Formalism is the visual aspects of a photo, that considers everything, such as light, designs, textures, and the general composition of the photo. A formalist photo will usually be more about the content rather than the context. They usually include still objects, arranged in either a chaotic or simple pattern, and utilise the shadows that the objects cast. This can be done in black and white, as when the colour is removed from the photo, the objects appear more still.
This is a photo by Alexander Rodchenko, an early 1900s photographer from Russia. The photo, which is in black and white, depicts a stack of mechanical objects. This gives the photo a very rigid, still feel, because the objects are metal and have a hard and solid texture. Also, the teeth on the gears form a pattern of lines that is visually appealing, and is the highlight of the shot. The use of lighting to cast deep shadows and to create contrast between the grooves also emphasises the pattern and adds a unique and mesmerising quality to the photo. Also, because of the height of the objects and the downwards angle that the camera is facing, it is easy for the viewers eyes to get lost in the pattern. This is a common trait that appears in other formalist photos too.
This is a photo of the Shuckov Radio Tower, also in Russia. Immediately what strikes the viewer is the pattern that the tower forms. This is also very easy to get lost in and is quite mesmerising too. The photo is also in black and white, which may not have been a choice considering when this photo was taken, but still the lack of colours makes the photo easier to look at and makes it easier to focus on the subject of the photo. The use of the shadows that follow the perimeter of the shot also make it feel like the photo has been taken from a void, a place covered in darkness.
This is another photo from Alexander Rodchenko. It depicts the intricate pattern of lines that appears on a building somewhere in Russia. Once again, this pattern is visually appealing. The picture also feels big, because the building stretches out of frame. However, in this photo, a lamp post is depicted as the subject of the photo. The lamp post juts out in the photo because it is dissimilar to the main line pattern that appears on the building. This brings an interesting quality to the photo, and could be linked to ‘wabi-sabi’, finding beauty in imperfection.
Overview
There are many similar features that are utilised in the photos shown here. All feature a complex, easy to look at, mesmerising pattern that takes up the majority of the shot. All are taken in black and white and even though it is not by choice, it makes the photos feel empty and still, devoid of emotion. There is more focus on what the content of the photo is and how it looks, rather than the context of the photo, where it was taken, what emotions the viewer feels. Each photo gives a high level of stillness, there is no movement. Nothing really is out of place, even when there is an object that doesn’t fit the criteria of the pattern around it. In general, formalism is the expression of still, a moment in time, not the time before or after, but in the moment.
There are seven basic elements of photographic art: line, shape, form, texture, color, size, and depth. As a photographic artist, your knowledge and awareness of these different elements can be vital to the success of your composition and help convey the meaning of your photograph.
Line, the most fundamental of these, is the topic of this first part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
Line Photography :
Types of Lines
Lines are either straight, curved, or a combination of the two. Lines can be solid, dashed or interrupted, implied, or psychological. They can be vertical, horizontal, or somewhere in-between.
Straight lines often show up in manmade objects. Curved lines can be manmade but are often organic in nature. Solid lines are common in scenes.
Lines in photographs often connect points inside the image. Sometimes lines enter the image from a point beyond the frame or exit the image to a point beyond the frame.
Shapes :
When a line, or more than one line, closes or connects, a shape is formed. This is the topic of this next part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
Definition:
The Merriam-Webster definition of “shape” that we are concerned with as photographic artists is:
the visible makeup characteristic of a particular item or kind of item.
spatial form or contour
a standard or universally recognized spatial form
Characteristics of Shapes
Shapes are two-dimensional. They can be measured by overall height and width. Shapes can be the outline of an object—familiar or unfamiliar.
Sometimes a familiar shape can transform into an unfamiliar or unrecognizable shape based on the viewpoint of the photographer. While the shape of a standard lightbulb is recognizable and constant from the horizontal viewpoint, viewing it from directly overhead or below shows a nondescript circle.
Types of Shapes
There are two basic types of shapes: geometric (or regular) and organic. We all know geometric shapes—circle, square, triangle, dodecahedron, and so on. We are also familiar with organic shapes—the outline of a bird, elephant, flower, tree, etc. Fluids can create organic shapes that cannot be permanently defined—the shape of a cloud or a rain puddle, for instance.
Form :
What separates form from shape? Form takes shape from the two-dimensional and brings it into the three-dimensional. And, speaking of form, it is the next part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
What separates form from shape? Form takes shape from the two-dimensional and brings it into the three-dimensional. And, speaking of form, it is the next part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
Characteristics of Form
Form is three-dimensional. Form has overall height, width, and depth.
