Here's why I chose this shot for this week's challenge.
On Wednesday, while sitting at Seven Saints partaking in the weekly whiskey lunch, I noticed the lighting on the folks at a table behind us. I happened to have my camera handy so I snuck in a few shots of them while they were chatting and looking at the menus. This is not something I've been comfortable doing, taking pictures of strangers. I didn't ask permission, I didn't apologize afterward, I just took a picture of something I felt was interesting and in the moment quite striking.
So in away, this shot represents 2 beginnings: the beginning of a stranger's lunch break, and the beginning of a personal effort to do more street photography. I love capturing candid moments, and just taking life as it's happening. We'll see how it goes :)
Canon EOS T3i
1/125 @ f/5.6, ISO 1600
55mm
Profound statement or not, that's a great picture. Good on you for having your camera with you and taking it. I know I let nerves or whatever keep me from doing what you just did there.
ReplyDeleteI think the direction and quality of the light is worth noting and remembering if the time comes to recreate something similar. There's only one source, there, doing all that work. It's lighting that guy from both sides, giving texture and shape to everything around him perfectly. I can certainly see why it struck you.
I'd like to hear how you processed it. That's something I'm really not well-versed in.
My process has firmed up a bit in the last few weeks. I tried a few different approaches as I was getting the hang of things and have settled (for now) on the following steps.
ReplyDelete(all done in Camera Raw from Bridge)
First, I crop and straighten the image. Next, I adjust the white balance, trying to get the image to feel as natural as possible. After that I assign the camera/lens profile to adjust for lens distortion and fringing (unless the fringing works for the image :P ).
Then I adjust the contrast and clarity of the image, as well as reduce vibrancy a touch. In my mind, this step is sort of the primer for the color work, allowing the next step to 'stick'.
Next I adjust the color using RGB curves (usually only blue and green). I keep the white and black points pinned, and add a very slight s-curve to cool the shadows and warm the highlights. I like to use curves as I can get a bit more specific as to where the transition between warm and cool happens. To finish this step I'll use split toning very slightly to push the palette a bit.
Finally, I tweak for noise and adjust sharpness and usually add a vignette.
That's it.
That's more advanced than my processing usually gets. I mean, I still do it all in Camera RAW, but I tend not to get into such specific color adjustments. Once in awhile I'm inspired to, but rarely. Usually I plan for it ahead of time. I have this tendency to stick with what I actually shot. Purity or stubbornness, you decide.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you pulled it off on this one, for sure.
Well, whatever your intention, great point and shoot, Chris.
ReplyDeleteThere's some nice color and clarity here, and as Nick mentioned, texture.
And, good lord what is fringing? Sounds sexual. I might need a video of this camera raw work you're doing.