# Selective color C&C



## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 10, 2012)

I know it is generally frowned upon, however my daughter requested it   This is a photo of her I took by a lake, it was impromptu kind of stuff I had the camera with me and was trying to get something cute of her that day for her mom.


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## gsgary (Jun 10, 2012)

No comment, because i hate selective coloring for me it never works


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## tirediron (Jun 10, 2012)

gsgary said:


> No comment, because i hate selective coloring for me it never works


Isn't that a comment?


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## tirediron (Jun 10, 2012)

Can't say that SC is something I much like either, but when someone asks for it...  I would like the image a LOT more if her fingers weren't cropped off at the bottom, and I wonder if it wouldn't be better too if it were a regular black and white instead of the odd sepia-esque tone?


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## Trever1t (Jun 10, 2012)

I don't even know how it's done, and don't want to learn 

It's a really nice shot of your daughter and if she wanted it so be it!


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## charlie76 (Jun 10, 2012)

I love selective coloring...people have been doing it for ages. Nothing better than a hand-painted BandW...and I like this too. Very nice


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## Ernicus (Jun 10, 2012)

I like it.  I think when done right, SC can be cool.  Just a taste thing I guess.  I agree with TI though, the missing fingers and weird b&w thing kinda messes it up.  Good old straight conversion with the coloring would be cool.


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## Eveamlizya (Jun 10, 2012)

I also like SC when done right.  For me, personally, I only like the single color ones so I don't much care for the 3-4 colors in this one, but it is a nice shot.


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## Ernicus (Jun 10, 2012)

yeah...after reading your comment, I think maybe with just the blue shirt would have been cool.  I kinda like the pink headband, but with just the blue shirt...I wonder if it would mess with the mind a bit and seeing the blue there trick you for a second into thinking the water is blue as well...if only for a second.


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## jowensphoto (Jun 11, 2012)

You know, I hate SC, but this is kind of cool; I think the fact that the BW is tinted gives it a different look.

There is a photographer, someone that was mentioned on here who does this kind of thing all the time and it turns out really well. If I think of her name, I'll let you know.


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## sm4him (Jun 11, 2012)

I like selective coloring, in the extremely rare instances where it is done well. But, for me, SC should draw the eye to the real subject of the photo: perhaps strikingly blue eyes or a lone fan with an opposing team's jersey sitting in the midst of a sea of "home team" jerseys.
In this instance, as in most, I don't care for it, because the eye is drawn to the pretty young girl's headband and shirt instead of her.  The cut-off hand and the unusual conversion tones also detract from the overall image somewhat.

That said, sometimes a photo doesn't NEED to be worthy of high acclaim among other photographers. Sometimes--perhaps mostly--it only needs to please the person the photo is FOR. I can see where this would be something a young girl would like and so I'd say you accomplished your objective for this photo.


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## jowensphoto (Jun 11, 2012)

^^ Good point; it's important to take target demographic into consideration. I would have loved this as a preteen -- kind of reminds me of those Lisa Frank posters I used to have. 


... still can't think of the artist I referred to earlier.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 11, 2012)

Hm, I guess I never noticed her hand was cut off.
Good info


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## gsgary (Jun 11, 2012)

tirediron said:
			
		

> Isn't that a comment?



Yes bit i could have a lot worse


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## DiskoJoe (Jun 12, 2012)

Selective color needs to have more meaning. This does not seem to really have any relevence. 

More like this.....



_DSC3270 dancer desaturation by DiskoJoe, on Flickr

See the female dancer had this elaborate colorful dress while the men were in all black. I wanted her to really stand out from the crowd. 

This is a good one too that lots of people like. Everyone tells me it reminds them of Sin City. 



canal red by DiskoJoe, on Flickr


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

Yeah I suppose without knowing the subject you would think it had no meaning.  She loves "color"  She wears different color socks, bright color items that don't necessarily go together because she loves being colorful.  So to her (and why she requested it) the different colors are an important part of her life.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

charlie76 said:


> I love selective coloring...people have been doing it for ages. Nothing better than a hand-painted BandW...and I like this too. Very nice



So what if people have been doing it forever! It was just as tacky then as it is now.

What is important about this image - the subject or the headband?