Types of Form
Just as with shapes, there are two basic types of form—geometric (or regular) and organic.
Geometric forms are the familiar sphere, cube, cone, cylinder, and so on. We are also, of course, familiar with organic forms—they are the objects that surround us in our three-dimensional world.
Like shapes, forms can be simple or infinitely complex.
And, again, like shapes, forms create positive and negative space. In a photograph, positive space is basically that which is occupied by forms; negative space is what remains.
Texture :
In photography, texture can be felt with both the fingers (the print) and virtually (with the viewer’s eye). Texture is the next part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
Definition:
The Merriam-Webster definition of “texture” that we, as photographic artists, are concerned with is:
the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something
Characteristics of Texture
Texture in “real life” can be, basically, smooth or rough. We can use other descriptors as well: slimy, wet, hard, soft, bumpy, shiny, etc.
Texture in the photograph is similar to form in that it is revealed by variations in tonality and presented in two dimensions.
Types of Texture
In a photograph, smooth objects might have reflections or specular highlights. Rough objects might have aggressive areas of light and shadow without reflections.
Colour :
We will be adding a splash of colour in this part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
Definition:
The Merriam-Webster definition of “color” that we, as photographic artists, are concerned with is:
a phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects
the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light.
also : a specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness or brightness
a colour other than and as contrasted with black, white, or grey
Characteristics of Color
Light itself has no perceived color. But, send light through a prism or a drop of water and we can see that it is comprised of a literal rainbow of colors.
Colour has three properties: hue, value, and saturation.
Hue is simply the description of the color (e.g., blue, red, yellow, etc.).
Value is the relative brightness or darkness of a color.
Saturation is the intensity or purity of a colour. The purest colour is a hue with no white, black, or grey added to it.
Types of Color
Separate the different colours of the rainbow and we can see these varied colours elicit different emotional responses—some based on genetic response, others based on cultural programming. Red can mean danger, blue symbolizes calm, yellow is happy, black is mournful, white is innocent, and purple can symbolize wealth.
Size :
Size, the most elusive of these, is the topic of this sixth part of our Elements of a Photograph series.
Definition:
The Merriam-Webster definition of “size” that we, as photographic artists, are concerned about is:
physical magnitude, extent, or bulk : relative or proportionate dimensions.
Characteristics of Size
In the world of two-dimensional art such as drawing and painting, “space” is an art element. In photography, the space is already rendered before the camera, so we look at how both size and depth are reproduced, created, and recognized in the photograph.
Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion.
Types of Size
Large, medium, or small. (NOT short, tall, grande, and venti. Please.)
The camera, lens, and print can render large objects small, or small objects large. Even objects familiar to our eyes can be rendered relatively large in a photograph, while things we know to be enormous are rendered small. Thanks to the Apollo astronauts, we can fit our entire planet onto a small photographic print. We can also print a photograph the size of a highway billboard or a single grain of sand. We can even use a 1:1 macro lens to reproduce objects at “life-size.”
Depth :
Depth, one of the most compelling elements, is the topic of this final part in our Elements of a Photograph series.
Definition:
The Merriam-Webster definition of “depth”that we, as photographic artists, are concerned about is:
in the world of two-dimensional art, such as drawing and painting, “space” is an art element. In photography, the space is already rendered before the camera, so we look at how size and depth are reproduced, created, and recognized in the photograph.
Characteristics of Depth
We already discussed depth when adding the concept of depth to shape to create form. Here we will discuss the depth of a scene—relating it to size, and adding the element of space.
Types of Depth
Unless you are photographing perpendicular to a blank and smooth wall, your image will have depth. How well the depth is rendered is dependent on the objects in the frame, your choice of composition, and your perspective in relation to the objects in the frame. Most images have a foreground, middle ground, and background. The stronger the delineation between those successive “grounds,” the stronger the sense of depth in your image.
Final Thoughts
Knowledge of the elements of art is not, by itself, the key to creating better photographs. But a familiarity with how these elements appear in the world that surrounds your camera and lens gives you a higher level of consciousness about what you are framing. That, in turn, can help you adjust your composition and even express your image more deliberately by using the tools that these elements provide.
usually still life can be described as an arrangement of objects usually including fruits, flowers and then normally some sort of silverware/glassware.
still life originally started during the early 1600’s predominately in Dutch and European paintings.
Something that has majorly effected and impacted still life was colonialism because it meant that they could have new and exotic objects that normally they would not be able to access.
