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Environmental Portraits – Edits using Photodhop

ben-edit-save-2 Today, I used a color splash technique to select various parts in the photograph to remain in color but other parts in black and white.  To start off, I duplicated the layer using Ctrl + J.   I made the background black and white and the new layer as color.  In the toolbox I clicked the black square.  Then using the brush tool, I selected areas of which I wanted to keep in color.  Carefully, I used the opacity tool and the zoom tool to have a precise level of accuracy in selecting the finer areas of the photograph.

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Environmental Portrait – Edits using Photoshop

ben-edit-save-1

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The top photograph is the edited version, and the bottom is the original.

To edit the photograph, I firstly cropped the boundaries so that composition of the photograph fits in well with the rule of thirds.  I secondly,  changed the photograph to black and white by decreasing the saturation to nothing.  I did this because traditionally, portrait photographs were taken in black and white.  Finally, I adjusted the contrast using the levels tool.  By doing this, I enhanced the dark areas and enhanced the bright areas.  To compliment both of these factors I then adjusted the grey scale to create a balance between the two sides of light.

White Balance – Experiment

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The color cast is affected by the temperature of color with different light sources. In my recording of these portrait photographs, I experimented with countering these color casts through a variety of different white balances.  By doing this, whites that are rendered by unrealistic color casts are balanced and look better under different light conditions.

White Balance

White Balance is the balance between turning unrealistic colors which are affected by the color temperature  into realistic ones.   The warmth and coldness of the light affecting the white may appear inaccurate to what the photographer wants through green and orange.   By balancing the white, the white stays as a white that works in correspondence with the colors of the photograph.

The Kalvin temperature scale:

Color Temperature Light Source
1000-2000 K  Candlelight
2500-3500 K  Tungsten Bulb (household variety)
3000-4000 K  Sunrise/Sunset (clear sky)
4000-5000 K  Fluorescent Lamps
5000-5500 K  Electronic Flash
5000-6500 K  Daylight with Clear Sky (sun overhead)
6500-8000 K  Moderately Overcast Sky
9000-10000 K  Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky

Analysis of 2 Photographs Including Keywords

tina-barney

This is a photograph of a man who is clearly powerful and wealthy. The clothing is of a high quality suit exposes his wealth and the fact the two young men are well dressed creates quite an imposing mood. The body language of the man in front who is resting on his table is quite formal. The composition of the table and it’s ornaments and decorations show he relies upon his wealth to boost his presence in the room.  To compliment this, his facial expression where he is looking down to the lens creates a sense that he is high up in status.  This idea is enhanced by the setting of the photograph where it is depicted in a large room, but also the fact it has been cropped to focus on the man to enhance the feeling that he is powerful.  The photographer also uses the rule of thirds to place the man in two third’s of the photograph.  This portrays him as someone who is important and so from this we strongly focus on his character.  However, other factors show the power and wealth of the man as well.  The background creates a feeling that the man has strong influence.  For example: the man is positioned to have the paintings behind him.  The positioning of their height on the walls suggests that these paintings are almost collections from history where the man can observe them when he pleases which enhances his authoritative presence.   Also, the depth of the photograph presents two young men.  This again, shows the man is influential over them because of their composure suggests they are protective over him.  The aperture taken from the lens shows again the man has control over the two men as they are behind him and blurred almost as if they are part of him.  Finally, the bright lighting on the man almost makes him appear God – like, and therefore we fear him as if he is judging us.

dorothea-lange

I personally don’t like this photograph thanks to it’s negative feelings it creates.  However,  I do believe that the photographer has captured the emotions of the people accurately.  The image was adjusted to be black and white to from color to highlight the struggles of that family by creating a harsher setting.  However,  the photographer has increased the exposure of  light to create a mood of optimism that there is still some hope in dark times.  Interestingly, the shadows have been enhanced by increasing the contrast.  In doing this the dirty stains on them shows where these people have been and what they have experienced creating an idea of their daily struggles.  We have a picture of where they have been by their facial expressions, clearly something bad has happened to them and so we feel sympathetic to them.  Also, the body language of the two children enhances the seriousness of the depression.  This is because children who often change their moods, however the photographer has captured their struggle as they are hugging their mother passionately.  Also, the photographer is focusing on the family by not including much of a background and cropping the photograph. How depth isn’t really included to the photograph shows that the photographer wanted us to focus on the family’s feelings rather than what caused them to feel this way.  The clothing of each person in the photograph is interesting because they are all tatty, by showing the emotions which are sad, to be reflected in the clothing shows the upset caused that they have to live with.