Everyone Loves a Parade
I had seen some photos similar to these taken by a photographer who specializes in this look. He sets up a ‘stage’ where he can control the light and uses it like a studio when he travels. I liked the look of this extreme color and the black background. I decided to try to make my own.
I looked for photos with a dark background and good light on the subject. Actually, with the tuba player, the background wasn’t dark at all. He was shot at a parade in the middle of the day, but I think the sun was so bright on him that no amount of increasing the shadows could diminish the colors.
A Shower of Gold
The background on the young woman was darkish…bushes in the shade. I had her stand in the light of late afternoon sun. The regular photo is good, the millet dust shows up, but when I increase the contrast, letting the shadows go black and increase the saturation bringing the colors to a fever pitch, the photo becomes dramatic.