The magic of photographing the color orange

The magic of photographing the color orange

Cape Spencer lighthouse

 

Orange is a magical colour to photograph.

 

Orange is a colour I rarely set out to photograph. I have nothing orange in my home or surrounds. Well maybe a few clay pots could be classified as orange. but orange looks brilliant in a photograph.

Orange kind of simply appears, most often in sunsets or sunrises. A sunset will give things a soft golden glow.

So for example we have huge orange clay cliffs at Ethels Beach, Yorke Peninsula. During the day the colour of the cliffs is a dull orange, when the sun sets they turn to a very bright and overpowering orange. Almost insulting to the eye but very beautiful!

Orange is the colour most associated with amusement, warmth, energy, activity, taste and aroma.

When photographing the colour orange:

Adjust your white balance to cloudy.

I shoot in raw and then I’ll boost the saturation and vibrance a little if the colour is too washed out.

You can pair orange with its complementary colour blue to create greater contrast .

Like I mentioned, it is not a colour that I prioritise in my photography, but it is often included in my composition as I tend to regularly shoot in the golden hour, and wow the orange hues can be stunning!

It certainly adds warmth and charm to a photograph.

For me orange means long warm days, coffee on a lazy sun chair and mellow rays of light going down behind golden leafed trees.

I hope you browse through my images and get some ideas for your next photoshoot.

Have fun!

 

Haystack island at sunset

Haystack Island, a lovely glow lights up the ocean and the setting sun plays tricks with the clouds.

Orange moon rising over Marion Bay waters
Reeds in a dry desert lake at sunset

Last rays of light shine onto this reed in a vast salt lake near Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula.

Two birds on a rock at sunset
Kangaroo and Haystack island in the distance
Sunset at Chinamans Hat Island
Ethels beach orange cliffs at sunset

The effevescent lights on the cliffs as the sun sets. A very noticeable strong orange colour.

Yacht sails by Hallett Cove beach
Soft orange foggy morning

Fog creates a soft orange hue.

Little boat at Port Clinton
Hay bales in a line
Swirling heat a golden soft orange

Golden fields of wheat, barley and hay, a pleasure to behold!!   My, my, that’s old English, I reckon it applies to these majestic farmers fields.

Tracks on orange earth

Australia has an abundance of red soil, and the blue sky makes a nice contrast, 

Red dust storm in out back Australia

A dust storm out near Barmera. I have highlighted the dust quite a bit to this intense orange colour.

Red or orange earth Australia
Cliffs and ocean
Umbrella in harvested wheat field

A walk in the harvested field and my black umbrella placed strategically to show off the orange colour.

Emus walk along the road at dusk, Yorke Peninsula

Emus at dusk, with the orange sun behind them.

The Digital Photography School is an invaluable site for the new and also the more skilled photographer. It has an abundance of info on all aspects of  photography.

Here is a link for you to peruse their colour orange… Photographing the colour orange.

All images are photographed by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

The magic of photographing the colour green.

The magic of photographing the colour green.

Green grass and fog

Green a magical colour to photograph.

 

The colour green is considered a cooler colour

On the spectrum it is a combination of blue and yellow in varying degrees.

I would have to say this is not a colour many photographers will gravitate towards and yet God made green fields and hills so vast that they can dominate and be a strong and presiding force in our earth. Conservationists love the word green!! If you eat green, live green, then surely you can activate the universe on your behalf, green is the new black!!

Green has a calming effect most possibly because humans do associate it with nature and the countryside, therefore the feelings of stillness, peace, tranquility and health seem to reign.

Many times green will overpower and almost add a harsh effect to an image. Again it’s your preference but I suggest adding a more blue tone and desaturating ever so slightly. This takes out any orange/yellow hues in the green. This is what I have done for my images below.

Green is generally not soft and kind to the eyes like pink or light blue…… but it will add a vivid and calming effect and is still a great colour to work with.

 

Take a look

Some photographers have managed to make green a most beautiful and satisfying colour. Hilde Mork in my opinion has nailed the colour green perfectly. You may have to browse extensively through her Instagram account to find her greenish images. I notice she uses green in a very subtle way and her images seem to make green look soft, beautiful and peaceful.