Something you often spot in still life paintings would be skulls, fruit, flowers, hourglasses and candles. You often have skulls because they suggest things such as death similar with hourglasses suggesting time and maybe lack there of. Then fruit and flowers contrast with that because they can suggest things like new life. However certain flowers actually can mean different things for example poppies represent sleep or death and yet daisies represent innocence and rose love and seduction.
Image analysis- Richard Kuiper
In this image you are drawn to the fruit in the middle of the photo as it is the lightest part of the image so the dark objects around it are almost framing it.
When using the rule of thirds you can see that the image is sitting along the top left on the lines.
I think the composition of the fruit basket makes it look like a very chaotic photo as it is just piled on top on the table with other objects underneath with actually giving the image more levels and depth.
Image analysis
I think the lemons in the image are really bright with vivid colours and because it is the brightest part of the photo, so it stands out compared to the rest and has the darker background and table framing the fruit .Using the rule of thirds you can see that the fruit is centred straight in the middle hitting each line on the graph
Vanitas
Vanitas is a type of still life painting from the 1700’s where they would use symbols and objects to suggest things such as death and fatality.
This style of art would be like a reminder to everyone that you will die and you cant stop that.
Lots of the common objects have certain symbolic meanings for example a mirror can suggest self reflection and an lamp can often suggest the human soul.
In still life artwork there is something very closely related too it called Memento Mori. Its basically an object or symbol used as a reminder its usually depicted/represented by a skull. Its practically used/thought about in every still life piece of work.
The actual phrase translate from Latin to “remember you must die”. The phrase was often used by Catholics on things like graves and tombstones and memorial plaques.
This was an image analysis did in class where we were looking at both the technical aspects and the visual aspects.
We were focusing on the visual and technical aspects of the image so things like the focus on the camera and how everything is in focus.
We looked at the rule of thirds and how the darker parts of the image would be centring/surrounding the middle.
We also had to look at the image and figure out it we thought it was natural lighting or lighting done with tools like ring lights.
Renger-Patzsch was born in Würzburg and began making photographs by age twelve.[1] After military service in the Fist World warhe studied chemistry at the Königlich-Sächsisches Polytechnikum in Dresden. In the early 1920s he worked as a press photographer for the Chicago Tribune before becoming a freelancer and, in 1925, publishing a book, Das Chorgestühl von Kappenberg (The Choir Stalls of Cappenberg). He had his first museum exhibition in Lübeck in 1927.
The types of subjects he preferred to photograph:
The types of subjects he preferred to photograph. The ways in which he explored the formal elements in his work e.g. form, light, rhythm, line, texture, repetition etc. Renger-Patzsch work is very abstract and mainly focused on similar patterns being repeated.
Neue Sachlichkeit:The New Objectivity was a movement in German art that arose during the 1920s as a reaction against expressionism.
The ways in which he explored the formal elements in his work e.g. form, light, rhythm, line, texture, repetition etc.
How does Renger-Patzsch’s work fit with the concerns of artists associated with this movement? The types of subjects he preferred to photograph. The ways in which he explored the formal elements in his work e.g. form, light, rhythm, line, texture, repetition etc. His famous book ‘The World is Beautful’
Historical context
There are numerous reasons why some photographers in the 1920s (along with other artists) began to represent the world with “objective, sober eyes”:
a response to the chaos of the First World War and a rejection of the culture leading up to it
a rejection of the emotional and spiritual concerns of Expressionism and an interest in the rational and political
a response to rapid industrialisation in Europe and America
a response to the particular qualities of the camera and a move away from painterly effects like soft focus
Photo Analysis:
Overall I really like this photo as it has a contrasting background and helps the main objects to standout, there are shadows under the object which makes the objects pop out, this is really effective and helps me understand how the artist has looked at the texture, light, lines and patterns of each object, I feel as though the artist has made the photo look quite plain but minimalistic , they could have made the background colourful or even the objects colourful to add different emotions to the photo. This photo makes me feel quite relaxed in the way that I don’t feel rushed or pressured to do anything, almost as though everything round me is still, however the lines in the shadows could also resemble a slight shake in the glass almost a panicked emotion showing and spreading through. I really like how his photo has turned out and would want to try and recrate it one day.
I took a variety of photos on the simulator but changed the aperture and ISO and the shutter speed to gather different types of photos. The last photo was my best one because the shutter speed was so high it captured the moving wheel on the plane perfectly almost making it look like a still life photo.
