Monochromatic — Contains a variety of lights and darks of the same hue Analogous — Uses all three analogous colors in one photograph Complimentary — Uses two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel
You will make STILL LIFES and PORTRAITS using each of these color schemes.
Traditionally in Art History, Still Life paintings showed an arrangement of objects with symbolic meaning, dramatic and beautiful lighting (usually window light or other diffused light from one direction), and a dark and shadowed background or wall. Still lifes were intended to display status (for instance, expensive linens and perishable items such as fruits and cheese were seen as luxury items only owned by the wealthy and elite). Still lifes were also intended to inspire contemplation on the transience of life (for instance, skulls and dead animals were often displayed as reminders that we are all meant to die, and flowers bloom but then wilt). Still life images are poetic, simple, and packed with meaning and symbolism.
Project 6A: Colored Still Lifes
You will shoot your own still lifes: Some using a monochromatic color scheme, some using an analogous color scheme, and some using a complementary color scheme. These are not just photographs of objects, rather, they are photographs of objects that are arranged by you on a surface and in relation to each other. For instance, do not simply shoot an image of a flower. You must take the flower, arrange it among other objects or fabrics that enhance the symbolic meaning of the flower, and set up a space and surface with directional lighting (window light is your friend!).
Your still life images do not have to conform to the traditional still life ideals: you are not required to use fruit, flowers, food, etc. What would a contemporary still life look like? What objects could you include? See below for examples.
DUE: Monday, February 13th 75 RAW images using each of the the three color schemes described above—one monochromatic, one analogous, one complimentary. Create a contact sheet and label it lastname_firstname_color_still_life_cs. Upload to Google Drive under your Project 6 folder. DUE: Friday, February 17th 3 final still life images — turned in as TIFF or PSD through Google Drive and posted on your Weebly site. Label them as such:
lastname_firstname_color_still_life_complementary
lastname_firstname_color_still_life_analogous
lastname_firstname_color_still_life_monochromatic
Project 6b: Colored Portraits:
You will make portraits using and emphasizing color as a main story-telling element. Remember the goal of the portrait -- to portray a person's essence, their humanity, a truth and authenticity about who they are. These are not photojournalistic types of portraits— the subject must be aware of you photographing them, and they are meant to be created by you, not just observed.
This means you will need to spend time and focus setting up your shots, paying extra attention to how color will enhance your portrait. For many of these, you will need to set up a background of color, or find an environment with the correct color, in order to match the colors you will be using (see examples below). Pay attention to your lighting, composition, and focus.
DUE: Tuesday, February 21st 125 RAW images using each of the three color schemes described above—one monochromatic, one analogous, one complimentary. Create a contact sheet and label it lastname_firstname_color_portrait_cs. Upload to Google Drive under your Project 6 folder. DUE: Monday, February 27th 3 final portraits — turned in as TIFF or PSD through Google Drive and posted on your Weebly site. Label them as such:
lastname_firstname_color_portrait_complementary
lastname_firstname_color_portrait_analogous
lastname_firstname_color_portrait_monochromatic
Formal critique will be on your class block day March 7th and 8th. Be sure to budget yourself enough time to print your work. On that day, you will have DUE: 6 Prints from this Project 6 COLOR .