Daily Photo – Jamie in Red
The Daily Photo series focuses on the two or three key creative choices, in terms of composition and processing, that go into creating an image. Specific technical details about the shot have been left out — you won’t hear me talking about tone curve adjustments and whatnot unless it was a key component of the end result.
Jamie poses in the dim light just after sunset.
Exposure
- Shutter: 1/200
- Aperture: f/2
- ISO: 200
- Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM
Composition and Processing
- I liked the original crop, save for two things: Jamie’s shorts, which seemed out of place; and the way the legs looked thicker when contracted to form these lines. So I brought it in closer, making it more about the face than the posture.
- The red top Jamie has on is just a piece of silk I draped over her shoulders. I really liked this color in the shot, particularly the way it matched her skin and the dark brown tones in her hair. However, processing the background to its original black gave the whole image a reddish-brown cast (the black was neutral, so the reds and browns took over). That actually looked pretty good, but not the look I was after. By adding a hint of blue to the background I eliminated the cast and offered a nice, if subtle, balance to the reds.
Original:
April 24 2009 05:01 pm | Photography