Photography assignment #1

[John B]

I'm taking a class called "Intentional Photography" this Summer at the Kansas City Art Institute. The course description is

Photography: Intentional
XPHO 277-80-SU
A comprehensive guide to photography, teaching you how to get what you want in your photographs - not what your camera thinks you need. Together we will survey the principles and mechanics of photography starting with the basics of exposure, various types of light including flash and different types of equipment, such as lenses. We will also explore composition in-depth, discovering what makes a photograph great. Assignments will be designed to encourage the student not only to see the world in a different way, but also to discover more about who they are.

My first assignment is to take a picture of my favorite color. My favorite color is blue. I thought of a lot of boring ways to take a picture - even showing someone extremely sad. I settled on a set of plates in various colors, with a blue piece of candy off to the side. The original picture is this:



That's three sizes of Fiesta Ware, on a gray laminate table. The light from the left is daylight; the light from the right is a color wheel.

As I was developing the picture, I thought I might try some super saturation, enough to hurt the eyes. I came up with this:



Is that too much? Should I try to refine my saturation? I know next to nothing about manipulating photos, as you can see.

All comments appreciated.

[billhammond]

Well, I like the saturated one more than the original, but I think I'd like it even better if you dialed back the color intensity, oh, 20 percent or so.

[Cornflake]

I prefer the first one (and I like it--good composition). Saturation is overdone quite a lot. A slight boost can help at times. Add very much and it starts to hurt my eyes. I'd leave the original as is. But this is all just taste.

[John B]

Don, just so you know, as a matter of taste the mint is very good.

I'll keep playing with it - both light touches to the original and a dialing back of the saturated one.

[Cornflake]

Reminds me a little of one I did, but I put a white plate on a white background and had a single strawberry in a corner of the plate. Yours is better.

Suggestion: print them both out and stick them on a wall where you'll see them with some frequency.

[sekhmet]

the top one is my favourite. You like blue best? So how come you made a teensy blue statement? hmmm?

[John B]

I 'm thinking it's teensiness draws attention to it.

[sekhmet]

soap, is that your modus vivendi?? Sitting quietly until all the noisy ones notice you because of the contrast?

I like your photo John It's a great response to the exercise.

[Marshall]

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