Too much colour?

Hi all,

I've recently added some pictures to an online gallery (www.beegeeboy.smugmug.​com) and told a photographer friend I know about it for a bit of feedback. He said that I should be careful of 'over saturating' the colours, as the trend at the moment is for 'cooler' processing. I'd love to know what other people think. I have to say, I do love rich colours!!!

Thoughts anyone?

David

I don't see a problem with a lot of color. I browsed a couple albums on your site and I was very impressed with the pictures and color processing you chose. If the trend is going towards cooler processing, I'll have a hard time following because I like the warmer, more saturated photos.

I was looking through your Sarah album and noticed on picture that was a little warmer than the others. I think all of them look great regardless whether you go with a warmer or cooler processing-- just a personal preference. I guess the really question is: What does Sarah (or any other client) like more?


You very impressive photography, by the way.

beegeeboy wrote in post #8364254
Hi all,

I've recently added some pictures to an online gallery (www.beegeeboy.smugmug.​com) and told a photographer friend I know about it for a bit of feedback. He said that I should be careful of 'over saturating' the colours, as the trend at the moment is for 'cooler' processing. I'd love to know what other people think. I have to say, I do love rich colours!!!

Thoughts anyone?

David

Anyone who's advice is to follow current trends isn't someone I'd listen to more than once.

Hi,

Thanks Mt Olympus for your comments, much appreciated. I know which photo of Sarah (my wife to be-on Saturday!) you are referring to, and yes, I agree it is a little warmer than the others. That's just my PP techniques showing my inexperience!!

CDi - very pertinent comment. Think I'll follow that advice!

David

beegeeboy wrote in post #8364401
Sarah (my wife to be-on Saturday!)

Congratulations! She's gawjuss!

Congratulations on the wedding coming up this Saturday! You have a very beautiful fiancee. I like the lighting you used would you care to share what you used? Thanks.

Hi,

Thank you both! I know I'm a very lucky fella...lighting was just one off camera flash, camera right...and lots of triall and error as I'd only had the flash a few days and didn't really know what I was doing!! lol. She was VERY patient with me!

David

That's cool. You've got quite a bit of burnt highlights on this one, in case you didn't notice. Just an FYI. Looks like it's processing though and not lighting.

As always CDi, you're right! It is processing...and I really ought to get round to putting it right. It's funny how different things look when someone points things out to you...you never notice them first time round. Well, I don't anyway!!

David

Keep doing your thing, photos are great IMO.

Love the photos, you have talent and you PP work is pretty good.

My only advice is (if you don't already have one) get a spyder2 or some other monitor calibrator so that you know exactly how your images will look when printed.

and IMO little too warm > too cool. I usually set my WB slightly to the warmer side myself.

too colorful?

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Most look OK to me. Keep in mind that some people commenting haven't got calibrated monitors & browsers so you'll start to wonder why some see something different from what you see?
Firefox (3.0.4) + add ons.

beegeeboy wrote in post #8364254
Hi all,

I've recently added some pictures to an online gallery (www.beegeeboy.smugmug.​com) and told a photographer friend I know about it for a bit of feedback. He said that I should be careful of 'over saturating' the colours, as the trend at the moment is for 'cooler' processing. I'd love to know what other people think. I have to say, I do love rich colours!!!

Thoughts anyone?

David

Take this guy's advice with a grain of salt and a balanced perspective, then make your own decisions based on your own taste and vision and, secondly, on how they appeal to others.

Yes there are and have always been styles that veer from either full color, "natural look", whatever. For instance, high key photography, which combines careful studio lighting, backdrops, exposure techniques to achieve a high contrast somewhat desaturated look is great for some glamor and commercial shots and "artistic impression" but if you want to photograph a model to represent "the girl next door" then, well, not-so-much.

A lot of popular styles play on a similar theme with post-processing. There's nothing wrong with that, but two things are pretty much in common: a serious emphasis on desaturating or deemphasizing color, and the fact that the end result just "doesn't look natural".

So, what are you aiming for? It's up to you -- you can play with the different techniques but don't feel you need to bind yourself to them. There are very few Dave Hills that make a whole lot with a particular style but there are a whole lot of imitators who will never reach the pinnacle of success by copying others.

Shoot a MacBeth chart, print it, compare the two. 'Oversaturated' becomes a simple comparison!