The Rice Harvest
Yuanyang, Yunnan Province,China
This photo abounds in geometry. All the lovely lines of the terraces emphasized by the cut stalks of rice. How could this photo need any post processing?
Originally the photograph was not interesting to the eye because although the lines of the terraces are intriguing, the colors are muted and monotone. All those lines, diagonal, curved and vertical become lost. The eye skims and doesn’t settle on a particular point. The farmers in their faded clothing are lost due to size and color. There was not a lot of contrast as it was an overcast day.
I wanted the viewer to be sure to notice the farmers and to notice the lines. I saturated the farmer’s clothing and when that didn’t work, I changed the blend mode to multiply which darkens the colors and makes them richer. When I wasn’t satisfied with that, I added some paint to the hats and shirts.
Then I changed the blend mode of the photo to screen. This made the entire photo much lighter and negated the work I’d just done on my farmers. But by using a mask and reversing the mask the photo reverted to it’s normal brightness. Painting in black, I highlighted the rice stalks so the eye would go to the area where the farmers were working. By following the lines of the stalks from the left side of the photo and up and around then back to the farmers, I have directed the eye to where I want it to go.
All this sounds incomprehensible if you haven’t tried it and maybe you’re saying, “what’s she talking about?” But have you ever had a person who is looking at your photo say, “What should I look at?”? Well, this tells them what to look at. It tells your viewer why you took the photo. It tells why you think the photo is important.