COLOUR-
Colour symbolism in art and anthropology refers to the use of colour as a symbol in various cultures. There is great diversity in the use of colours and their associations between cultures and even within the same culture in different time periods.
Colour in Photography. The definition of colour is a component of light which is separated when it is reflected off of an object. Colour begins with light and the colours we see are influenced by the characteristics of the light source.
Colour in photography could definitely be seen as the most important factor. It can create mood, emotion, warmth, coldness and much more. Colour in an image can also be imperative to the narrative of the image.
Vibrance is a smart-tool which cleverly increases the intensity of the more muted colours and leaves the already well-saturated colours alone. It's sort of like fill light, but for colours. Vibrance also prevents skin tones from becoming overly saturated and unnatural.
1. RED – anger, passion, rage, desire, excitement, energy, speed, strength, power, heat, love, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence
2. PINK – love, innocence, healthy, happy, content, romantic, charming, playfulness, soft, delicate, feminine
3. YELLOW – wisdom, knowledge, relaxation, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, dishonesty, cowardice, betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard
4. ORANGE – humour, energy, balance, warmth, enthusiasm, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant
5. GREEN – healing, soothing, perseverance, tenacity, self-awareness, proud, unchanging nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, vigour, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy
6. BLUE – faith, spirituality, contentment, loyalty, fulfilment peace, tranquillity, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, sky, water, cold, technology, depression
7. PURPLE/VIOLET – erotic, royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning, power, sensitive, intimacy
8. BROWN – materialistic, sensation, earth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, stability, simplicity
9. BLACK – No, power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger
10. WHITE – Yes, protection, love, reverence, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, birth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical, sterile
11. SILVER – riches, glamorous, distinguished, earthy, natural, sleek, elegant, high-tech
12. GOLD – precious, riches, extravagance. warm, wealth, prosperity, grandeur
Analogous Colours-
Analogous colours are groups of three colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel, sharing a common colour, with one being the dominant colour, which tends to be a primary or secondary colour, and a tertiary. Red, orange, and red-orange are examples.
In these three photos, these are examples of analogous colours because on the colour wheel these shades are next to each other meaning it reflects/represents the theme of analogous colours. I feel these pictures are more on the warm side of the colour spectrum as they are mostly red, orange, yellow and pink, whereas complimentary colours are more on the blue, purple and green side of the colour spectrum. Here are the colour schemes-Red, Red-Orange & Red-Violet. Combining these warm, rich hues creates a relaxing...
Yellow, Yellow-Orange & Orange. For a bright and a bit retro look,...
Blue-Green, Green, Yellow-Green. Smooth and refreshing, this trio of colours sits well on...
Blue, Blue-Violet, Violet. Cool...
Complimentary Colours-
Complimentary colours are pairs of colours which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out by producing a grayscale colour like white or black. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those two colours. Complementary colours may also be called "opposite colours." In these three photos, these are examples of complimentary colours as the colours that are on the photos are opposite each other on the colour wheel but as they cancel each other out, it makes the colours work so nicely together and gives a good difference between them. These are mostly cool tones in terms of colours as the majority is blue, green and purple being the complete opposite to analogous colours with also the fact that the colours that work together are either opposite or next to each other. Red, Red-Orange & Red-Violet. Combining these warm, rich hues creates a relaxing...
Yellow, Yellow-Orange & Orange. For a bright and a bit retro look,...
Blue-Green, Green, Yellow-Green. Smooth and refreshing, this trio of colours sits well on...
Blue, Blue-Violet, Violet. Cool...
Saturated Colours-
Colour saturation refers to the intensity of colour in an image. In technical terms, it is the expression of the bandwidth of light from a source. The term hue refers to the colour of the image itself, while saturation describes the intensity (purity) of that hue. When colour is fully saturated, the colour is considered in purest (truest) version. Brightness can help us tell the difference between bread and toast, especially burnt toast. Hue is therefore the actual colour. Brightness refers to how much white (or black) is mixed in the colour while Saturation indicates the amount of grey in a colour. In photography the term 'saturation' describes the depth or intensity of colour present within an image. Saturation is also referred to as 'chrome'; The more saturated an image is the more colourful and vibrant it will appear, less colour saturation will make an image appear subdued or muted. Colour saturation refers to the intensity of colour in an image. Primary colours red, blue and yellow are considered truest version colour as they are fully saturated. As the saturation increases, the colours appear to be more pure. As the saturation decreases, the colours appear to be more washed-out or pale.
Muted Colours-
Muted colours are soft and gentle, not bright and strong. He likes sombre, muted colours–she likes bright colours. The muted greens of the far pasture. Synonyms: subdued, subtle, faded, delicate More Synonyms of muted.
A muted colour is a colour with the compliment added. For example: if I start with blue and add a bit of orange (this colour is straight across the colour wheel and is the compliment to blue), then I will create a less brilliant blue. Muted is just another word for greyed, dulled or desaturated. It refers to colours which have a low saturation (or chrome). The opposite of a muted colour is a vivid colour. Black (this will also darken the colour);
White (this will also lighten the colour);
Grey;
The complement of the colour (for example, you can desaturate blue by mixing it with orange); or.
