Pictures where color is king, essential and make things work powerfully!

[Arun Gaur]

One of the 48 images in my series on the women of Sarahan (Himachal Pradesh, India).
Thanks for viewing.

Arun Gaur
http://tripolia-indianlandscapeimages.com

Hi Arun, I like the series shown in your website but IMO this particular shot may benefit with some introductory info and color.

Here´s the long reasoning. I don´t see just a group of women descending from a hill, that would be fairly enough to know. But these women are actually standing in one place, looking at something that seems to be fun, entertaining. Why they made a stop here? What ´s grabbing their attention? One of them seems to be kicking, a typical reaction during a soccer game (?).

Regarding BW, it doesn´t work for me because it takes away an element that would make the women stand out better in the scene. Even more, isn´t BW contradictory, being color such an essential feature in the culture of these women? I´m not saying that every shot about the women of Sarahan should be in color, but here I don´t see a clear reason to depart from it.

Thanks to you and Asher for your illuminating remarks.
I post here some more in color as desired:

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[Brandon Cade]

 

[Asher Kelman]

Charlotte,

I hate to give you praise on this one as she is too cute and too adult at the same time which brings her dangerously close to the adult showing of children that I have issues with. But yes the picture is cute and you are a good grandmother!

Without color I doubt it would work.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

I'd love an intro to this fascinating piece! I cannot imagine this as a grey scale image having any interest. I still need to digest the picture, but it gets notice and I'd come back to look again

Asher

 

[Brian Blakesley]

 

[Michael Nagel]

For me it is difficult to find one that would not work without color. The picture will often still work, but not the same way.

I believe that this one fits:

Flyer - click on photo for larger version​

Best regards,
Michael

 

[Asher Kelman]

How did I miss this post! The gray-green paint with the white and brick-red line pattern are distinctive geometric features that might be O.K. in B&W too. The ruby headlights, however, make the picture and that's the "life-force" color is so good for. The interrupted dashes of red in the background, allow for the environmental context to be fitting. Well done! Only color could do this for you. A simple but effective picture with no gimmicks.

Thanks, Brian for sharing! I might have limited the light on the left somewhat, but that's just a fussy niggle and after all, there's a light up there! Cropping would remove the red-painted fire-lane warning on the curb, so that's out!

Asher

 

[Brian Blakesley]

Thanks Asher.

This is actually a crop. My own car was in the right hand background and it was visually distracting as it was an orange blob pulling your eye to the upper right corner of the frame. It's interesting that you mention a b/w because I actually processed this originally with a very tight crop and selective coloring only on the fog lamps and headlights:

I love them both, but this version is the one hanging on my own wall. I hardly ever like my own work enough to want to stare at it all the time, but this one's a rare exception.

 

[Don Ferguson Jr.]

I think this is one .

 

[Asher Kelman]

For me it is difficult to find one that would not work without color. The picture will often still work, but not the same way.

I believe that this one fits:

Flyer - click on photo for larger version​

Best regards,
Michael

How I missed this wonderful color, I do not know, but, for sure, B&W couldn't do the image justice.

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think this is one .

This is proper to be added here. The smashing red cannot be imagined in gray! The bench, being empty asks questions of its presence. Is it normally there?

Asher

If this is nearby, why not add a tad more on each side and even, perhaps, have someone on the bench. Maybe, even a red woman's hat or a Black Magritte bowler hat!

 

[Don Ferguson Jr.]

This is proper to be added here. The smashing red cannot be imagined in gray! The bench, being empty asks questions of its presence. Is it normally there?

Asher

If this is nearby, why not add a tad more on each side and even, perhaps, have someone on the bench. Maybe, even a red woman's hat or a Black Magritte bowler hat!

Hey Asher they are my Mom's azaleas and the dogwoods have also faded for this year.
I just pulled the bench in front to compliment the scene which shows almost the full border and she loved it .

 

[Michael Nagel]

How I missed this wonderful color, I do not know, but, for sure, B&W couldn't do the image justice.

Asher

Thanks Asher.

It is funny when I think back on how this photo was taken. On a night walk on the Oktoberfest we met a friend who took some photos with a tripod - he wanted to have the full circle. Just to bother him I tried and the longest I could hold was half a second - like this one. He was right - a tripod was required for the full circle, but I ended up with a nice picture - a good deal.

Best regards,
Michael

 

[Jerome Marot]

Generally speaking, I think that most flower pictures work better in color:

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[Andy brown]

Jerome, colour is the winner for sure.
And there's no doubt the standard rules of composition, in combination with the classic colour composition rules (two major colours diametrically opposed on the spectrum) will command attention.

Nice shot!

 

[Jerome Marot]

two major colours diametrically opposed on the spectrum

I did not do that. Nature did. Flowers are pink, grass is green. Sometimes greener, but only on the other side.


And since we are about colors: sometimes the color itself is the message, like here:

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[Michael Nagel]

Choose a color:

Welche Farbe nehmen?​

Best regards,
Michael

 

[Asher Kelman]

Generally speaking, I think that most flower pictures work better in color:

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This one for sure! Great choice!

 

[Asher Kelman]

Choose a color:

Welche Farbe nehmen?​

Best regards,
Michael

Again, another hit! No way this would be so alive in B&W!

Asher

 

[jake klein]

Here's a few that I cannot see working in B&W

 

[Ruben Alfu]

I think color is equally essential in these two

 

[Michael Nagel]

Asher - thanks.

Jake, all need color, but the second is marvelous and sticks out of the three.

Ruben, the first really needs color, but for the second I would try a b/w version.

Here is another from me:

Leuchtend​

Best regards,
Michael

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Ruben, the first really needs color, but for the second I would try a b/w version.

I think it would be boring in BW (I mean more boring)

Ok, this one is super cliche I know, but it's fun!

Ruben Alfu : It's fun!

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[fahim mohammed]

Charles, Jerome, Michael, Ruben ( and all others that have contributed ) , outstanding work.
BW would definitely not have the same impact, for me, for the images posted here.

Well done folks.

 

[Winston Mitchell]

Vegetables
Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania

©2008 Winston C. Mitchell
Sony A700, DT 11-18


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[jake klein]

Vegetables
Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania

©2008 Winston C. Mitchell
Sony A700, DT 11-18


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Makes me want to cook. I see a few parts needed for some curry in there.

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Really great pictures shown by all of you so far, thanks a lot for sharing these.

This one I have included in my Costa Brava thread today. I think that it fits right in here too.

Laundry day
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[fahim mohammed]

 

[fahim mohammed]

 

[fahim mohammed]