I did selective colouring once. Bride in colour going mental on the dance floor against a really contrasty BW crowd of other dancers. I thought it looked good at the time.
However, when I picked it up from the printers I realised that I had nicked her nose with the brush so that just the end of her nose was still mono. :-/
The printer said "just tell her she didn't put her make-up on properly, she'll never know"
Eric Hoffman wrote:
Maybe she got the idea from that one shot in your boudoir work that sure looks like selective color.
What photo are you talking about? Thanks for stalking me though. If you are thinking of getting into photography you should stick around. There are a lot of us great photographers that will be able to help you.
I get a chuckle out of the 'artists' here who shun selective colour but ooh & ahh over the off colour blue/magenta toning to images. A tilted image is always good. So is one where the b&g are tiny dots in the corner of the frame. How about those fancy shallow DOF shots? Get to see one person and the rest of the people in the room are just blobs of bokeh.
Shoot your brand. Do it well. If the bride wants something away from your brand for a a couple prints let her have it. It may be yesterday's hot item, today's hot item or even maybe something so off the wall it becomes tomorrow's hot item.
You guys are missing the point. The point is not whether myself or Tony or anyone else on that list thinks selective color (or any of the other stylized techniques) is good or bad. The point is, how do you decide to handle those requests when someone asks you to do something that you don't think is right or in line with your personal views as an artist.
Here's an example... I met with a couple a few years back and they brought several photos with them to the meeting. They asked if I could copy that photographer's style. Could we have? Perhaps... But it wouldn't have made me happy and who knows if the end result would have made them happy. I suggested that they book that photographer of they really liked her style. I'm sure some of you think that's crazy but I think finding the right match is important. I want to be working with couples that are in love with what we do.
I'm not saying selective color is bad, it simply not my thing and as an artist, I choose to sell the product that I want to sell.
MarcAnthony wrote:
What photo are you talking about? Thanks for stalking me though. If you are thinking of getting into photography you should stick around. There are a lot of us great photographers that will be able to help you.
Hello hot shot, the photo I'm talking about is in your boudoir section, a black and white with a distinctly colored article of clothing I believe is a necktie, purple with polka dots. Is that not correct? Did I perhaps go to the wrong site? I clicked on the tab in your response that says "www".
As to your accusation of stalking, I went to your site to see the type of work you do after all the talk in this thread about your style, this is the only time I visited your site, and the only time I responded to a thread you started, hardly stalking.
Now, as to my thinking of becoming a photographer and seeking advice or help from other photographers on this board, I have been shooting professionally earning 100% of my very comfortable income for the past twenty plus years and yes, I do visit these and other boards frequently and garner some very sound advice.
And lastly, it is my experience in life that those who proclaim themselves great photographers as you did in your reply to me are often full of themselves, insecure, and unable to accept criticism or advice no matter how genuinely it is given, as my reply to you was.
I do admire your work and think you are very talented behind a camera, not so much behind a keyboard.
You got me Eric. I am insecure. Mommy why didn't you hug me as a child? Wasn't I a good boy? I ate all my vegetables and cleaned my room. Didn't you love me? Actually I am a very sarcastic person with an over the top personality. That comes from my Jersey Guido background but it's all in jest and not sincere. I appreciate the compliment on my work. I didn't realize you were a full time photographer. Your website doesn't make it look that way but anyone who shoots Harrison Ford is OK in my book.
MarcAnthony wrote:
You got me Eric. I am insecure. Mommy why didn't you hug me as a child? Wasn't I a good boy? I ate all my vegetables and cleaned my room. Didn't you love me? Actually I am a very sarcastic person with an over the top personality. That comes from my Jersey Guido background but it's all in jest and not sincere. I appreciate the compliment on my work. I didn't realize you were a full time photographer. Your website doesn't make it look that way but anyone who shoots Harrison Ford is OK in my book.
I posted that last reply just before you did answer, somewhat childishly, and the link did not go directly to the image in question however it does exist unless you have since removed it.
Your opinion of my my site is neither valid nor valued. I truly was just pointing to a possible reason the bride may have thought you did that look and not looking for a fight.
It's probably the Jersey factor, I hail from Brooklyn. We can still be O.K. with each other though.
Best of luck in all you do, and I mean that sincerely.
One time, I had a request from during a client meeting about selective coloring and I gave them my honest answer... Which was "it's not really my style". I was apologetic but they appreciated my honesty. They ended up booking another photog for their wedding :P.
The other time (during another wedding consult), the bride described a picture she saw where the couple was in color and the rest of the picture wasn't (aka selective coloring). She asked if I could do that (along with sepia B&W). This time, my answer was that yes, I could do some images for her but I explained that it would date the image and there are other ways to focus on a subject besides resorting to doing selective coloring. She totally understood... and booked me the next day.
Like most people already said, yes I would do it for some select images if the client really wanted it. But I would explain that I would never promote these images since it does not fit my brand.
RichardLavigne wrote:
You guys are missing the point. The point is not whether myself or Tony or anyone else on that list thinks selective color (or any of the other stylized techniques) is good or bad. The point is, how do you decide to handle those requests when someone asks you to do something that you don't think is right or in line with your personal views as an artist.
Here's an example... I met with a couple a few years back and they brought several photos with them to the meeting. They asked if I could copy that photographer's style. Could we have? Perhaps... But it wouldn't have made me happy and who knows if the end result would have made them happy. I suggested that they book that photographer of they really liked her style. I'm sure some of you think that's crazy but I think finding the right match is important. I want to be working with couples that are in love with what we do.
I'm not saying selective color is bad, it simply not my thing and as an artist, I choose to sell the product that I want to sell. ...Show more →