The other photos show that the quality of the shots were not good because the aperture and ISO were off moving the ‘dial’ the anything but 0. The photos are blurry and the light isn’t captured properly making the quality bad overall.
Formalism photography is where the design, composition and lighting are dominant over the subject matter. Formalism photographs have a structure. These formal and visual elements are; line, shape, form texture, colour, size and depth.
Mood Board
Lines
A straight or curved geometric element that is generated by a moving point and that has extension only along the path of the point.
The orientation of lines
The type and direction of lines in an image present meanings inside the photograph. Vertical or horizontal lines present a sense of stability or a static feel to an image. Horizontal lines can present distance and vertical lines can present height, balance, strength. A level horizon or a vertical building in a photograph can give a sense of calm, but when angling the horizon or building, the photograph presents movement or action. Diagonal lines present a more dynamic scene.
Shape
When a line, or more than one line, closes or connects, a shape is formed.
Characteristics of shapes
Shapes are two-dimensional and can be measured by their height and width. Shapes can also be the outline of an object, which may be familiar or unfamiliar. Sometimes a shape you may find familiar can be changed into an unfamiliar shape by changing the view point of the photograph. For example the shape of a standard lightbulb is recognisable from the horizontal viewpoint, but is not recognisable when viewing it from directly overhead or below, which shows a nondescript circle.
Different shapes, when they intersect and overlap, can combine to create a new shape. Shapes can also surround an area to create another shape. In a photograph a silhouette is the purest form of a shape. Shapes are often visually defined by the intersection, and/or closing/ joining of lines. Shapes can be defined by other shapes surrounding an area, such as the arrow in the logo of a popular shipping company. The area containing a shape is often referred to as positive space, and the outside area is called negative space. However, sometimes the negative space creates a shape of its own.
Types of shapes
There are two basic types of shapes, which are organic or geometric (regular). Geometric shapes consist of circles, squares, triangles etc. and organic shapes consist of things such as an outline of a bird, elephant, flower tree etc. Fluids can also create organic shapes that cannot be permanently defined, such as the shape of a cloud or rain puddle.
Where are shapes in a photograph?
Shapes are everywhere in a photograph, and the physical photograph is a shape. It is usually a square or a rectangle, but can occasionally be a circle or an oval or a random shape. Inside the photograph are shapes captured in the scene by the photographer on their camera. Shapes can be simple or very complex.
Form
Form takes a shape from two-dimensional and makes it three-dimensional and also has height, width and depth. It is the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its materials.
Types of form
Form also has geometric (regular) and organic, just like shape. Geometric forms consist of cones, spheres, cube, cylinder, etc. and organic forms consist of objects that surround us in our three-dimensional world. Forms can be simple or very complex. Forms also create positive and negative space. In a photograph positive space is which is occupied by forms and negative space is what remains.
Where are forms in photographs?
Forms are often everywhere in photographs. A photograph captures all the forms in the view of the lens. Three-dimensional forms are rendered in two dimensions by the photograph. Whether printed or on the screen, the final image does not have depth, so we perceive three- dimensional forms by using shadow. Photographs show form by capturing highlights, through the midtones, and into the core shadow of any object.
Texture
In photography, texture can be felt with both the fingers (the print) and virtually (with the viewer’s eye). Texture is the visual or tactile surface characteristics or appearance of something.
Characteristics of texture
Texture in ‘real life’ can be smooth or rough, but can also be described as slimy, wet, hard, soft, bumpy, shiny etc. However, in photographs it is similar to form as it is revealed in tonality and presented in two dimensions.
Types of texture
In a photograph, smooth objects might have reflections or specular highlights. Rough objects might have aggressive areas of light and shadow without reflections. However, in a photograph we cannot ‘feel’ the texture of whatever the photo is, but if it is familiar we can recognise how it would feel. However, if it is not familiar to the viewer they would not be able to imagine the ‘feel’ of the texture. Patterns can also indicate textures in photos. The physical print has its own texture, which may be glossy versus matte, or even canvas-textured printing papers, for example, which may or may not be aligned with the texture of the objects in the photograph.
Where is texture in photographs?
Texture can be elusive in a photograph, depending on the subject, the lighting, and the forms in the image. A lack of visual texture might mean that the object is smooth, or It could mean that it is too far away from the camera and the texture cannot be resolved. It could also mean that the light is diffused or lit from head-on and the texture is hidden. Form and shadow is what emphasizes texture. Even the tiny shadows of the texture on a plaster wall. A photograph of a full moon does not show much surface texture, but the oblique lighting of a crescent or gibbous moon, viewed through a telephoto lens with sufficient resolution, will show incredible texture on the surface. Despite the texture of the object in the photograph there are factors that will emphasise or obscure how this object is perceived.