An earthy colour such as raw umber or burnt sienna.
William Egglestone-
William Eggleston, in full William Joseph Eggleston, Jr., (born July 27, 1939, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.), American photographer whose straightforward depictions of everyday objects and scenes, many of them in the southern United States, were noted for their vivid colours, precise composition, and evocative allure. His work was credited with helping establish colour photography in the late 20th century as a legitimate artistic medium.
Born into wealth, Eggleston grew up on his family’s former cotton plantation in the Mississippi Delta and, as a teenager, attended a boarding school in Tennessee. As a student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, he began to take photographs after a friend, recognising his artistic inclinations as well as his fascination with mechanics, encouraged him to buy a camera.
In the photos I see what looks like an American style diner with the little details added onto it including the sauces, the lighting, the wall, and the car outside. It makes me feel like I’m in America or somewhere that represents it. I think the photographer William Egglestone is trying to communicate the different cultures/countries spread through different place. The image communicates this message by taking pictures of an American styled diner which could actually be in the United Kingdom. The emotions represented are quite scared as red represents danger however the lightning changes it to quite a calm atmosphere surrounding the restaurant.
I would like to know why they didn’t show a full image of the diner to really understand what type of place it is and the emotions represented throughout, because there could be a completely different story to the pictures than in real life. I like the colours that are spread throughout because it makes you understand the type of mood and vibe there is, I dislike that they didn’t show more images of the rest of the surroundings to see the type of people and what message it gives off. I think its been achieved by going to either an American style diner or finding a set that used this and taking pictures of that throughout.
Contact Sheet-
(AO1. You must ensure that several of the visual ideas/inspirations within the image bank are pursued. )
In the contact sheet I took representations of two of his photos which were the lights and the table with the sauces on it as I found that really expresses different surroundings due to the type of food.
I chose images 4341, 4348, 4356, 4359 and 4362 as my best five photos because I feel they looked most similar towards William Egglestones work however there is an aspect of my own work and way that I wanted the photos to turn out because I couldn’t find exact representations of the items that he used so I had to improvise with what was around however it still goes with it.
I chose images 4338, 4345, 4347, 4349 and 4355 as my photos to improve due to the fact that I feel they didn’t represent his work as much as the others however they are still good photos, they are just not right for this photographer or to be the best five photos. In editing I’m going to change the lighting to reflect the image of William Egglestones.
He photographs monumentalize everyday subject matter, such as motel rooms and storefronts, in eccentric, refined compositions.
The Snapshot aesthetic provided Eggleston with the appropriate format for creating anecdotal pictures about everyday life. Its association with family photographs, amateur photography, as well as Kodak's Brownie camera (which was useable by everyone) lent his work the proper proportions and personal attitude toward the impersonal everyday
Five Best Photos-
AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.
I chose these five photos as my five best pictures because I feel they represented Williams work the most however they are all quite different together, when put next to each other they all work well. I feel the bottom two represent his work very well due to the angle and the way the items have been positioned on the chequered table cloth, which really gives you the thought of America proving my point from before. It was quite hard to recreate due to the fact that we have different objects from England to America and not the same type of aesthetic.
5 Photos That Need Improvement-
I chose these photos to improve because they are not the worst photos but if I edited them and took them for a different angle they could be one of the best but because they are raw without any editing or anything they go on the improvement side. On the bottom two I think i need to enhance the colour along with the saturation to make it more stand out.
On the lights I would make the background a colour to represent his work. If I was to do this angle i would change up the way i have taken the photos tor represent William's style and try and make the background quite similar however it looks quite natural considering his photos was taken at a restaurant.
Edits-
I edited these photos to show William Egglestones style on my own photos, I edited the red ish colour onto the background of the photo to represent the look of an American diner, in the other photos I wanted to make the saturation quite orange but not to orange just to make it look like quite antique and western as I felt that was the vibe going along with these photos.
The photo on the bottom left I feel as it is on its own however if I merged it with the top left photo it would create the perfect balance of colour as they would go well together however the red might mute the blue colour into a kind of grey colour but it depends on the shades of both.
Editing Process-
AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.
Firstly I went onto adjustments and I changed the curve higher up so it added a bit of light onto the picture so it would be easier when I added a bit of saturation onto it. Next I moved onto colour balance where I made it more red to create a western look and then I turned it more onto the orange side. Lastly I added hue and saturation I didn’t really use the hue, that why it was on 0 I wanted to focus on the saturation where I made it more golden then red, because the red was quite overpowering and took away from the actual subject/picture.
Final Photos-
AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.
I chose these photos as my final pictures because I feel they were the best out of all of them and I think you can't really have one without the other because they contrast well with each other to make it look that they were found in the same are just different angles and shots. I tried to steer away from making the red as even though that's the vibe William goes for, I wanted to make it more golden so it is bright and has a contrast to the ceiling or around it.