 

Green hills and sheep in the distance

Green fields for perpetuating Gods circle of life.

Old cottage in Adelaide Hills
Green bottle found washed up on the sandy shore

A green bottle washed up on the shoreline.

Girl in black dress in green field
Seagull flys over green seas
The dark green ocean Wilder beach Yorke Peninsula
Green grass in the setting sun
Girl in green wheat field and dark skies

In a very green wheat/barley field and a girl in black poses for me. I have altered the sky in these images using the sky replacement tool in photoshop. 

Girl in black in green wheat field
Girl in black clothes in green wheat field
Girl in a green wheat field and bird flying
Girl in a green wheat field
Girl in green wheay field looks at birds flying
Old green building Dunedin New Zealand
Brown sheep in very green field
Green glass plates
Old shingle road surrounded by trees

Wow you really need to check out this link Green photography.

When you put one colour in a theme it seems to really stand out. I hope you try some green photos and edit them using different shades and tones of green.

All photographs are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

Photographing interiors at the beach house

Photographing interiors at the beach house

White paper ball lamp shade and wooden walls

Photographing our interiors with wooden walls proved to be quite the task?

Designing, creating changing and rearranging of our beach shack and city home is something I really enjoy. Others may think this activity absurd but I keep fussing and jostling regardless! But now its time to take some photographs of my creative busyness. The wooden walls do not bounce light around in the same way white walls do. I had to do some experimenting with my camera dials and in post processing.

To photograph interiors is quite different from landscapes.

Angles, walls, and roof lines become very important and need to be straight. Lightroom has a tool which enables the image to improve the perspective and lines, but it is still very necessary to get it right from the onset. You will need a good tripod and a horizon line in your camera. The horizon line must be straight both sideways and forwards and backwards.

The image should be shot at around waist height and either straight on or directly into a corner is often best.

Hence my journey with photography continues taking photographs of interiors has been a very new and difficult challenge. The wooden walls present a whole new dimension, too dark and they look so very orange, too light and they look a white nasty orange. The white balance plays a huge role in getting the right hue. Even then it is a real struggle for me to get the exact colour of our wooden walls. At the moment it seems best to have the white balance on daytime, not cloudy. This gives a better look overall, then I adjust the colour a bit more with the temperature sliders.

 

Here are some links that are helpful in taking interior photographs. I hope these help, I’m still learning, so value the advice of others.

Interior photography

Interior Photography tips

 

Lounge with couch and wooden walls

Lounge with wooden walls and paper ball lamp shades

Kitchen black cupboards and wooden walls
I have coffee cups for every occasion, sunny Im in yellow, cold my coffee is in a blue cup, green cup and Im headed for the garden!

Yellow coffee cup for sunny days. 

Single bed and yellow duvet cover, interiors
Yellow print and wooden walls lounge room

Canola fields are numerous in South Australia, and make an eye catching sight on a wooden wall.

Bedroom corner cane lampshade and wooden walls
View towards the trees, interiors
Shelves and wooden walls, interiors
Antique tray and spoons vintage
Cane chair sitting and reading
Queen bed and wooden walls interiors
Bed in guest house interiors
Cane chair and magazine
pink bedroom and wooden walls interiors
Blue saroong and lemons on the beach
Sun chair at our local beach Marion Bay

The beach is one minute away.

I just could not help myself after a somewhat frustrating photoshoot indoors I had to head to the beach and take some easy peasy outdoor shots. However with so many beaches right on our doorstep, interiors and exteriors are all inclusive over here at Marion Bay.

I will certainly keep trying my hand at interiors, photography is always evolving and I love trying new things.

All photographs are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

The magic of photographing the color red.

The magic of photographing the color red.

Red sky at night

Red; a magical colour to photograph.

 

Bright bold and beautiful. Red is a strong and alluring colour. It stands out from the crowd so to speak. Yellow is the brightest colour in the spectrum, but red is the strongest and most eye catching of all the colours. To me it represents joy whenever I wear red or see red I have a kind of lift in my spirits. Personally I really love this colour.

In photography

Generally it is used in small areas and small doses. A red shirt, a red flower, a red hat, whatever it is. Filling the entire frame with red is not the general rule. It very quickly overpowers everything else in the image and so is used sparingly by most photographers.