Colour
Colour is a phenomenon of light or a visual perception that enables someone to differentiate between identical objects. The appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light.
Characteristics of colour
Light itself has no perceived colour, but when sent through a prism or a drop of water it is comprised of a literal rainbow of colours. Colour has three properties, which are hue, value, and saturation.
Hue– The description of the colour (e.g., blue, red, yellow, etc.).
Value– The relative brightness or darkness of a colour.
Saturation– The intensity or purity of a colour. The purest colour is a hue with no white, black, or grey added to it.
Types of colour
Many different colours can have very different meanings, based of emotional responses, genetic responses or cultural programming. Red can mean danger, blue symbolizes calm, yellow is happy, black is mournful, white is innocent, and purple can symbolize wealth. Bold and bright colours are known for grabbing our eye. A bold and bright-coloured subject in a photo can be a good thing, but if your subject is not bold and bright, while other things in the frame are, then it can detract from your subject. A solution for bright and bold distractors is to make the photograph black and white. Muted colours might elicit indifference or even melancholic feelings, but muted tones abound in such calm/ happy moments, often make for powerful photographs. Harmonic colours are colours that compliment each other serve to create distinct feelings in photographs, because subjects in the photo can visually connected through their colours.
Where is colour in photographs?
Mainstream coloured photographs did not exist until the 1930s, but now colour can be seen everywhere in photos, unless the photo is in black and white.
Size
Size is physical magnitude, extent, or bulk : relative or proportionate dimensions.
Characteristics of size
Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion. When a familiar object appears in the frame of a photograph, we immediately get a feel for the scope of the entire scene. Without a familiar object in the image, we struggle to determine the scale shown in the photograph. However, there are optical illusions and some that are unique to two-dimensional renderings of three-dimensional scenes and some illusions that are enhanced by rendering them in two dimensions.
Types of size
Different types of sizes include small, medium and large. The camera, lens, and print can render large objects small, or small objects large. Even objects familiar to our eyes can be rendered relatively large in a photograph, while things we know to be enormous are rendered small. We can fit our entire planet onto a small photographic print. We can also print a photograph the size of a highway billboard or a single grain of sand. We can even use a 1:1 macro lens to reproduce objects at ‘life-size.’
Size in photographs
With a casual snapshot, size might not be something one even considers when composing the image. The size of common objects in the photograph gives the scene a sense of scale, but a single object in space might not accomplish this since there is no means for comparison. There are times when another object, maybe sitting atop our subject, serves to confirm the scale in the image, which eliminates the possibility of confusion. If you want to emphasize the size of an object in the photograph in relation to its surroundings, you should get closer to that object. When a three-dimensional scene is rendered in two dimensions, as your view extends out toward the horizon, objects closer to the horizon are farther away than those near the top, bottom, or sides of the image. Overlap is another way to render a scene virtually in three dimensions, and overlap can also give hints to size. When one object is in front of another, and it is smaller than the object behind it, we generally know the relative sizes of the two objects in question, as long as those two objects are close to each other in three-dimensional space.
Depth
Depth is the direct linear measurement from the front to the back.
Characteristics of depth
We already discussed depth when adding the concept of depth to shape to create form. The depth of a scene, which relates to its size, and adding the element of space. We are given a sense of depth due to various visual cues, to which we rarely give much thought or analysis, but these ques can create more compelling photographs, which the viewer will find themselves looking deeper. This perception of three-dimensional space is what our eyes experience whenever they are open, and that is what our eyes try to experience when looking at a photograph.
Types of depth
Unless you are photographing perpendicular to a blank and smooth wall, your image will have depth. How well the depth is rendered is dependent on the objects in the frame, your choice of composition, and your perspective in relation to the objects in the frame. Most images have a foreground, middle ground, and background. The stronger the delineation between those successive ‘grounds,’ the stronger the sense of depth in your image. Including a distant horizon is not required to give a sense of depth to your image. Depth is provided by visual cues.
