This exercise is concerned with finding scenes, or parts of scenes, that are each dominated by a single one of the primary and secondary colours. We have to produce images that match the six colours closely. With each image we are asked to expose it correctly and then vary the exposure by 1/2 stop under and 1/2 stop over to see how the exposure matches the colour in the colour circle in the course manual, and then select the exposure which is closest.
We are advised not to rush this exercise, firstly because we have to hunt for these colours and not just photograph painted doors for example, and secondly it is also about developing and refining our colour sense, there being incredible diversity, and some colours can vary much more than others. I have decided to explore the natural colours that are around us including fruit and vegetables and flowers.
One technical issue. Both my cameras have f stop adjustments in third stops not half stops. The Sony NEX6 cannot be changed from the default. However, the Nikon can be changed from the default setting of third stop increments to half stop increments so I have changed the camera settings. This makes exposure adjustment for the exercise and exposure compensation easier and so it's a Nikon exercise.
To improve the reliability of the colour match with each colour, I compared the digital image version of the colour wheel from the electronic course manual with my digital images from my camera. I photographed the various coloured items at normal exposure, at the half stop under and half a stop under as the exercise required, and also photograph at a full stop under and over as well. The results were surprising when it came to colour matching as some of the images required one stop under to achieve a colour match. As all these images had texture and shape it was not like looking at and photographing paint, which the course manual had advised us to avoid.
I had not previous thought of colour and exposure in this way before and have normally taken the camera's meter reading or an incident light reading with my Sekonic light meter. I have heard some photographers say they slightly under expose in digital photography to get me data in a photograph. I suppose I had not taken much notice of this issue before as I tend to process in Raw and do all my tweaking in Elements. In future I will be more aware of colour and colour matching as a result of this exercise. (I am not happy with the colour blue and will re-shoot this one).
First the primary colours - red, yellow and blue.
Red is one stop under Yellow is half stop under Blue is one stop under
We are advised not to rush this exercise, firstly because we have to hunt for these colours and not just photograph painted doors for example, and secondly it is also about developing and refining our colour sense, there being incredible diversity, and some colours can vary much more than others. I have decided to explore the natural colours that are around us including fruit and vegetables and flowers.
One technical issue. Both my cameras have f stop adjustments in third stops not half stops. The Sony NEX6 cannot be changed from the default. However, the Nikon can be changed from the default setting of third stop increments to half stop increments so I have changed the camera settings. This makes exposure adjustment for the exercise and exposure compensation easier and so it's a Nikon exercise.
To improve the reliability of the colour match with each colour, I compared the digital image version of the colour wheel from the electronic course manual with my digital images from my camera. I photographed the various coloured items at normal exposure, at the half stop under and half a stop under as the exercise required, and also photograph at a full stop under and over as well. The results were surprising when it came to colour matching as some of the images required one stop under to achieve a colour match. As all these images had texture and shape it was not like looking at and photographing paint, which the course manual had advised us to avoid.
I had not previous thought of colour and exposure in this way before and have normally taken the camera's meter reading or an incident light reading with my Sekonic light meter. I have heard some photographers say they slightly under expose in digital photography to get me data in a photograph. I suppose I had not taken much notice of this issue before as I tend to process in Raw and do all my tweaking in Elements. In future I will be more aware of colour and colour matching as a result of this exercise. (I am not happy with the colour blue and will re-shoot this one).
First the primary colours - red, yellow and blue.
Red is one stop under Yellow is half stop under Blue is one stop under
Next the secomday colours.
Orange is half stop under Green is one stop under Purple is one stop under
Orange is half stop under Green is one stop under Purple is one stop under