In a world where we consume images in a fast and furious way, red has the power to stop the viewer in their tracks, and make them  stay a little longer than they normally would.

The well known photographer Steve McCurry apparently regularly adds red to his photographs as he is well aware of the effect it has on his viewers.

Red represents, boldness, passion, romance

But also anger, hatred and fire. It is at the lower end of the spectrum having a longer wave length and because of its bold brightness is often used as warning and danger signals.

Below are my images wherein I have captured the colour red and tried to make it the predominant entity in the image. I found photographing this colour challenging and also thought provoking in a most positive way. Very often the red, one sees with the natural eye is not the same colour as the red that is produced in a photographic image. Therefore editing to its truest state can be a little tricky. Try using the warm and cool slider to get the exact colour you want the image to be.

Have fun and stay cool!

 

Snow and a red sunset New Zealand Southern Alps

A red sunset with the mountains alongside Hakatere Heron Road in New Zealand.

Very red sky and three white terns
Sunset after the Melbourne fires

Taken at Hallett Cove beach after numerous bushfires had raged during the week.

Sunset after some terrible fires near Melbourne

Another year another lot of bush fires. Taken at Innes Lake after the bush fires in Melbourne and the wind having swept smoke over to South Australia.

Two red sun chairs at a sandy beach
Red sky and a yacht sails by
Red sails
Red towel on the beach
Red front of the boat and a sun hat
Red chair and umbrella
Red chair and striped beach towel
Girl in red jumper
Red sky and yellow field

And now for some images I’ve simply had fun with. I used a few household items and tried different angles and different lighting.

Why not challenge yourself with some different ideas with photography. I found this photoshoot quite interesting and not at all like my usual landscape photography.

Red chair and pile of red cushions
Red vintage kitchen chair with some autumn leaves
Red glasses on some papers
Red book and coffee with some grey material
Book and coloured material red.
Fishing book and red material
Red chair cushion and some leaves

 

If you are interested in learning more about the colour red in photography this is a great article. READ HERE

All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

Incorporating beautiful colors in your photography

Incorporating beautiful colors in your photography

Edithburgh sea pool

The magic of colour, and ways to enhance and incorporate colour in your photography.

 

Colour is Gods moment of divine eccentricity!

What would our world be like without colour?

Would it exist at all because perhaps we could not see anything?

Would it be black and white? Surely not because white is all the colours mixed together.

How did our God think up the concept of colour?

While out photographing I have this very annoying habit of talking out loud. Quite frightening, really, nobody around to listen and yet I vocalise what’s in my heart.

I’ve noticed many times my outbursts are about colour. If you were a nearby object you would hear me say…..

“Wow, look at that pink sunset!”

“Gosh, look at the colour of the blue ocean today!”

“Look at that child’s beautiful green eye colour!”

“Heavens, look at the colour of the blood red sky this evening!”

“Glory be, look at the colour of the golden desert sands tonight!”

When editing my photographs one of the things I like to do is experiment with colour. I will decrease some colours or increase others. I will sometimes change the colour of the sky or change the colour of the land.

I think I have mentioned this before, but photoshop has a wonderful tool called “the sky replacement tool” I love to experiment with different skies. I photograph images of different skies, I keep them in a folder on my computer and use them when I choose to replace the sky in a particular image.

However one of the best things you can do is capture an image in its most true and natural colours. This is best done when the sun is not so bright in the sky, hence dawn and dusk are great times to photograph outdoors. Called by photographers the golden hour. Seriously in this golden hour the colours become absolutely beautiful. Try it!

Here are some very simple  ways I experiment with colour

I change the tint in one area of my image ever so slightly to see if I like it. One particular colour, of course has a thousand variations and tones. Take green for example, I will try making it more bluish, or more orange, what ever my preference is for that particular image. I use the selection tool and the colour sliders in Lightroom to do this or the selection tool in photoshop.

I use presets, mainly colour efex and lightrooms presets. Presets offer a huge variety of shades, tones and intensities.

I use the sky replacement tool in photoshop.

I purchase or use certain objects of a complete contrasting colour and place them in my image before I take the shot. Eg a pink umbrella on a white sandy beach. The contrast of two colours adds a lovely simple feel to an image.