Visual indicators of depth
Photographs taken of roads/ train tracks show depth, as they show the road or tracks narrowing as they become more distant. This convergence of lines is called linear perspective. This is because as the road/ train gets further from the eye/ camera it appears to converge, which shows depth. Depending on the quality of the surrounding air or atmosphere, distant objects in a photograph will have less clarity and contrast than objects in the foreground. This aerial perspective is indicative of depth in a photograph. Texture gradient shows depth in a photograph as relatively distinct foreground textures and texture gradients in a photograph smooth out as they recede into the distance. The overlap of objects also show depth as they show which object is closer and which object is further away. Size also helps show depth, because the smaller an object the further away it is/ seems, assuming the viewer is familiar with the object. Where you place objects in the frame can also show depth, because the higher an object is in the frame relative to the horizon (seen or implied), the greater is the perceived distance to that object. This is called upward dislocation.
I used Lightroom classic to go through all my photos and started by colour labelling my photos to make a rough idea of which photos are better than the others, this then allowed me to make a best shots unedited folder. I used the idea of green for the best shots and red for the shots that I don’t like.
First Shot
I then started to edit the best shots, I started by using the spot heal tool to remove any thigs I felt took away from the overall image liked the price tag on the hat and flecks of dust on the background.
After that I started to adjust the colouring on each image, as I used neutral lighting on most of my shots it made it easier to edit and manipulate the image to how I wanted it to look.
Second Shot
This image needed cropping so I used the cropped grid tool to centre the subject.
These were the settings for this shot. At the time these worked well on the actual taking of the photos. However with flash box lighting the image looked slightly washed out so I then went onto edit the saturation and exposure.
As seen above I increased the saturation by +40 which while leading to a purple tint on the upper half of the photo, when I then decreased the highlights to -100 it made the colours of the tie, stock and red in the rosette brighter and a more accurate representation of the actual colours. I also think this makes the photo have a more nostalgic feel as the bright colours remind me of my childhood and the excitement of winning.
I then felt the purple tint was too much so I then used the colour selections to change the purple levels in the photo drawing the image back to the original lighting with no purple tint but with the more prominent colours in the tie and stock.
I then felt the image edges were very soft and I wanted the details of the ribbon and the lines in the stock to be sharp against the background.
This is my final image, overall I the editing has greatly improved the image. The composition of the original shot was already well composed, however I felt the lighting needed work. This could also have been done while taking the photo via flash lighting set up I used however I also felt I could benefit the image with editing. Vibrancy is a common connection between nostalgia and the things/ photos that create it, so I felt not only did the editing help the general photo but also gave the photo a further nostalgic feel.
The next step I had was to add different objects to the shoot to create a story slightly less personal to me and instead working on what I have researched. By using ‘old fashioned’ objects I think it gives a great story and insight into history. I looked at the lines created, the patterns and following the rules that an odd number of objects always looks better than an even.
First Shot
The first editing step was to cropping this image, I wanted to centre the objects as while taking the shot I made sure the violin was in the middle of the shot as it has height, leading the viewer around the shots composition.
The temperature of the image is cooler now I have adjusted it downwards, this is to benefit the lighting as it quite neutral before hand so the cooler tint brings out the colour and shadows.
The before and after (starting from after cropping was done) Overall the editing has greatly improved the image, looking at the the artists I have looked at I noted the cool tones and textured images, so to recreate this through photography I added texture on the texture sliders.
Second Shot
Again I started by cropping the photo down as it was on an angle as I needed to use a bigger field in my photo to start with to allow the lighting to be in the photo.
This set of images shows my process within editing the photos, I start by changing the highlights, once a lot higher and once a lot lower. Now comparing the images I much prefer the highlights being higher as the clarity and definition of the shapes within the photo is immensely better. Saying this I do like the idea of having a grey toned background as I think it adds to the overall image.
Following on from my previous edited image, I chose to increase the texture allowing things like the wood grain in the violin to be seen. By choosing not to adjust the vibrancy or the saturation I kept the image fairly true to life within its colouring, showing I used my lighting correctly and set up my camera well.
Third Shot
Again I started by cropping the photo to make sure the subjects were centred well. This is particularly important in still life works as it is all about the composition of shot.
Choosing to next adjust the exposure to bring out the colours and level out the image slightly. I will probably go onto change it again but it is a great starting point for this shot.
.
This is the image after adjusting the rest of the tone and presence sliders. I chose lift the orange tones in the shot, pulling both ends of the photo together. Texture is something I also increased as I like how the age can be seen in the tankard and icing set.
This is a before and after (without cropping) of the final image. The obvious differences are that the background is darker, this nicely complements the increased texture. The objects stand out more with their more true to life colourings brought out by the reduced highlights and increased black depth. The photo appears more intriguing to the viewer as the textures and better detail can be seen in the image, which is vital with a small depth of field and non contextual background.
