I've never been a fan of selective coloring. The flowers look REALLY bad next to the black and white. The reflection in the mirror doesn't go with the scene.
interesting idea, but I think it is too much with the image and selective coloring... one or the other, but I am not sure that either was pulled off in a particularly amazing way for me.
hummm, I think I would toy with something else. Just him looking at her in black and white with out the colored flowers are the wall hanging would have made a nice picture in itself. Yvette
Robbie I really dislike the coloring of the flowers. I really like the concept of the mirror. I don't know how well it works in this context but I think the idea itself has potential to be very cool with some thought & a bit of lateral thinking.
There are a few problems with this - the flowers look really bad, it just doesn't work in this case - selective colouring for its own sake is never a good idea.
The second point is I don't understnad what's going on in the photo, is that a bridesmaid? If so why is the groom looking at her like that in the setting of a romantic shot? The picture frame idea is interesting though, it looks clear and sharp. A better shot might have been with just the groom looking towards the left side of the image and his bride in the frame as you have done.
Sam Hassas wrote:
Interesting but just doesn't do it. I know you worked hard on it too. It screams, I just learned how to use layer mask.
~sam
It may scream that to you Sam, and those of us in here with photoshop knowledge, but does his bride know what a "layer mask" is do you think?
We may all think that selective colouring is cliche, but the fact remains that it's still very popular (I still get asked for it every wedding) and at the end of the day the images we produce are for our brides, not ourselves right? I reckon she'll love it and think it's very clever, so unless you're planning to submit it to a wedding photography contest, I'd say give it to your bride and ask her opinion, I'm 95% sure you'll get a sale out of it.
Chris Beaumont wrote:
It may scream that to you Sam, and those of us in here with photoshop knowledge, but does his bride know what a "layer mask" is do you think?
We may all think that selective colouring is cliche, but the fact remains that it's still very popular (I still get asked for it every wedding) and at the end of the day the images we produce are for our brides, not ourselves right? I reckon she'll love it and think it's very clever, so unless you're planning to submit it to a wedding photography contest, I'd say give it to your bride and ask her opinion, I'm 95% sure you'll get a sale out of it.
Hey, what ever floats your boat dude. Fact also is that photos like this will also cater to a specific market, usually that on the lower end. A photog pulling down $5,000 a wedding won't have stuff like this in his/her port. We do all want to attain the higher markets don't we. Not trying to offend here but just speaking truth. I found that as my experience in photography was elevated so did my tastes in the BEST of what is involved in an image.
My apologizes if I've offended OP, not my intent.
I agree with you Sam, I wouldn't put it in my portfolio, but if the bride likes it, hey a sale is a sale!!
Plus we can't all cater to the $5,000 market, would be nice if every bride had that sort of money to blow on a photographer, but someone has to shoot the lower end stuff, and while obviously we'd all like to make millions from photography, I don't think less affluent people should be treated any differently.
Brides do love selective coloring. Like most here, I don't like it. I have seen it done well, usually when it is softer and has more of an antique feel and doesn't distract from the overall composition of the photograph.
When I look at this photograph I don't know what to look at. My eyes keeping bouncing back and forth at the color elements, the frame picture and the flowers, instead of the couple, and that is what the photograph should be about, right? My eye goes to the color elements first, then to the couple. Decide here what you want the eye to see first, then go from there. If it were me and the bride wanted selective coloring I would try the couple in color, then the rest in black and white and fade out some of the background elements and see what that looks like. When adding color to b&w your eye (or my eyes anyway) goes straight to the color.
Personally I don't like the selective coloring or the imposed image on the frame (it's distracting), but if the bride likes it then that is all that matters.
Please don't take this to heart, but I think it's a great demonstration of ping-pong effect when you highlight more than 1 focus in a frame.
Your eyes just keep bouncing back and forth confusingly between what are (plurally) dominating the shot. In photography this is a distraction taboo, but I guess to the eyes of a bride it can be fun.
Whatever works for her I guess, after all you were paid to make her happy.
Total fromage .. the selective color is too much and the composition is creepy.
I've seen selective color done very well by using two closely related hues and then boosting one of the hues, I think Emin has one posted here where the bride is holding a lime bouquet and the background buildings are toned a slightly more muted shade of green. Sounds gross but works very well.
But this B&W with a single object or two heavily toned is very upsetting to look at.
And the composition here tells a story of what? .. he's looking at (someone) with his hands in his lap & a school boy grin while another (someone) waits in the mirror? Creepy.
Thank you All for your valued comments I did this purly out of interest and not a request from the bride ( the Bride herself is the woman in both pictures) the picture in the small frame was my first post prior to this one
I have been looking in for quite a long time reading the forums and have gained quite a lot from it and have seen how some posts have been heavly critiqued but valued comments given and from reading them getting the courage to post a picture for the first time here
Again thank you all for you honest and valued comments really appreciated
Rob
This image does not work for me on many levels. On top of what others have said, I will add the bride in the foreground is soft, the shadows are blocked up, and there is what appears to be a large spot of sensor dust on the wall.
These things aside, I admire the artists conceptual intent - very bold. Maybe this one does not work. Maybe the next 4-5 won't work. But if he truly has an artistic vision and not just toying with layer masks - he just might come up with something compelling to us all.
Moreover, I admire his gracious acceptance of some tough love. For all the members who have posted an image asking for critique, only to engage in a flame war because someone was honest enough to say they don't like it - please take note.
Your eyes just keep bouncing back and forth confusingly between what is dominating the shot.
Hi Robbie! Kudos for trying something different. Keep working at it and honing it, just like Steve said. You'll get a rock solid image in a few tries.
The main reason this doesn't work isn't because a lack of creativity; we've all had to start somewhere. It's because of one of the simplest rules in photography:
Contrast is the first thing you will see (i.e. white on a black background, selective coloring on B&W, etc.).
You have two main contrasting elements in the photo (flowers and frame), so the eye strains to focus on one or the other. You could still salvage this photo by taking away one of the contrasting elements to make the photo stronger.
I also think the photo would be stronger if you made the reflection similar to the bride’s pose. Right now, you look at the bride standing with the flowers, and then see a bride seated on a sofa in the mirror, and it becomes confusing as to what you are trying to say.
Don’t give up…keep trying to make this photo stronger. Use the comments to make your work stronger and don’t let it discourage you. We are all here to help.
it's interesting, but interesting doesn't always mean good! For me a photograph should have 1 point of focus that the eye can settle on, this one makes my eyes go crazy!
