines a photographer's worth by way of its challenge. For to succeed in this Art, the photographer proves that they fully understand all the complexities that light provides within the physical sphere in relation to the intensities of, radiation, temperature, hue, absorption, fraction and reflection; as well as the complexities born through the lens, aperture and sensor in relation to the intensities of, exposure, distortion and refraction provided by and within the equipment they are using.

Converting or manipulating photographs to change the visual aspects of an image at this level can provide a lot of fun and satisfaction. Simple exercises in Concept Photography will improve your general editing skills, and assist in the disciplines of mastering the finer elements of post processing; underlining the importance and need in adjusting the adjacent areas in an image after localised hard editing.

For example: Just as removing a lamp post from a scene requires its shadow to be removed; Boosting the Saturation or intensity in the colour of a specific item (improving the compositional aspect to draw and hold the viewer's attention), may well require additional tonal changes to be made in the surrounding areas relevant to the situation within the image as a whole. After all, it is the attention to the finer details that adds that sense of impact and extra quality to a shot, defining its worth, and elevating it above the vast sea of point and shoot snap shots.

 

Shy Satsuma

　
Of course any measure in success or merit able worth, is subjective to the personal preferences of the audience's perception and expectation, and indeed, as with many aspects in life subject to the fashions and opinions imposed by society.

Byway of a footnote upon the preconception that the camera never lies, there is of course the one possible exception; in the photographs taken with Polaroid like cameras, where the sensory capture and subsequent development of the photograph, are effectively accomplished within the sealed envelope of film held at the correct temperature.

I think I will stay with digital photography
 

Sprites

IT IS A LIVING HELL

Stop the bullying and

No one, least of all children, deserve a life of living Hell!

 

Besilvered (a poem of hope)

 

 

'Besilvered (a poem of hope)' a process in human emotion allowing the truth in situations to be established through fully understanding human responses even after the passage of time.

Underlining the challenge in modern day science to record such aspects in 'Stomach churn' and the analysis of chemical constituents within tears (in a manner sufficient to be upheld in a Court of Law). After all, if horses can smell fear in a person's sweat, there are no doubt differences in tears of fear and tears of joy. So determining, incidents of mental cruelty and mental bruising, before such situations develop into incidents in physical abuse and violent crime. And perhaps a useful way forward when an abused minor has heard the words "It will be your word against mine..."

I'm thinking on the lines of a litmus type test for Adrenocorticotropic type hormone traces found in tears of stress; perhaps more specific in relation to fear than stressful surroundings.

A pre-treated tissue to dry the eyes as a child recalls what happened while situated in a non stressful environment, (and or post analysis of fabric) may provide a very strong indication to the truth
 

Fruity

Spindle tree berries - Not suitable for human consumption - Toxic berries are not fruits and they should not be eaten.