Selective color photos C&C

[stone_family3]

Local camera store is holding a contest, the subject is selective color photos.

This is my first attempt. Please let me know what you think. I don't know what my final photo will be yet. There are just my first works.

 

[o hey tyler]

IMO IMHO TBQH none of these are a good use of selective coloring.

 

[stone_family3]

Do you have any examples you can show?

 

[stone_family3]

As I stated I don't know what my final photo will be, for my first attempts I opted for photos what weren't very detailed because I wasn't sure how to do it, I got my instructions off of TPF.

 

[o hey tyler]

You need to consider composition of the photo, and what selective coloring would do in terms of where it will draw the eye, and to what object.

For example, what does a black and white man in a playground tell the viewer?

What kind of thoughts does a yellow dandelion with a grayish background convey?

 

[mrpink]

Do you have any examples you can show?

selective color should draw your attention to the highest point of interest in the photo- here is one I did a while back....

The only reason it works here is because her face (aka the subject) is covered by the flowers (aka props) Without selective color, this photo would be tossed from my set.

Your photos are not awful, they are just not good candidates for SC.




p!nK

 

[LCARSx32]

The one with the jungle gym got me thinking. It'd be cool if you had someone dressed in 1920's attire (suit, fedora -- like an old mob movie) but in a decidedly modern setting (abstract art sculpture, modern glass building) and had just the person black and white. Almost like they were thrown from the past into the present. They would need a look of astonishment or confusion on thier face.

I think it would be neat, anyway...

 

[tirediron]

The one with the jungle gym got me thinking. It'd be cool if you had someone dressed in 1920's attire (suit, fedora -- like an old mob movie) but in a decidedly modern setting (abstract art sculpture, modern glass building) and had just the person black and white. Almost like they were thrown from the past into the present. They would need a look of astonishment or confusion on thier face.

I think it would be neat, anyway...

I think that's an outstanding idea! :thumbup:

 

[Gaerek]

The fact that selective color is the theme of a contest makes me cringe. I'm in agreement that none of these are good uses of selective color. mrpink posted a decent example. You have to think, "Does this help the image, or hurt it?" Think about where the eye is drawn. Whatever is colored will automatically be the first thing people look at in the image, no matter what else is in the image. Coloring secondary objects (like the stuffed animal in the last one) is a no no. The first thing I looked at was this ugly green and red thing, and I almost completely missed the absolutely cute look on the girls face. I wish I had an example for you, but I pretty much refuse to do selective coloring at all. If I ever see a shot of mine where it would work, I might try it, but it's rare.

The suggestion above, about someone in old attire in a modern setting might work well. Keep at it, and the most important thing is that the eye is going to go first to whatever stands out the most. That would be the colored object in a selective color shot.

EDIT: I just thought of one more thing to think about. Since this is for a contest, I would recommend you stay away from flowers. I can pretty much guarantee that half the entries will be flowers colored, and everything else B&W. The judges might pick one out of that group, but I bet most of them will be tossed out in the first round.