The World Around Us… (post 20)

Contrast – Seasonal

Contrast takes on many different meanings when it comes to photography, there are the two main one’s people often talk about with those being tonal and color. Tonal being the difference between the lightest and darkest tones and color being the way colors interact with each other. Let me stop here and add that I am by no means an expert on this subject and only giving a very high-level explanation.

A good example of tonal would be looking at a black and white photograph that has distinct blacks, grays, and then whites and light tones. On the color side you have contrasting colors, Yellow and Blue or Green and Red etc. You can then add to the mix by adding High and Low and High key and Low key and so on, anyone fall asleep yet?

Now we head out into the field or your studio and you start to think about contrast and what you want to convey in your picture. How the whites, black, shadows and colors are going to add or subtract. Sure, you can do a lot in post but having a head start in camera is always nice.

Now the other day I was out at one of my local haunts (Hawk Valley Farm) and of course contrast pops up as there is a fresh 2 feet of perfectly white snow and then I said (to myself) wait, what about “seasonal contrast” because right in front of me are two chairs and benches that I took a picture of in the spring of last year that are now covered in snow, so now we have contrast in seasons, do you agree?

A warm colorful spring

Camera Settings

5D Mark IV

f/11

1/30 sec

ISO 500

70 mm

EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Tripod: No - sat on the ground

A cold beautiful winter.

Camera Settings

5D Mark IV

f/11

1/250 sec

ISO 400

41 mm

EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

Tripod: No – sat in the snow

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Take care & smile before you hear the click.