I’ll look out for and photograph unusual things, places with unique colours, eg the gypsum mine below at Dalys beach, Yorke Peninsula. The dust storm in Barmera South Australia proved quite spectacular as Lake Bonney turned a light green and the skies where orangey pink.

I don’t often use charts or information to help me choose what colours are opposite on the colour wheel  or what colours are analogous. I use my eyes and heart and work by feeling and emotions, in other words ……if I like it, I photograph it! I find nature itself has an incredible ability to use colour in a most imaginative way.

However here are some more informative links to understanding colour and how to add it to your photography.

A list of Complimentary colours Read here

A list of analogous colours Read here.

Have fun and work with whatever method is best for you.

Green grass and pink fog in the early morning

Green grass and early morning fog

Golden glow of a sunset on a canola field

Canola field with a new sky edited in

Pink umbrella on a sandy beach
Kaikoura mountains and the sun sets on the snow

Kaikoura mountain range, New Zealand, and the setting sun catches a snowy mountain behind the foreground hills.

Jelly fish in a colourful ocean
Road to Lyrup Flats in South Australia with moon in background

The road to Lyrup Flats, South Australia. I have changed the sky in this image using the photoshop sky replacement tool.

A forest in the Haast Pass New Zealand on an icy evening at sunset
Last light on mossy trees at Haast Pass New Zealand

The two images above are of a group of mossy trees on a cold winters day. The sun was setting and the dew and suns rays created some exquisite colours. Haast Pass New Zealand.

Old windmill and new blue sky
Red sky and an Australian outback road and gates
Two pacific gulls at West Cape Yorke Peninsula
Barmera jetty and a dust storm

Lake Bonney, Barmera South Australia.

Dust storm at Barmera. Lake Bonney, South Australia
Dust storm at Lake Bonney South Australia and a pelican glides by

This dust storm above turned Lake Bonney a strange green and the air a goldy pink. I have enhanced the pink and taken out a bit of the gold.

Red sun from the Melbourne fires over Innes Lake Yorke Peninsula

This photo above was taken when copious amounts of smoke had drifted over to South Australia from Melbourne. The sun turned a strange colour and Innes Lake in Yorke Peninsula became an awesome spot for a photograph.

Gypsum mine abandoned and some beautiful colours

This photo was taken at Dalys head near the beach. An old abandoned gypsum mine left some remarkable colours.

River from the ocean currents West Cape, Yorke Peninsula
West Cape and a strange sky
West Cape beach and new sky in photoshop
Tree in canola field
Green and yellow farmers fields on a grey day
Sandy beach and two pink sun umbrellas
Towel on Willyama beach Yorke Peninsula
Pinky horizon and dinghy at Port Clinton Yorke Peninsula.
Salt lake in the evening light, Innes National Park South Australia
Foggy morning and the sunrise. Marion Bay South Australia

A foggy morning at Marion Bay, the sun rises just over the jetty, if you look closely you can see a few early morning fishermen.

Lake McDonnell South Australia

This photo was taken at Lake McDonnell, South Australia. Two salt lakes side by side with a dividing road. It had just been raining, if you look closely you can see puddles of water on the road. Even nature puts together colours which seemingly do not go together.

Try it in your photography.

All images are photographed by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

Keep your chin up…or how to take selfies when you’re older.

Keep your chin up…or how to take selfies when you’re older.

Walking at the beach

Taking selfies, when you are a bit older… hmmm…

Hold that chin up, strike a happy pose and smile a happy smile and those wrinkles will simply disappear in your selfies….well not quite??!! But doing these things will certainly make a difference to the way your images turn out.

If you can, it is a great idea to learn to take selfies. It’s good camera practise and also an inexpensive way of getting photographs if you have your own website or social media page.

However if you do have someone, a friend, or person who is able to take a portrait shot of you, well then all the better, use them.

Things you will need to get started:

  1. A camera that has time delay settings.
  2. A tripod, and you will need to know how to use it.
  3. A bit of extra time.  Capturing an image of yourself takes quite a bit of planning and therefore time. Running backwards and forwards to the camera to see how the shot turned out can be quite exhausting, especially if you are at the far end of a huge grassy field.

Soooo how do you get some photos of yourself that are a reasonable standard.

