Photography: Creating Mood

Do you write notes on what you are doing  when you edit photographs or do you know your selections by just looking?

I’m taking myself back to a past blog subject about drawing and painting mundane subjects, clutter still life vignettes. 

Add light, and you can have mood, drama, an image with a story. The artist’s question is whether the image belongs as a photo or in painted form. I believe if you enlarge a photograph, the drama increases exponentially.

In paint, the differences can feel between a cool breeze on your shoulders versus wearing a warm sweater, clear vs textured, sleek vs crumbled. Where you want to see the image displayed may dictate the treatment. 

Morning light

This is the next photo I might paint from. The composition will be changed. The vertical elements in sketches will help me decide. There are times when drawing before painting a subject, tells me to keep the image as a photo because it doesn’t translate well.  

Editing the photo above, I wanted to create a somber mood with a hint of daylight. I can’t explain how, because I didn’t take notes. Also, my composition vocabulary is rusty. What I know is that I reduced the light, increased brilliance, and deepened shadows.