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## Jaemie (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm looking at her wristband. I'm looking at her headband. I'm looking at her top. What is that, a bikini underneath? It has funny buckles or adjusting things in back. The straps seem wide for a bikini, too. Maybe it's a sports bra or something. Yellow and purple seem like an unusual colour combination, but they appear to work well here. Oh look - there's also a girl! 

Oh okay - If your daughter requested a heinous selectively-coloured photo, then I see little harm. Someday she'll know better. 

Seriously, though, what's going on with the shadows on her leg and neck? Something seems odd.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

Who knows about the shadow - yes the subject is the headband and the shirt and the wristband etc.  So at least I know I got you to look at the subject


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

This all sounds like justifications to me. But what do I know.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

I find it important to please the recipient.


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## tirediron (Jun 12, 2012)

BlueMeanieTSi said:


> I find it important to please the recipient.


At the end of the day, this is what counts.  When we are shooting for ourselves, we do what we want.  When we are shooting for someone else, we listen to what they want, make alternate suggestions if we feel that they're idea isn't optimum, but if they insist, we do it there way!


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

I get lots of requests to do nasty overprocessed HDR images of peoples vehicles for some reason.  I dont' personally like them but I'm not the one paying myself.


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## DiskoJoe (Jun 12, 2012)

BlueMeanieTSi said:


> she requested it



Thats a good enough reason there.


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## DiskoJoe (Jun 12, 2012)

BlueMeanieTSi said:


> I get lots of requests to do nasty overprocessed HDR images of peoples vehicles for some reason.  I dont' personally like them but I'm not the one paying myself.



The customer is always right.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

So then as long as the client's needs are met, we're all suposed to ignore an image's shortcommings?

I'm not the customer.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

No, however the points you continue to make in this thread are about the selective coloring which was specifically requested.  My intention for C&C revolved around everything else.  I believe I mentioned this early on if not at the beginning of the thread that particular part was requested.

The comments about chopping off the fingers, the shadows, etc...those are greatly appreciated, people that continue to dwell on the fact it's selective color and nitpick for that reason are basically just writing to "hear themselves talk"

Unpopular, we get it, you dont' like selective color and for that reason it's a horrible image.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

See. That's the problem with selective color. It's an effect that dominates an image; when selective color is being used, it's impossible to see the rest of the image. Not looking at the image now, all i remember about it is purple. I couldn't tell you much about the girl, how old she is, what color her hair is, nevermind my impression about her personality.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

Interesting, the only purple color was a small spot on her bathing suit top you could see above her shirt .

Here, made this one jsut for you:


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

I was refering to the headband, actually. Which I guess is more pink than purple!

It's a nice portrait with good DOF separation, if not a little less DOF might be a good idea, excellent b/w conversion, though the skin seems a little airbrushed - maybe not, just a bit digital and sterile ... otherwise silvery. As others have pointed out, the hand is cropped oddly, but the moment is captured well and candid.

A 4x5 crop ratio might be better?


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

I did a surface blur to her skin because she's 12 and plays 4 different sports, her skin is always bruised and scratched up so it is a bit "airbrushed".

4x5 crop with more blur on the water:


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

What about 4x5 crop in landscape?

I know what you mean by bruised up kids. Sometimes when he's wearing shorts, I'm afraid that people will think we beat my son's legs!


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)




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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

Ok. I think the bottom line is that there is just too much headroom, and not enough in the foreground.


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## DiskoJoe (Jun 12, 2012)

unpopular said:


> So then as long as the client's needs are met, we're all suposed to ignore an image's shortcommings?
> 
> I'm not the customer.



Paying clients interests, happiness and payments trump your critique any day of the week. Not that your opinion is not a good one but money talks and youre doing a lot of walking.


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## Jaemie (Jun 12, 2012)

I like the last version. The crop works well, imo. For my daughter, I'd do the selective colour, but I'd discuss with her the reasons it's generally considered an artistic horror. I'd forego the surface blurring and any other cosmetic adjustments; sports-related bruising is a sign of physical prowess.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm not sure it really matters to a 12 year old what "adults" think about selective color, to me that's like saying "I understand you want to be creative but...here's how it's supposed to be done"  

I'm not going to limit her artistic expression.


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## Juice (Jun 12, 2012)

BlueMeanieTSi said:


> I'm not sure it really matters to a 12 year old what "adults" think about selective color, to me that's like saying "I understand you want to be creative but...here's how it's supposed to be done"
> 
> I'm not going to limit her artistic expression.