Here are my methods and ideas:

1.Definitely know what looks good on you, clothing and make up wise. At my age (can’t tell you what that is) I want some colour in my face and my clothing to suit the type of shot I am taking. eg shorts and shirt at the beach, long skirt and scarf at church, jeans and sweater in the garden etc.

2.As you can see I love experimenting and taking photos with my face hidden. I find a face quite confronting. Of course for some portraits I understand you will need a full frontal face shot. Again it’s your preference.

3.Add props if and when necessary. Sun hats at the beach, spade in the garden, flower in my hand in a field etc

4.Set up your tripod…firmly and the right distance from where you will stand, be mindful of the wind on a windy day. I put some sort of marker on the ground about the spot I will need to stand or pose for the photo.

5.Focus… I have various means of doing this and it is a bit tricky. Often I will focus on an object that is close to where I will be posing, but it is a bit hit and miss. There are other ways…..

-Some photographers put there tripod at the place they will pose.

-then go back to the place where you want to take the photo from,

-then focus on the tripod, push the shutter button halfway to focus, then put camera on manual focus so it stays on that setting.

-then bring tripod back to original place and placing camera on tripod, set timer for the amount of time it takes for you to get into position (the exact spot the tripod was.) and for camera to take the shot.

It’s a bit confusing and you will have to mark the spot where the tripod was and  where you intend to stand.

6.I generally just have fun with selfies, I am really not going to use them for selling purposes, but just for practise and my own web site photos.

7.Lastly pose… for your photo and don’t be self conscious.

Many years ago… I did a few weddings. I photographed one bride who posed beautifully. Every time I said ..”Stop.” or, “Hold that pose.” She just basically froze and calmly kept her position. It was so easy to photograph her and the photos turned out so lovely.

Another time I had a bride who would not stop moving. She would get the jitters and look away from the camera, she was terribly shy in front of the camera and it was exceedingly difficult to photograph her. AND to make matters worse when her photos were developed they were sadly awful! Eyes shut, mouth open, head turned too far, nose screwed up and she was quite devastated. The memories of her most wonderful day were not so good. 

8.Lighting…another important aspect of self shooting. I won’t go into any real depth on the subject of lighting of self, as it is quite comprehensive and shooting indoors often requires lights and reflectors etc. As for me I mainly take my shots outdoors and simply consider where the sun is and where the shadows fall and take the photo I think looks good.

In closing there are many many sites on Pinterest that are about self portraits here is one I found simple and quite helpful.

Dawn Charles easiest way to take self portraits

 

Wendy Philip in yellow pants
At the beach Wendy Philip
Seagull on my head Wendy Philip
Seagull flies over head Wendy Philip
Out fishing Wendy Philip
My sunhat at Formby Bay Wendy Philip
Standing on the beach selfie
Standing on Stenhouse jetty
Wendy Philip blurry photo windy day

Try some new effects, blur the entire image, no wrinkles are showing here!!!

Wendy Philip in black skirt beside marble bust
Wendy Philip in blue skirt and sun hat
Wendy Philip in blue skirt
Wendy Philip in red coat and marble bust stands beside
Black and white prints Wendy Philip
In a field of purple Wendy Philip

These next few images were taken many years ago. Quite out of focus, but I did have a great time doing these shots and certainly learnt alot. The purple flowers are actually a weed called Salavation Jane.

Wendy Philip in a field of purple flowers
Wendy Philip in yellow skirt in wheat field selfie
Wendy Philip in yellow canola field

In a canola field. I think I’ve mentioned this before but I do not go into farmers fields any longer.  Out of respect and also many photographers have ruined plants and farmers land by going in and setting up gear and never requesting permission.

This has been a happy project, very enjoyable and satisfying. Not only do you gain a new perspective of how you look at your particular age, but a deeper appreciation of the body and the part it plays in photography. When it comes to the editing process it is an art where you can add or subtract whatever you like. Make your vision clear and go for it!!

Don’ be ashamed or embarrassed about yourself, you are who you are and most of you cannot be changed. Especially as we age. It has taken me quite awhile to accept my wrinkles, however I took to Pinterest and looked at endless lovely photos of older women, it was quite inspiring.

No AI generated images.