Exactly. I had never even heard of the anti-selective color movement until I joined this site. I think what happened was a few established members here made comments about it, then the rest of the sheeple who don't know any better blindly jumped on the band wagon, causing the selective color stigma to evolve into what it is today.


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## snowbear (Jun 12, 2012)

Personally, I think selective color can be effective, especially in advertising, but it needs to bring attention to the main subject.  I have done a couple of them the old way - oil paint on a silver (or analog) print.   But a lot of those that I see now seem to be done without any thought of the what the subject is, such as backgrounds and peripheral objects, not to mention the attempt to use SC to "improve" what is a poor shot.

Of the 4x5 crops, I think I like the portrait orientation a _little_ more than the landscape version.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

BlueMeanieTSi said:


> I'm not sure it really matters to a 12 year old what "adults" think about selective color, to me that's like saying "I understand you want to be creative but...here's how it's supposed to be done"
> 
> I'm not going to limit her artistic expression.



... why exactly did you post this image for critique?


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

Juice said:


> Exactly. I had never even heard of the anti-selective color movement until I joined this site. I think what happened was a few established members here made comments about it, then the rest of the sheeple who don't know any better blindly jumped on the band wagon, causing the selective color stigma to evolve into what it is today.



I started hating selective color when I first saw it when I was about fifteen. Aside from perhaps Schindler's List, I have never seen it used in any way that promotes anything aside from the technique, which is an easy way to make an image look impressive and unique without much effort at all.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

DiskoJoe said:


> unpopular said:
> 
> 
> > So then as long as the client's needs are met, we're all suposed to ignore an image's shortcommings?
> ...



What a load of rubbish!

Just because the client wanted something does not validate the image, and what the client's views are should not come into consideration in critique. The question is if the image is successful, and all I remember of the original is bright a magenta-pink headband. I don't even recall the girl's fashion sense being outlandish or original, only brightly colored. I barely even remembered the girl.

While it's great that the client was happy, that has nothing to do with the image! And frankly, I'm hearing a lot of whining comming from the OP that others seem to have ignored... a lot of "oh, I know that selective color is inherently obnoxious ... but what about the rest of the image?" if the OP wanted a critique of this image and it not be about selective color, then he or she ought to have posted a different version.

I keep hoping to see "good" selective color, one that actually promotes the image. But I have yet to find it.


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## IByte (Jun 12, 2012)

unpopular said:
			
		

> I started hating selective color when I first saw it when I was about fifteen. Aside from perhaps Schindler's List, I have never seen it used in any way that promotes anything aside from the technique, which is an easy way to make an image look impressive and unique without much effort at all.



There was an old post named "Coffee" that used SC effectively.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

Sorry, just whining through.


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## BlueMeanieTSi (Jun 12, 2012)

unpopular said:


> BlueMeanieTSi said:
> 
> 
> > I'm not sure it really matters to a 12 year old what "adults" think about selective color, to me that's like saying "I understand you want to be creative but...here's how it's supposed to be done"
> ...



Just to get you wound up.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

I KNEW IT!


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## Jaemie (Jun 12, 2012)

Well, apparently SC wasn't always considered so gauche. Selective coloration was actually included in Group f/64's original manifesto. At least it was until a Weston landscape with chartreuse trees gave Imogen Cunningham a horrific case of nausea, from which point onward it was a taboo subject.


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## unpopular (Jun 12, 2012)

How could selective coloring fit in with the new modernist ideology of absolute objectivity?

(BTW: I'm still mad at them for the whole Mortensen thing)


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## Jaemie (Jun 13, 2012)

unpopular said:


> How could selective coloring fit in with the new modernist ideology of absolute objectivity?
> 
> (BTW: I'm still mad at them for the whole Mortensen thing)



It couldn't. I was joking of course, but you knew that. 

(FWIW, I like equally the work of many Pictorialists and Modernists, but for rather different reasons, naturally. And, however different their agendas may have been, they both had something interesting to say.)

Sorry for the hijack.  :3


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## unpopular (Jun 13, 2012)

Actually I didn't, but I did have a hard time beleiving it and just figured you were just trying to sound smart... I did look for Weston's chartruese trees, if for any reason than to say "See, I told you that f/64 were a bunch of hypocritical arsewagons!"

I was really, really hoping...


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